Bone Caves and Fishing

We had a big day out today, starting with a visit to Knockan Crag to scramble about the hillside looking at geology.  CyclopsJnr was most impressed by the fact that Scotland had once been at the South Pole, had crashed into England, and had Dionsaurs.

Next we headed up to Inchnadamph to do the 5km round trip walk to the bone caves, taking in some lovely waterfalls and an impressive spring on the way.  It was a bit blowy on the narrow path at the top of the slope but CyclopsJnr coped admirably and enjoyed the caves.

After a brief stop at Ardvreck Castle we made our way to Achiltibuie where CyclopsJnr got some penny sweets - always a hit.

Our final stop was Badentarbet Pier for a spot of fishing - we got a nice big mackerel for dinner, but not without some excitenment first.

Cyclops got his first cast in the water, and quickly felt a pull so started winding in.  We could see a flash of silver coming towards us, which a great skua immediately attacked.  Cyclops exclaimed in dismay that a bird was going to get the fish before he did, and wound in faster.  Only as it got really close did we realise the flash of silver was the white belly of a guillemot that had taken the lure, and that the skua was trying to steal the guillemots catch!  So Cyclops had to haul this distressed and entangled guillemot still being attacked by a skua  up the side of the pier, all the while shouting furiously in an attempt to discourage the skua.  We had absolutely not a scooby how we would deal with this, but fortunately there was another guy fishing who dashed over and said he would help - it turns out he keeps pigeons so knows how to handle birds.  He freed the guillemot which seemed little worse for its ordeal and flew off, managing to avoid the loitering skua.  

Went fishing, caught a bird.  CyclopsJnr thought it was the funniest thing that had ever happened, and suggested that maybe we'd catch a whale or a dolphin next....