Loch Striven and Loch Linnhe in Campbeltown Loch

Approx. 7.7C and dull with occasional showers then rain in the afternoon. Moderate NW/WNW/W/SW breeze.
The above data is for Islay since there is no Met. Office data for Campbeltown Airport today.

Grocery shopping.

The Christmas Market was on today at the Springbank Distillery Maltbarns. The town Christmas lights were switched on after a small parade with Pipe band on Friday evening so the local gift shopping season appears to have begun. Having seen the inconsiderate parking on our road this day last year we decided not to try to take the car back out to go to Carskey beach and just to go for a walk from home instead. Sure enough, when we got downstairs there was a van parked in just the sort of place we had thought someone might park. We could have got out but it would have been a very tight turn onto the road with the van parked too near our line of exit from the close (we drive through a close which passes through our building at ground floor level) and cars parked on the other side of the road. It was slightly better when we came home from walking, this time the culprit's vehicle was a car. It would be a waste of time trying to get something done about it !

Before lunch Apothecary7, Fergus and I went round to the harbour and wandered round the old quay, from where I took the photo of MV Loch Striven and MV Loch Linnhe at the new quay. The ferries will either be on their way to dock in Greenock for their annual refit, or they will be on their way back to their normal routes after a refit.

We walked along Hall Street, went past the ferry terminal, and continued along the shore path in the long narrow park and out along Kilkerran Road for a mile and a half or so. We had to follow behind two Greyhounds and two Collies (all on leads) in the park so Fergus was excitable and pulled on his lead for a while. There was a good dusting of snow on top of the Arran hills. Long may it stay on the tops.

We turned at Glenramskill House and came back the same way then along the street side of the park and came home through town passing the town hall and the bookshop (closed, with a new Christmas window display). Fergus was much more calm on the way back, with no dogs and doggy smells to follow.

After lunch I watched the final F1 race of the season on telly and Apothecary7 went along to the Christmas Market for a while.

Later Apothecary7 was printing a few Christmas cards from a design created as a lino cut just recently.
BBC Radio 2 was accompanying the printing.

DMC-LX7 f/2.8 1/640 sec. ISO-80 11mm (35mm focal length 55mm)