A mystical cloudscape…

Today is all about clouds – not those miserable boring things that blot out the sun but a glorious mixture of fluffy and architectural which appear like a decorative edging to the curtain of the sky.  Pure white puff balls edged with blue, castle-like turrets, some of which are slashed through with lilac.  A mysterious world all of its own and one which is peculiar to the Hebrides.

Going past the campsite there troops a small gathering of Serious Walkers.

You would think they were scaling Mount Everest rather than a slightly sloping strip of tarmac!  A point for Sean – this is the difference between Nordic poles and my lovely special stick.  Nordic poles are those pretentious sticks with no handle but a wrist loop instead and are generally used by people who like everyone to know they’re ‘serious’ walkers.  Good in snow covered slopes in Norway but a bit silly in the Hebrides in the summer!

Meanwhile, the clouds are expanding!

Going down to the old jetty, we pass my favourite patch of reeds…

… And we manage to park Bessie down by the beach.

The view from the doorway!

I just wonder what the weather is like on Eriskay (island on the left of this photo) under that weight of cloud!

We decided to take a walk along the beach as it’s such a beautiful day.

We have this vast expanse to ourselves.

At the airport the tide was too high for the planes to land.

I love the way this small group of houses is lit up and the foreground is in deep shadow.

Down at ‘Swan Loch’ as we call it, there is good news.  Both Mute Swans were on the water and we looked anxiously through the binoculars.  Yes, there they were – eight little ugly ducklings swimming with their parents.

I do like a happy ending!  We were hoping to see them before we leave(on Wednesday).

While we sat there watching them, this little Meadowpipit posed beautifully on the post outside.

Here I am going to place the photo of what looks like a serious Cup Final match in Castlebay yesterday (Saturday).  There is a bus so I guess it is a match between schools and it is probably a team from another island as there is only one secondary school here.  Anyway, it’s good to see the girls playing too!

Down on Vatersay, this little brown faced lamb was clambering up the rocks bleating for his mum.

Down by the sandy bay, there was a Norwegian named boat anchored offshore.

Just after we left Vatersay we spotted this Robin on an overhead wire.  It’s strange but this is the same place (and the only place) we have seen other common English birds like the Goldfinch.

Back at the campsite a Meadow Pipit’s insistent song was heard as he soared above us in an aerial display before he parachutes down on half-spread wings

No real sunset tonight but the wind turbine looks dramatic against the darkening sky.