No surprise

As most of you guessed we started the day by visiting the V&A Design museum here in the quay in Dundee. It is the rather bizarre looking building (a ship?) seen here behind the magnificent Discovery that was built here.
We arrived early as I had an email saying they would allow 30 minutes either side of your booking time to enter. I’d booked 10.00 am but unfortunately that was the time they opened so we headed in to town and found an very good artisan food market. Stocked up in bread and baked goods for when we arrive at the house.

I rather liked the interior, softer with layers of wood instead of concrete and despite most people saying that what was on show was rather disappointing we quite enjoyed our visit.The Gallery of Scottish Design wasn’t exceptional apart from the reconstruction (not reproduction) of The Oak Room from one of Mrs Cranston’s Mackintosh design tea rooms in Glasgow. It was beautiful and I had a nice chat with the steward. He said it was so well protected that if the whole building burned down it would remain standing! We talked about the Glasgow School of Art* and he’d thought the Library would be rebuilt and placed in a Mackintosh museum which is a shame but is understandable.

We didn’t book the Night Fever exhibition but watched a film of a Politics lesson for a group of London Sixth formers relating the growth of dance and music as in Acid House or Warehouse to the extreme politics of the 1980’ it was fascinating but went on too long so we left before it finished but I’m sure I would have enjoyed lessons like that.

No time to give to the Discovery on this visit, so after a coffee we headed north up the coast to Stonehaven.

A lovely walk  around the harbour, quite busy being a Saturday and we decided we fancied a bite to eat. Found the Seafood Bothy, a van at the end of the harbour wall and couldn’t resist. A bit pricey but Chris had a Crayfish roll and I had Crab Tacos and they came with couscous, pasta and potato salads! Delicious seafood too good to miss,  just what we love here.

Arrived at the house at 7.00 after a quick,shop in Tesco in Ullapool. After that unexpected lunch we’ve just had a salad before heading down to the beach.

A Snipe on the fence drumming away, a Skylark in the air making lots of alarm noise too, we were probably near their nests. Wild Orchids on the machair above the rocks and lots of flowering Sundews waiting to trap their prey.
Pink flowers at the end of the beach inlet to be investigated later and tide well out so lots of beach to walk on. Surprisingly few people at the turnaround at the bottom of the beach road but some campers with a fire just above water line.
So good to be back!

*Sadly this wonderful building created by Mackintosh in the at the turn of the 20th century has had two severe fires in recent years and the magnificent library was destroyed.