Scottish beach in March!!

–and this is the coldest March in living memory. Oops! should have remembered binoculars!

sea temperature will be 4C, IF YOU ARE LUCKY!

Snow on the beach in the early morning——

No crowds!

But nest building has started–

-for some, Nature red in tooth and claw–

-but he is doing ok

and there were HUNDREDS busy on the shore line, feeding.

only way to keep warm was to walk, and who could resist this invitation?

calm after the storm–

and how far and fast had this come, to be lying there fresh as a daisy?

–this certainly came from deep water–

and these, but the black thought is, were they discarded dead?  Or is it all part of nature’s master plan!

Rock pools, the stuff of childhood–

who has eaten my dinner?

not nearly as tough!

Cottage industry, crabs tomorrow perhaps?

Local architecture, matches the climate–

Ancestral home, somewhere in among that lot–

I can feel the cold just looking at that!

–and that–

and then night fell——

 

But in the summer this is a fabulous destination, point north east and GO.

Kingdom of fife and Moray firth, all in ONE!

-well not entirely!

but, Visit Scotland (NOT the dot com!)

First the ancient Kingdom of Fife, and the most amazing gardens ever, Cambo.

No queues here, but we were watched in—

-and but—-

-spot the cornus controversa variegata, just like mine!

-one of the “focal points”-best if you zoom in tho.

-contrasting vegetation?

–contrasting textures?

or what?

-and strong structure, unlike my garden where all this would have been blown flat by now!

-and now, beach from childhood, prize for correct answer———-–but actually the aim was to go out dolphin watching. After an “interesting” journey, in the Chinese sense, we got to Cromarty. Although it was nearly the next day, the pub was, of course, OPEN, thankfully. Most wonderful local brew named “Happy Chappie”, I commend it to you.

Accommodation was divine, at Cromarty Old Brewery, q.v.

-local industry thriving–certainly there was the most delicious seafood to be had, fresh just wasn’t in it.

and lots of new nets, just waiting–

-but quietly——–

-now this is a gross underestimate, but just you try photographing dolphins with bottom of the range camera!

actually there were dozens, jumping all the way out of the water as well, do have couple of video clips, they might have to appear elsewhere!

–we could see them “surfing” the bow wave of this tanker, just not in the photo.

–and these shag were at home on derelict oil rig–

cormorants next, the sea was seething with young shag and cormorants mainly, we had left it a bit late for a number of other nesting sea birds, but next year here we come, you need to look up “ecoventures” at Cromarty, AND book in advance.

The Moray firth, which is where we were, is THE BEST for bottlenosed dolphins, and lots of other mammals, as well as birds, colonies of artists, and just look at the local hedgerow.

it has an amazing micro climate, aided by the Gulf Stream I imagine.

So, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Excellent antidote to Olympicitis.

OH, I nearly forgot, but no photos, there is an amazing “herb nursery” just a mile of two from Cromarty where they have Cloudberry plants for sale, among vast numbers of other excellent plants. Mind you, having bought 2 I did not find out until I got home you need a male AND a female, with my luck——————–!!

Birds, birds, birds, AND the rest!

I left these 2 at home, apparently putting on a fashion show,

if you see what I mean!

-and then just look what you get with every fish supper in Pitlochry!

=hundreds of them!   Be afraid, if you see what I mean!

=the whole experience was a bit like being an extra in “The Birds”—for those of you who are old enough to remember when horror was much simpler.

Walking is every bit as dramatic,

-in the distance is “the march of the glaciated valleys”

-but look in a different direction and it really was fabulously beautiful, ‘fraid my camera, in my hands, just does not do it justice.

-but if you want to see for yourself, summer is coming and Scotland will always be there——————

Oh, and I nearly forgot,

=spring comes later the further up, and the further North you go.

OOPS! I meant “pin eyed” primrose in tag, as opposed to “thrum eyed” primrose, something to do with a more successful reproductive strategy, as I remember.