C is for Coast.
I was sitting on the train travelling to Carlisle when I came up with the list of words for my journey through the alphabet. Whenever I think about journeying anywhere, the first place I always want to go is to the coast. Why, then have I spent most of my adult life living and working in a place which is about as far away from the sea as you can get? Well, life kind of gets in the way of the things we really want to do.
The word coast conjures, in my mind, and, probably yours, images of the many beautiful beaches which surround our maritime nation. That being said a great deal of our coast is industrial and in our past, the coastal fringes were the places the poor went sent when dispossessed of their land. So what is the attraction, why do we love the coast and what draws us?
Firstly, for me, is almost a need to walk along beaches, whatever the weather because of the space, the openness and the emptiness. Beaches are places to clear your mind and to remind ourselves that there are many greater things and forces on this planet than the human race. It helps put things in perspective and can give you space to think. The coast can give us a break from our busy, stressful lives. It can be both relaxing and dramatic and it is a constantly changing environment which challenges our senses. The sea often demonstrates its strength, which we are powerless to fight. Take Happisborough, in Norfolk, where the existing village does not bear a great deal of resemblance to the old photos hanging in the local pub.
One of my favourite beaches is Westport on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula. It is a six-mile stretch of white sand open to the Atlantic Ocean. It is a great spot for surfing, fishing and walking and I have spent many happy hours collecting driftwood to have a wee fire at the end of a lovely day. It is my plan to retire to the West of Scotland and buy a property with at least a sea view. There is nothing better than a house with these words in the estate agents details: “exclusive path to beach”
I have a great fondness for west coast Scottish beaches. If you have never visited, there are a few things you need to know. It can be cold – we usually take a tent to warm daring swimmers up. The photograph shows an attempt to put the tent way in a howling gale after a great beach day. You might be the only people on the beach. There will be interesting rock pools and if you are lucky there will be a fantastic sunset. There will be no resemblance to a European beach and you will have to take all your supplies with you. There will be no flags to swim between and you will have loads of space for your game of cricket. If you are in Wester Ross or thereabouts, you will be able to find white coral which has fetched all the way from the Caribbean on the Gulf Stream. If you are on a sea loch there are places where the water is shallow and so it warms as the tide creeps slowly in over the sand. There will be muscles and razor clams to find and cook on your driftwood fire.
Sadly, however, there could also be rubbish. The seas which fetch up coral also fetch up a huge amount of plastic. There is no organised beach cleaning only local communities who volunteer to keep their beaches clean. Please take your rubbish home with you.
If visiting a west coast Scottish beach is not on your bucket list yet, add it. Some of the best beaches are a fair trek to get to, as there is often no road with convenient parking place. Here is a link to one of them to whet your appetite. http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/kinlochbervie/sandwoodbay/index.html
So where is your favourite British beach? Share a photo.
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