Just returned from a trip to Scotland calling in at Stoke to see Emily, including a barbeque on her lawn and visits to local lakes, and then up the west side of Scotland to the very top at Sandwood Bay. On return we stayed a few days at Tain visiting Helen's Mum and Dad, doing some gardening and a trip out to Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness. We also managed to see Doug, Dot and Margaret in Edinburgh enjoying another excellent meal and catching up on our news and travels. Then on to meet Emily for her birthday at Ashkirk with Helen, and a meal out at Clovenfords near Galashiels. We had intended a three week break but it became almost a month. On route we found some great campsites near Lochs or Glens offering some great walks, views across lochs and out to sea to the islands.
The weather for the three weeks was brilliant with only one day of rain whilst at Oban and torrential rain on the A1 in the midlands. I managed a few walks including "The Cobbler" near Ben Ime and Loch Long and Buachaille Etive Mor and the ridge walk to Stob na Broige ("Peak of shoes"). This was a fantastic ridge walk with great views in the clear weather. The last 100 m up was a steep scramble and the route down the east side was also difficult in places over rock slabs, but worth the effort. Helen enjoyed some valley walks nearby wth great views across the lochs and hills.
We visited Fort William, Mallaig and Inverwe gardens (to mention but a few places!). The latter was really brilliant with the azaleas & rhodies finishing, lots of border plants and shrubs in flower, views of the walled garden and of course the blue Meconopsis (Himalayian poppy) in flower, all surrounded by plush woodlands and Loch Ewe in the foreground. Our campsite at Poolewe looked over the loch.
We also walked to Sandwood Bay, a John Muir Trust Reserve to the west of Cape Wrath. We started in mist but this cleared after we reached the beach so we have some shots of the Rock Stack as it appeared from the sea mist. We saw lots of Wheatear in the dunes and moorland, a Great Skua, Ringed Plover and lots of Gannets diving offsore. There was a sandspit separating the sea from a freshwater loch just inland and nearby a old crofters cottage. or the remains, where we ate lunch overlooking the loch, sea and dunes. The dunefield on the north side is quite extensive and although not as high as Swakop, they're the closest we've seen in Europe anyway. On our return along the same route, we were amused to see a lone surfer carrying his board ,complete with camping gear, on his bike negotiating the rocky & peaty track!