seasons change and summers end

4^th September.

The weather has changed and the season has come to a natural close. For three days over the weekend  the ferry was cancelled, thus so were the buses.  The seasons as always seem to control life up here. The buses have now reverted to an autumn timetable starting at 11 rather then 9.30. The campsite is virtually empty and the number of people around and about definately depends on the sunshine.

Paul brought home a road kill yesterday – a small grouse. It had been cleanly killed, a glancing blow and it seemed a waste to miss an opportunity. My experience on how to deal with pheasant on the feather paid off and although we could not hang the bird, the breast meat gave us a taste of the gamey flavour of grouse and added a certain 'local and organic' feeling to our supper.

The trip over to Tongue in the east was my last today. That road is my favourite as I get to see the  huge expanse of Loch Eriboll, a sea loch,  and the towering mass of Ben Loyal over the Kyle of Tongue. The oyster farm was visible today as the tide was very low. The scenery is stunning and of course the light changes everyday. I also have a choice of two coffee shops on this 'taxi'  run.

 'The Weavers'  involves a 2 mile walk up and out of the village alongside the Kyle rising up to pass through an area of deciduous woodland that always seems to be alive with birdsong but our feathered friends remain invisible. I have got to chat with the owners on a couple of occaisions and it is nice to be welcomed into the cafe. They run a B and B and a gift shop on the site that has sea and cliff views across the mouth of the Kyle. The place has recently been beautifully renovated with exposed wooden floors and large picture windows. They do the work themselves outside the tourist seasn and take the winter months off  to visit friends and family in England. On lazy days I visit the Tongue Hotel. This is a rather nice establishment that is perched up on the hillside beside the little healthcentre where Elspeth holds her clinic. It has the feel of an old hunting lodge and the service is great. Uniformed staff, trays with tartan tray cloths for your refreshment and a comfy  lounge with plenty of reading material. ( The toilets are great too with very nice soap and hand lotion!)  It is a good job we are returning home as it is all becoming a bit of a habit. The coffee more often than not just has to be accompanied by a piece of cake or shortbread , so the waistline must be rapidly expanding.

 I have suprised myself and developed an affection for the single track road and I am begining to know the passing places. I can also tell roughly where mad tourists, especially the Italians , are likey to leap out of  their camper vans to take photographs. They give no real warning, just stop in the middle of the road, or in a passing place if you are lucky, in order to get their perfect landscape shot. One of many they will have collected en route around the north coast. The Highland Council has provided a lot of  well illustrated information boards all along the coastal road. The traveller can read about the  geology of the area, identify the mountain peaks and learn how people have 'worked' on the land. These boards are excellent but have an almost secret,  secondary function. They give locals an opportunity to pass the slower moving leisure traffic at known designated intervals. The road system up here does not have dual carriagways, traffic lights or roundabouts, a whole new set of interesting rules apply.

Golspie on Friday will be my last trip for Elspeth. The first half of that trip is good- down to Lairg – about hour and a half away- but then the scenery changes and becomes more predictable and 'normal'. The roads become wider and even traffic lights may be encountered. Roundabouts do not occur unless you are heading towards Inverness. Golspie offers quite a variety of activities, not just coffee and cakes. There is a great nature reserve just three miles to the south of Golspie- Loch Fleet. This is the sea loch at the head of the esturary that forms the Dornoch Firth connecting at the mouth of the Moray Firth. The reserve is made up of sand dunes, pine forests and sea shore all with nice walks and plenty to see. On the north side of the town is Dunrobin Castle, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Sutherland. I only had a short time visiting here as my 'fare' demanded a return sooner than anticipated, some physiotherpaists are so demanding! I did get the chance to see  inside the statley home but had to forego the gardens  and the falconry display – perhaps another time?

Change in weather- summers end