from the diary of John Alexander Hutcheson Fraser (1876-1939)

Beach is situated about 12 miles from Loch Aline pier in a wide valley with only one other house in sight. The road is unfenced and runs parallel with a large burn in which Dr. Coalstream and Uncle Johnstone were fishing when I arrived. The road turns off the main road at right angles and crosses this big burn and you can see the house with its outbuildings, standing under the shelter of the hills about three quarters of a mile away beside a burn which comes down from the hills behind the house and divides Beach into two areas of about 1500 acres each. On the west side of the dividing burn on a level with the house, is a fir plantation enclosed with a wall. These are practically the only trees to be seen. They were, I believe, planted by my grandfather in the sixties to shelter the house which he was having built, from the fierce winds that sweep up the valley.

Behind the house there is a large kitchen garden surrounded by a low wall. Adjoining it is the stables, cow and cart sheds with a big loft above them. A little further east there is the shepherd's cottage and below it a fenced-in field about 10 acres for cultivation adjoining the sheep yards. Beach, with its 3000 acres carries about 1200 ewes through the winter but of course it was for the shooting that my grandfather bought it and it was for the shooting that Uncle Johnstone kept it but the wool and surplus stock paid for the two shepherds who were employed and for the rates and taxes, so Uncle Johnstone told me. Beach has a wonderful view down the valley where the only dwelling to be seen is the Ardtornish shepherd's cottage. It is the end of the postman's round and he calls there twice a week and stays an hour before returning to Loch Aline to give you time to answer any urgent letters.

The day after my arrival, being Sunday the 31st of August, and there being no church nearer than Loch Aline, we read and wrote, but in the afternoon, we went for a walk up the Corran road to where the Kingairloch road branches off to Loch Corrie.

The following morning, Atkin the gamekeeper woke me at 4.30 a.m. and we set off deer stalking, returning about 9 o'clock without seeing any deer. After a good breakfast and a smoke, we went out again and saw two stags with a number of hinds about a mile away. After much dodging and crawling up a small burn, we came to a place where we could see the deer about 200 yards away and as the gamekeeper thought it a good chance, he loaded the rifle and handed it to me. I fired two shots and missed and as it was smokeless powder and we were to leeward, the deer did not move so I handed the rifle to Atkin and he missed twice and the deer cleared out so we got back empty handed and tired after about twelve hours on the hills.

The next day, Dr. Coalstream, Uncle Johnstone and I, went out grouse shooting. We had good sport shooting over two setters and got a good bag. The following day it was raining heavily and blowing but I was driven into Loch Aline by Atkin, who, after collecting the mail and getting bread, left for his trip back, leaving me at the pier to await the afternoon steamer, but owing to the gale blowing, it did not call. However, there was, for a wonder, a man with a dogcart going up the Glen to Loch Sunart and he offered me a lift. So at dark, I arrived back at Beach soaked through and through.

The following morning, Atkin drove Dr. Coalstream, U.J. and me into Loch Aline and we saw U.J off to Tobermory where he was joining a shooting party. After we had lunch at Loch Aline, we boarded the "Carabineer" on her way from Tobermory.