Portree - Edinburgh

 Three in the morning - fire alarm. In some confusion we all had to vacate the building while it was searched - we suspect vaping!! Despite this we were up early, car loaded and away. We stopped for a lovely lunch high above Loch Loyne before driving down the pass to Invergarry and on to Spean Bridge where the plan was to take the Laggan Road to the A9 and then down to Edinburgh. Unfortunately the road was closed due to a landslide caused by torrential thunderstorms the night before. For us, this was not too much of a problem as we could take our alternative route via Fort William, Glen Coe (much more pleasant this time), and Stirling to Edbinburgh. For others, though, it entailed a 100 mile diversion. Approaching the infamous Edinburgh bypass things went pear-shaped again as there had been an accident which had temporaritly closed the road. Eventually we reached our B&B and wandered down into Portobello for a pizza at a favourite Italian and then wen for a stroll along the beach front looking forward to our day in Edbinburgh on the morrow.

Portobello beach.

Edinburgh, July, Day 2

A perfect day of weather today, at last. 23C and almost constant sun.  We bgan the day with a walk along the sea front and a coffee outside in the sun followed by some window shopping.  Then followed a day of revisiting past haunts beginning with Musselburgh Scrapes, like going back home.  There were the usual suspects present: oystercatchers, redshank, lapwing, heron, mallard and shelduck.  We continued our journey to the Scottish Ornithological Centre at Aberlady where we saw an excellent exhibition of prints linked to the poetry of John Clare.  Revrsing our route we called at Longniddry beach for sea glass searching.  Thomas and I had had a good session here many years ago and it still turned up trumps.  We enjoyed sitting in the sun over a late lunch before a quick visit the the estuary of the tiny River Eske.  This was very rewarding with large numbers of eclipse plumage eider duck, curlew and oystercatchers.  I was delighted to find a small group of superb summer plumage bar-tailed godwit along with a flock of red breasted mergansers and a few common terns.

A great day.

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Edinburgh, July, Day 1

My final photography on Mull was last night when we searched out Tobermoray Cat is a local'stray' but although no-0ne admits ownership he has been adopted by everyone and features in to children's books about him.  He spends a fair amount of time at the Youth hostel recovering from his adventures and this is where we caught up with him relaxing in the common room.  Of course we had to buy a book from the bookshop next door.

In true Tour de France style, a transition stage today, but rather than moving from Denmark to France, in our case it is Mull to Edinburgh.  We woke to torrential rain which continued until we reached Killin and then things gradually improved until , in Edinburgh, we enjoyed a beautiful evening.  The high point of the journey as watching arctic terns fishing by the ferry terminal at Craignure and the ferry crossing itself.  The day concluded with a very pleasant walk along Portobello sea front watching beach volley ball and sea swimming.

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