Rubha Huinish

One of our favourite bits of Skye, not least because, generally, it's pretty quiet. We sought to guarantee that today, up at 6am, out the door at 7, setting off on the walk by 8. It's a place we've regularly seen Minke Whales from (and on the cliffs high above there's an old whaling lookout post turned bothy), and it appears to be a bit of an otter hotspot (certainly if the bits of sea urchin and crab littering various bits are anything to go by). Today we saw neither, but in between the showers of rain, which we could see advancing over the Minch towards us, the seabirds filled our time.

The Black Guillemots were a surprise, we've not seen them here before much at all, let alone in the reasonably large numbers, and I snapped away quite happily (I reckon they're right up there with puffins, with their bright red feet and mouths); caught shots of so-ugly-they're-cute Shag chicks; and snapped a couple of Bonxies (Great Skuas) from closer than was strictly sensible.

We climbed the precipitous path back up into the cliffs, and rounded below the cleared settlement of Erisco, building in yesterday's short walk with 7.5 miles. A figure I then replicated on the bike (cutting the intention short when I saw some more precipitation on its way) while Mel snoozed in the early evening, before finding the hill back up to the Shed we're staying in is probably 1 in 5 in places, and on loose gravel. Well, it's all good training.

Good word for the Elishader Art Cafe as well, great homemade soup, and some lovely tarts and potato scones - all set up by a former Derbyshire and Cumbria teacher who, after building the building as a holiday home decided she'd just move there instead.

Additional 'Did he jump or...' pic added....