Past the First Mile Marker

16.5C and bright, with some cloud cover. Hazy, especially out over the sea. Zephyr.

After lunch I took Maeve the Deerhound in the car to Machrihanish hoping to walk along to the seabird observatory. We parked at "The Pans" and wandered along past the houses then along the single track road. It was very hazy out to sea and I could hardly see Islay and Jura, and couldn't see Gigha.

When we got to the road end for the fish farm and the observatory we found a cattle grid and no pedestrian gate or other way round. Plan A out of the window. Instead we carried on out the road with the Kintyre Way markers which turned inland and started up a fairly steep slope between fields with sheep and cows. We walked out past the first mile marker (the way starts, or ends, at The Pans) and kept going uphill for another while then turned and came back. There would be a great view North towards the islands on a clearer day.

We stopped near the road end for the observatory and watched some seals (there were lots) on the rocks. There were quite a few Shelducks by the shore and there was an Oystercatcher hanging about on the stony beach. I think it must have had a nest. Further along there were Cormorants out on the rocks.

We came back along to the car and I decided to drive along to the observatory to have a look and see what it was like. It was closed! It did have a good position by some rocks and it had some height over the water. I will go back another time. I stood on the rocks beside it and looked about. There were few birds to be seen. I had seen a lot more by the road end.

We got back home by 4 o'clock. Signs have popped up everywhere for the 10k and half marathon road races which will be held tomorrow. The town seemed busy, presumably in connection with race registration etc. I hope Apothecary7 wasn't too busy in the shop.

E-PL5 f/7.1 1/320 sec. ISO-200 40mm

Note: Should you look at the map ... the location it has for the seabird observatory is very wrong !