Lighthouses – Matthew McKinnon's Blog

Reflections on Life After Our Tiree Holiday

It seems no time at all since the end of April, when we were on holiday in the beautiful island of Tiree off the west coast of Scotland. Soon we were out and about on our various trips to many of our favourite picnic haunts, in some glorious Spring weather.

Now looking back I reflect on all that has happened since, which has caused us to re-evaluate our new circumstances and to ponder on how quick life can change. Before I expand on that let me share some photographs of our adventures in Springtime.

Yes we had an amazing holiday in Tiree, the weather was cool but beautifully sunny almost every day. We enjoyed slowly driving around the island and walking on the white sandy beaches and taking in the breathtaking beauty which surrounded us. It was the lambing season and signs of new life were everywhere, in the flowers, birds and young lambs and calves. Here are some photos, first showing our journey by car from Glasgow to Oban.

We had a night’s bed and breakfast in Oban and next morning caught the early morning ferry to Tiree via the Isle of Coll.

A week’s stay in Tiree was as usual a week of peace and tranquility, and somehow we always manage to enjoy many sunny days. Yes it was April, with still a cold wind so you need to dress appropriately. Too many photos to show, but here are some of this years favourites.

The following weekend was the May Spring holiday here in Scotland, and we had been kindly given some vouchers for sailing on the ‘Sir Walter Scott Steamship’ on Loch Katrine in the Trossachs area, within the National Park. We awakened to a beautiful morning with cloudless blue sky, and soon made our way across the Duke’s Pass to Loch Katrine. I am sure you will never get a better day than that day. The weather was absolutely glorious, this is a day trip highly recommended..

**Loch Katrine taken from the new viewpoint just above the pier**

The following day was not so exciting as after our Tiree week and our sail on Loch Katrine, I had to catch up with all the mail that had accumulated during our absence, so it was the day of sitting at the computer. That night at around 3am I had a stroke and was hospitalised for nine nights.

Thankfully I am well on the way to recovery, and again, thankfully my speech and mind were not affected; mostly my left arm and leg which are now functioning well, so I am hopefull that I can make a full recovery.

However, some things that come your way in life, bring you up with start. I had often been told that I was very fit for my age, and after my holiday and trip to Loch Katrine I certainly was feeling very well. Then as I lay in bed in hospital I was reminding myself of the verse in the book of Proverbs that says ‘Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.’ Prov. 27:1. whew, how true! All these summer plans were now on hold.

I have had many encouragements from family and friends near and far, in the way of visits, text-messages, cards, flowers, food and fruit juice, and even someone arriving at our door to help in the garden. So if you are one of those who are reading this, let me say a huge THANK YOU!

As a Christian I am truly appreciative for the many prayers spoken from my local Church family, and indeed from so many others around the world to our God and Father on my behalf. I believe that the progress made to date is in many ways an answer to them. I’m also thankful for the many Bible thoughts and verses sent and spoken to me, they are such an encouragement. Here’s just one:- ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Rom.15:13

Yes, truly this is our sure hope in Jesus Christ and what he has promised to those who trust in Him, whether in life or death. I said to someone recently who had kindly wished me ‘all the best’ – thank you, but whatever happens, the best is yet to be‘- this is the Christian hope.

My stroke certainly got me thinking, and perhaps has got YOU thinking too? As I write news has just come in of 21 people involved in a balloon disaster in Brazil, first reports of 13 killed. The recent ‘AIR India’ disaster saw just one survivor out of 242 people on board. HOW SAD. It’s good to be ready don’t you think? Here’s a song that is special to me – have a listen

Matthew

PS: There has been much criticism of the NHS. Next time I would like to tell you of my experience.

Discover the Tranquility of Tiree in Spring: A Scottish Island Getaway

This year in the month of May we had another holiday in Tiree staying with our friends there. It’s always something quite special, and very different from the holiday resorts of Europe, which at one time were our favourites. Someone asked me recently what was the attraction of Tiree? I thought the answer to that question was well put by someone on Facebook recently when they said ‘Time stands still in Tiree’! It’s just so different from the noise and razamataz of life in the city, here the ‘sound of silence’ can be felt, the big sky, the blue ocean and the lapping of the water on the beaches, all speak of the Glory and Majesty of our creator God, and perhaps even more so on stormy days.:)

Our booking on the Oban > Tiree ferry was very early in the morning, so we were out of bed by 4am, but as it so happened it was completely worth it, as we so enjoyed the beauty of the sunrise over the Sound of Mull.

As the four hour journey progressed, so many beautiful sites came into view before we safely arrived at our destination in the Isle of Tiree. The journey is such a major part of the holiday!

We had many sunny, but cool days (It was still Springtime) but I’ll start by showing you photos from the one really wet day we had.

the bird hide – a seat and flask of coffee

If you have heard of Tiree before you will certainly have heard of the amazing beaches, sunrises and sunsets. Here are a few photos.

All the places to visit on the island are too many to show here, but the following are a few of Scarnish, Milton and Balemartine. My Great Grandfather came from Balemartine, so we like to spend time there.

Then of course there are the beaches, harbours, sea and seashore with all their associated activities!

Surfing was out, but we had two swimming days – now called ‘wild swimming’, but as children we called it ‘going for a dook’! We left it until late afternoon as the tide was highest then. Freezing cold 🙂 but amazing!

I trust the above photo selection whets your appetite for a visit to the Scottish Hebrides and in particular the Isle of Tiree. And yes, we were at the Baptist Church on the Sunday, and also at an open day that they were holding. It was great to renew our acquaintance with some of the folks who meet there. The ‘Faith Mission’ guys commenced a visit to the island just before we left, and it was a pleasure to meet them again on a couple of evenings, and hear two of the young missionaires tell the story of their coming to faith in Jesus.

In the business of life I find it essential to take time daily to listen and to speak with God. As a child I gave my life to Jesus and invited Him to become my Saviour and Lord, I have mentioned this often before, but knowing His living presence and the forgiveness of sin, and the peace He brings in this troubled world, is truly God’s greatest gift to humankind. There were plenty of places in Tiree for peace and quiet to worship and to think of these great issues of life and death, and life hereafter, and the wonder of God’s love. Here is another song I enjoy by Joseph Prince.

I hope you enjoyed the photographs and I trust this finds you well wherever you are, and maybe you can enjoy some ‘wild swimming’ 🙂

(Above swimming photos by taken by our friend Susie)

I look forward to hearing from you.

Matthew

A Photo Review – 2023

Here is a review of my photographs at the end of the year, that highlight some of the lovely places and experiences that have been enjoyed. The one shown above is of the local park, where we so often walk. However those shown below are not always because of their great photographic quality, but sometimes just for the memories that they invoke. This year let’s start with Winter and finish with Winter, and in-between show something of the beauty of God’s creation here in Scotland, not only in Winter, but also in Spring, Summer and Autumn.

January and February – the winter months at the beginning of 2023.

A day out to Culzean Castle and gardens in January

A round trip from Glasgow to Dunoon via Loch Lomond, Hell’s Glen and Ardentinny

A good place to visit on a cold day – Glasgow’s Botanical Gardens

Now it’s Spring time and everything is bursting into life!

More Spring flowers:-

Late May, our holiday in and around Tiree

Now on into summer ….

**A visit to Dawyck Botanical Gardens >**

Our garden in summer ….

Day trips to the Firth of Forth Bridges, the Isle of Bute and The Trossachs

Now Autumn is coming on …. with a trip to Inverness and the Moray Coast ….

And lastly at the end of the year we are into Winter once again …

Thank you to all who subscribe to my blog and also to friends far and wide who log-on from time to time. Hopfully you have enjoyed the photographs of our travels in 2023. I often think that we are not getting around as much as we once did, until I start to select photos from the year, and then reaslise I have far too many photos to show!

The ‘card’ above brings our greetings for Christmas and the New Year, and we hope to continue our blogging in 2024 all being well, but until next year I wish you God’s blessing at this festive season! The words of my favourite carol this year, are attached.

Matthew

The Island of Tiree – Scotland

‘**AN TURAS’ –** ‘***The Journey***‘ – **WELCOME** to **TIREE!**

TIREE is a low lying island in the Inner Hebrides, also the most westerly, with a population of around 650. It is only twelve miles long and three miles wide, with its amazing beaches, animal, bird and sea life and grasslands and flora, and one of the sunniest places in the UK. Well that sets out some of the main facts about the island, but hopefully the photographs and script that follows will give you a glimpse of the sense of freedom and joy that can be experienced on a holiday here.

Hard to explain the wildness and beauty of God’s creation witnessed in Tiree, the big skies, both day and night, the narrow roads, isolated cottages, and many small lochans, the blue sea both calm and wild, the amazing quiet and empty beaches, the open grasslands with a tumultuous array of flowers, and the wandering cattle and sheep and other wild life that call this place home. As they say in Scotland ‘somethings are better felt than telt‘!

We were back there again this year during the month of May for our holidays, attracted by all of the above, and where as always we received a warm welcome as holiday makers, so many visitors come, some attracted by the special events held throughout the year. There’s a welcome notice right on the pier with a very clever piece of art work called ‘An Turas,’ but be careful not to miss it as you can easily pass it by!

Tiree is famous for its wide white sandy beaches, and depending on wind direction you can choose the one best suited to your day’s plan. Water sports, or just walking and sunbathing. So here is a selection of some that we visited!

Boats and harbours, birds and animals, dolphins and seals can be spotted all around the island, with a couple of Bird Hides conveniently placed for a quiet seat to enjoy!

Now for a variety of shots from this years Tiree collection, which I really like.

We also visited some ancient ruins of Churches, a Broch, a Watermill, a Graveyard where my great grandfather and mother I believe are buried, plus Churches of today and friends of today with whom we enjoyed food and fellowship.

Kirkapol Chapel dedicated to St Columba mid 14 Century

When we go on holiday we always like to visit the Church(s) in the area and join in fellowship with fellow Christians. To many in society nowadays the Church seems an irrelevance, but not to God or to those who know and love Him! It is said of Jesus, God’s Son, ‘that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it’! The two pictures below I think speak volumes!

On the first Sunday we were at the Baptist Church and sang with Joy –

Come, people of the Risen King who delight to bring Him praise Come all and tune your hearts to sing to the Morning Star of grace, From the shifting shadows of the earthwe will lift our eyes to Him where steady arms of mercy reach to gather children in!

On the 2nd Sunday we visited the Church of Scotland at Heylipol where the text’s above the pulpit remind us of our home Church! Most worshippers sat at the back and at the side, but this dear man chose to sit near the front. Perhaps he has used that seat for many years. We sang – Take my life and let it be consecrated to Thee, Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise. Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love, Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee

These two songs in many ways encapsulate for us the Christian life! In Church and home we sing praise and thanks to God for His Grace, in providing Salvation for us through the work of His Son Jesus, and for calling us to be His children! Then in response to that love we sing ‘Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to Thee’…… We met two young men from the Faith Mission there who were keen to proclaim the good news of the Gospel, and were certainly putting into practice the words of the second hymn referred to above.

I find the last photo on this blog very emotive! I think of our Christian heritage as a nation that we now seem content to let slip ‘through our fingers’ as it were, while we witness so much heartache and tears all around us, and hear many dear folks speak of the future with a sense of fear and foreboding. Tom Lenie in his excellent book ‘Land of Revivals’ records for us some great days of revival in Tiree around 1837 – 1846 when the Churches in Tiree were filled as people found salvation and fresh new hope through faith in Jesus Christ.

Many Christians today are united in prayer, asking God to come again in the power of His Spirit to bring revival to Scotland, its islands, towns and cities. I recall the words of the Scottish Bard, Robert Burns in his poem “The Cotter’s Saturday Night’ as he recalls a scene in the household of a Scottish Christian family as they pray together – He says –

From scenes like these, old Scotia’s grandeur springs
That makes her lov’d at home, rever’d abroad:

Grandeur? I wonder if that word that would be used to describe our nation’s stature today? I will end here by inviting you if you don’t go to Church to consider starting to attend, or perhaps again,? a Church near you that teaches the Bible, wherever you live! If you do I am sure you will be blessed by God!

I hope you enjoyed the photos, you’d love Tiree, although I confess to being slightly biased as my ancestors came from there! Always glad to hear from you.

Matthew

PS: if you missed the video of our trip from Tiree to Skerryvore you cam see it here

From Tiree to ‘Skerryvore’ – Scotland”s Tallest Lighthouse!

**Skerryvore looking forboding on a cloudy day – Photo by Susie Gamble**

Our holiday this year took us again back to the Island of Tiree. One thing I had in mind before arriving was to visit the Skerryvore Lighthouse, situated some 12 miles south west of the Island, right on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We had previously visited the Skerryvore Museum on the island, at Hynish, and had been fascinated by the story it told. So we registered our interest with Tiree Sea Tours shortly after arrival, and in the intervening period made another visit along to the Museum where there is an extensive collection of memorabilia and many information boards, from which much information has been gleaned for this blog.

During the period 1786 to 1938 the Stevenson family were responsible for the desisgn and building of 156 lighthouses around the coast of Scotland, including the lamps and optics, the engine room, the buildings, buoys and beacons, the radios and piers. The need was great, during the survey period and the building stage from 1790 until Skerryvore’s completion in 1844, more than thirty vessels had floundered on and around this reef! The toll of ships lost down the years must have been very considerable. Allan Stevenson, uncle of the well known writer and poet Robert Louis Stevenson, was the engineer in charge, and Skerryvore took three years to complete. The left hand side of the map below shows its exact location. His nephew descsribed Skerryvore as ‘the noblest of all extant deep- sea lights’ and considered by many to be the world’s most elegant and perfect lighthouse!

Well it seemed as if the weather would prevent us from achieving our goal to visit, but on the last day of our holiday we received news that the 2.5 hours return trip was on. The sea was fairly calm as we left Scarinish and followed the coastline along to Hynish to view the Museum from the sea. We then headed out towards the lighthouse and encountered a small pod of dolphins who swam alongside, which was so amazing to see. Later as we approached Skerryvore we enclountered a heavy sea swell, which prevented us getting as close to the lighthouse as we would have liked. Somehow this seemed to add to the trip, as we experienced the wildness and isolation of the place, and witnessed the changing sea conditions. It also let us see just how difficult it must have been on many occasions to change the lighthouse keepers at the end of their tour of duty.

We now have company as a pod of dolphins join us!

Approaching Skerryvore we encounter a large sea swell, but there it was – SKERRYVORE !

Reflection: The lighthouse has now been in use for 179 years on one of the most dangerous and exposed reefs to be found anywhere in the world, and one can only marvel at the skill, ingenuity and bravery of the men who designed and built it, and it is said, ‘with no loss of life‘! Four thousand three hundred blocks of rose coloured granite were used in its construction, it stands 156 ft tall with a diameter of 42 feet at the base and 16 feet at the top and weights 4,377 tonnes! This light has undoutedly saved many many lives, and we ‘take off our hats‘, to its designers, builders, and to the lighthouse keepers and maintenance engineers down through the years.

I bought this model of the lighthouse from ‘Tiree Sea Tours’ as a reminder of our exciting and memorable trip, and it currently has ‘pride of place’ on our mantlepiece. 🙂

The model also reminds me of another model lighthouse that I had many years ago. When I was in my twenties and thirties I was often asked to convey the Christian message to groups of children and young people, and it was always good to have an ‘object lesson’. So I had a cool 18″ tall lighthouse that lit up, that was very popular, and which I often used. Becoming a Jesus follower you see is all about heeding a warning light sent from heaven, telling us that humanity is in the dark and in great danger, and needs to steer a different course if they are to land safely on heaven’s shore, and avoid the wreckage of sin that the Bible names hell!

The warning LIGHT from heaven of course was JESUS. The Gospel of John starts with these words – ‘In the beginning was the Word, (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.……. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world‘

Jesus said of Himself “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yes there is a light that shines into the darkness of our all our hearts, (The true light that gives light to everyone) warning us to steer a different course, and it is the light of Christ. Remember, His name Jesus means Saviour, and no matter how undeserving we are or lost we might feel, if we come to Him he guarantees to save us from the consequences of our sin, made possible because of His substituitonary death on our behalf at Calvary, followed by His resurrection and ascension.

Skerryvore is the perfect illustration of that other light shining in the darkness – Jesus. He is the firm foundation on which we can build our lives, a rock sure and steadfast. When we come to Him His Word becomes a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Why not come?

Here is a video of that trip we made to Skerryvore, which I hope you enjoy

A Sea Trip to Skerryvore Lighthouse

Have a great summer if you are here in Europe, but be blessed wherever you are, and remember Jesus, the Light of the World!

Matthew

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