Sealing a good day

Well that turned into an active and fun day. With the weather set to be what could be charitably described as ‘variable’, we settled on some shorter walks, hopefully between showers.

Cornish headland, right out of the front door, was as pretty and varied as ever. Great Northern Divers and Seals came out to play, and save for a couple of hail showers it was set fair, if windy. The little bays around the headland, dropped down in between rugged rock, are to my mind more interesting and attractive than the giant bays of Uig or Luskentyre in this part of the world. Tiny pockets of beauty that scream out to be explored.

Back to the house for lunch, then it was off the the Bhaltos peninsula to take a walk from behind Reef Beach. This was suggested by a book in the house about Uig, promising a ‘short’ climb up Nisa Mhor, passing some old Norse mills en route, as well as a dun sitting out in a lochan (at times accessible by a submerged causeway, but even with wellies on it was too submerged today). The mills themselves were fantastic little glimpses into the past, two of them with the millstones lying outside or on top. Utterly fascinating, and I’d love to find out more about them.

Nisa Mhor gave some stunning views around the area, especially over Reef Beach. And the whole while, until the last half mile and almost back to the car, the sun stayed out to accompany the wind.

And still there was time for more… Mel decided on a snooze, so I pumped up the kayak to head out into the bay in front of the house. Having stayed here a few times before we know that the bay, normally covered in sand, fills with water for the hour or so before and after high tide. I had a great 45 minutes or so paddling about, fighting the wind and the incoming tide, then drifting with both while I watched the clouds approach, and the seagulls bathe. Brilliant fun.

After a whisky aided bathe of my own I got to try out one of my birthday presents, a ridiculously sharp Japanese cooking knife, as I made some rice yaki for dinner.


And breathe.

(also, happy birthday to my mum - heading to see Elton John in Edinburgh next month....)