Scotland 2015. Day 4, Glen Shiel.

An excellent day today: one of fantastic light interspersed with torrential showers and gale force winds.  We had a fairly relaxed start after the last three hectic days, but were ready when Peter and Linda arrived from the nearby Youth Hostel where they are staying.  Despite it pouring with rain, the forecast was for heavy showers rather than persistent rain so we decided to carry on with our original plan and go over to Skye.  By the time we reached picturesque Eilean Donan castle (famously featuring in the initial sequences of the film Highlander) the rain had stopped and the sun began to appear.  Once over the impressive Skye Bridge we were soon at Broadford and turned on to the winding single track road to Elgol.  The shores of Loch Slapin not only gave us great views of Blaven, an outlier of the 6 mile long Coulin ridge, but also proved an excellent spot for birdwatching.  Here, as elsewhere, were plentiful wheatears showing their white rumps as they flitted  low over the ground, cuckoos could be heard and one was spotted on a telegraph wire.  On the shore were unusually tame oystercatchers, common sandpipers and ringed plovers but the piece de resistance was the fabulous summer plumage black-throated diver out on the loch.  As we crested the hill above Elgol Rum,Eigg and Canna appeared to float over the turquoise waters of the Minch with Soay tucked into Loch Scavaig.  As we dropped into the small fishing hamlet the Coulin brooded under a lowering sky across the Loch.  What a great spot.
Returning to Broadford we headed north up the coast to Sigachain with excellent views of the islands of Scalpay and Raasay.  At the famed Sligachain Bridge we stopped for photographs of Sgurr Nan Gillian before carrying on to The Old Man of Storr, passing through Portree.  On the way back we stopped for tea in The Sligachain Hotel and Peter and I revelled in the memorabilia and associations with mountaineer Norman Collie.
Back at the site we had an exciting half hour rescuing friends Mary and Les's awning from the 50 mph winds before retiring to the local hostelry for a meal.

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Scotland 2015. Glen Shiel Day 3

A damp start today which continued into a foul wet day of heavy rain.  We had rather too relaxed a start today, perhaps because Thomas had stayed overnight with us.  Eventually, however, we we packed up and ready for the off at 11.00 am.  We were somewhat keyed up, having had the blow out on Friday but the journey passed with no problems.  It was, however, one of the toughest caravan tows I have ever done.  190 miles, so I thought that it would be quite quick, which it was until we turned off the A9 at Dalwhinnie.  We had crossed the Forth Road Bridge, called briefly at Tiso's on the outskirts of Perth for lunch and then headed up the A9, the weather becoming gradually worse.  From Dalwhinnie our route took us down Glen Spean to Spean Bridge and then up the Great Glen briefly to Invergarry where we turned off to drive over the top to Glen Shiel.  What a road over those last miles: narrow, twist bumpy and potholed.  When we arrived (in siling rain and strong wind) and opened the door it looked as though World War III had taken place: every cupboard open and the contents deposited in the floor.  Still we are now settled in, drying out and enjoying a welcome cup of tea.  The weather has improved and I am looking forward to beer o'clock and a meal of ravioli in tomato sauce with a bottle of red.  There may even be a snifter in malt later.

Scotland May 2015. Day 1 and 2, Edinburgh

The beginning of a new trip is always exciting and this one is no different.  We plan to spend the first part of the stay in Glen Shiel and Glenn Affric with my brother and his wife for some Munro Bagging and then head over to Mull for some wildlife watching and photography.  Yesterday started well and we had a good journey until just north of Berwick when we were flagged down by an overtaking car; we had had a blowout on the caravan.  At first all was doom and gloom but the RAC man arrived within half an hour and twenty minutes later we were on our way again, arriving at our site on the edge of Musselburgh only an hour late.  We were soon settled in and enjoying an evening meal.  A beer was, of course, essential whilst cooking.

First thing this morning I managed to get a new tyre fitted and once back on the site wheels were changed round again and by 10.30 we were heading into Edinburgh to meet up with our son who was also passing through.  A very enjoyable day was had including an excellent curry at the Mosque Kitchen.  To finish the day we enjoyed a drive along the coast.

Tomorrow we head north.

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Walking Jet in Irby Dale

Had a couple of walks in Irby recently to take Mr Mutt for a walk.  Heard the green woodpecker both times; I would love some photos of it!!

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Whitethroats at the Fitties

As a bright morning was forecast I planned to go down the the Fitties to try to find the whitethroats that display in the same spot every year: in the hawthorn bushes on the sea bank behind the lake.  Usually they perch readily in the tops of the bushes to rattle out their raucous display song.  This morning, however they stayed persistently low, perhaps because a bank of cloud came over from 6.00 - 7.00 and it was cool and windy.  Things improved when the cloud cleared, though, and the sun came out.  It was good to hear my second cuckoo of the year and also to secure shots of reed bunting, dunnock and linnet.  A hunting barn owl also provided distant shots.

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Barn Owl

Dunnock

Linnet

Reed Bunting

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Whitethroat

Early morning light on the Humber

Early morning light on the Humber