Views from Marsco

In the foreground, the summit of Marsco, looking east.

Out to the islands

Glad we're not on that one!

Sunday on Skye

Andy hits the sun cream

Charlie the photographer.

Marsco, the beast.

Marsco - the beast we climbed today

Sunday on Skye

Skye Bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh

The harbour

Friday brings the sunshine

Summer at last on Gairloch beach

Jamilla finds a discarded toy & makes it hers!

Hutton Roof

The famous "Hutton Roof" cakes. This day last year, we were getting stuck in to this delicious array of WI offerings. Had hoped we might make it this year, but sadly, not. Hope that many of our old SWAC colleagues made the trip & enjoyed the race (as well as the cakes!!). Thought of you all this afternoon & wondered what the weather was doing down there. It was bucketting down up here. Only stopped a couple of hours ago, but now all is calm & lovely.

Poppies

Noticed these behind the Farm & Garden store this evening.

Found a few seed heads & hopefully they might bloom on our bank next year!

A day at the seaside

Jamilla enjoys the sea

Hebridean Princess calls into the harbour.

On the pier today

Ruby, 9 months old labradoodle from the Glass bottom boat.

Jamilla's warning Ruby to be respectful.

Gordonstoun's yacht, anchored just off the harbour.

Bluebells

Where once was bracken & brambles, we now have bluebells.

Admitedly, it'll be an upward struggle to keep the brambles & bracken at bay.

However, will be worth it.

Watching the boats go by.

Yacht in the loch on Tuesday evening

Naval vessel in the Minch

Andy & IB watching the navy head north up the Minch.

Enjoying the sunshine

Across the loch, over Rona & Raassay to the Cuillins

Torridons

More Torridons. Unfortunately we missed a pod of Bottle nosed dolphins passing the end of the loch! Duh.

RAF out & about on Tuesday

A ride out on the mbikes

Looking back to Gairloch from the Melvaig road - the boat club dinghies out in the bay.

Bikes parked up by the YH.

Looking at the Minch from Melvaig.

The Torridons. Unfortunately, it was too hazy to get good pics of the Cuillins.

Sunny Sunday

After a long run in the morning, we took Jamilla for a walk on the beach this afternoon. Cotton wool clouds behind Baosbheinn,

& a kite person on the dunes.

Saturday, after the rain.

Longa island appearing to block the loch.

Jamilla taking a rest on her beach walk.

Sunny, Saturday afternoon

Jamilla gets a bit of freedom on the beach.

Incoming tide covering the rocks.

The gorse is beautiful at the moment, a splash of colour & a whiff of coconut!

Andy's new bike

The Trans Alp was swapped yesterday for a Triumph Bonneville.

May Day last year

This was May Day 2008 at the Park Hotel, Birkdale, where we said Goodbye to many friends from our old life. One year on, we're delighted with the new life, have new jobs & many new friends. No regrets at having made the move & would advise anyone contemplating something similar to get on with it.
You learn from the things you do, you regret the things you don't do.

Sunny Sunday

Sneaked out yesterday & took Chilli & Birdie for a walk from Opinan. They both had a good time, ran around for 2 hours chasing each other. We had a major guilt trip leaving Jamilla behind, but there's no way she's up for this sort of walk; at least she doesn't know (we hope)!

Overnight showers at sea level hadn't prepared us for the sight of snow on the hills, must be pretty cold up there.