The Ancient Stone

While walking along the Claigan road which overlooks loch Dunvegan, I noticed the derelict stone wall. The rocks were patterned with different types of lichen in shades of mustard, cream and orange. On top of one of the rocks lay a blue-grey mussel shell, which you might think is rather unusual. The old stones are used as a tool by the local seagulls and hooded crows. They forage for mussels on the shore, which are impossible to open with their beaks. The birds have learned an easy way to open the shells to reveal the precious feast inside. They carry the shell in their beaks and fly to a great height, then they drop the shells onto the stones. The shells smash onto the stones and reveal the shellfish. They then swoop down to eat the mussel before they repeat the task. The wall is peppered with fragments of broken mussel shells.

The Ancient Stone

The ancient stone lies still

beneath the derelict wall

for eternity

Sue Wood