Cromarty Firth

A day trip to the Bonny Black Isle. Coffee with friends in Fortrose. I've not seen J, except on Zoom of course, since 2019. Very good to see them. Then a walk on the beach at Rosemarkie, dodging showers and enjoying the sunshine. J walked back home and we tootled on to Cromarty.

Cromarty is a lovely, elegant town. It's a perfect example of an 18th century fishing port. It has many beautifully preserved buildings which attest to its historic prosperity. It also has a strong association with the oil industry and the fabrication of rigs at nearby Invergordon and Nigg. A lot of rigs are parked here in the Cromarty Firth to ride out fluctuations in oil price and demand. Some are here for refit and repair, others have been here for a long time. A rig graveyard. They draw the eye.

I've tried to show the juxtaposition of the lovely Easter Ross landscape and some of the rigs in the main. It's just a rig in the extra.

We had coffee at the famous coffee place, lunch in the Royal Hotel (where I feel sure we have stayed in years gone by) and picked up some cheese for tonight from the cheese shop.

Drove back to the cottage through very squally weather and we are so grateful for the interesting canal view, lots of hot water and the wood burner.

Thanks for all the kind hearts and stars on yesterday's blip. This really is a super place to be.