return to work!

Durness part 2!

13^th August-

The glorious 12^th saw us returning to Durness.  It is a relatively easy journey up here if you fly! It still took us three hours to drive beyond Inverness but less tiring than our first journey. We stopped at the large Tesco just outside Inverness Airport and having raided the shelves for our own supplies called at the Click and Collect point for Elspeth and James. So with a fully laden car we treked north leaving the now golden corn fields of the lowlands, following the single track road up into the harsher rockier landscape of the far north. We mentally ticked off the four lochs , Shin, Merkel, More and Stack. We passed through  the estate of the Duke of Westminster spying his black telephone box, painted to match those in the city of Westminster. The weather seemed to brighten  as we rounded the corner to see the view of the Kyle as blue as always and the darker hills of the Cape beyond. We spotted a familiar blue van as we slowed to allow a lorry and trailer loaded with fleeces draw out onto the main road. It was James who had been helping with the shearing of the sheep and the collection of the fleeces for market. There was much grinning, waving and tooting as we were allowed to pass and we finally arrived at the caravan. The dogs rushed out to greet us noisily , not barking but squeaking, whinning, and grovelling to welcome us back into the pack. Such a riot that Elspeth came out to find out what all the noise was about! It was good to be back and it almost seemed as if we had never left.

There is a definite smell of Autumn in the air and the light although still bright draws in earlier. We actually saw the street lights come on last night. The long croft grass is turning to a golden colour and the flowers have lost their vibrant colours. James has a very ancient tractor sat at the gate to the croft so I suspect mowing will take place soon.  They collect the grasses for winter silage. The campsite is very busy, lots of motor homes. A  'convoy' of twelve camper vans left this morning – all Italian. We had been warned about the Italians on tour but it had to be seen to be believed. A great chain of white snails creeping out along the coast towards the east. Unfortunately that was the direction Eslpeth and I needed to go but as luck would have it  and we managed to pass them all safely at Rispond Bay, where they had drawn in to see and photograph the stunning view. I met them on my return on the short stretch of dual track road at Hope so they were not a desperate problem , but there will be others !

 I walked along the cliff and down onto the beach and all seems as it should be. The Eider duck has raised her brood and the chicks are now noisy young adults hanging  out in large  groups forming darks rafts on the sea. The cormorants seem to have left and the demanding young gull fledglings have completed their flying hours and  moved out to sea. The thistles are out in full bloom and the cliff grass is still dotted with vivid blue harebells and white daisies. The rocks still form dark shapes on the golden sand and the sea is still a crystal blue although with a hint of darkness, perhaps not as mediteranean as in July. I suspect the chance of a swim has passed.

Fiona – one of Elspeth's Highland cows has just calved this evening. We wandered down the road in the evening light to see the shaky black youngster standing up looking very suprised and not exactly sure where the milk bar was! Their bull Graham is of extremely  good lineage and he is away at the moment on his all inclusive holiday. I have met Graham on my wanderings around the lochs behind the village and he is a good looking black Highland with a ring through his nose. He seems to have passed his colouring on to his offspring as Fiona is a dun colour. James is unsure of the sex of the new beast , that will have to wait for a couple of days as she is a protective mother.

We had some of the new season potatoes from the croft for tea this evening – beautiful nutty and sweet. Apparently somewhere in the patch James has grown some Shetlands which are Purply black in colour – look forward to those!