Gone Fishin' (Back in a couple of weeks...)

A day of travelling, but in the increasingly picturesque landscape as we moved up the country it's not really a hardship. The bonus was a hold-free run up the A9 beyond Inverness and on to Ullapool, with almost a couple of hours to spare before the ferry across the Minch to Stornoway.

Given we were arriving a little after darkness fell the cottage (the same stunning place we stayed in last year) was going to be left open, lights on, welcoming - so everything was hitch free, save for a little Woodcock almost running out in front of the car. And then... The cottage door was locked.

One of the joys of this place is that there's no mobile connection, but that counts against you when it's after 10pm and you need to get in touch with the person who looks after the property. No harm done (though I was beginning to wonder if a night in the car was in the offing) - a few miles away we picked up the network and 10 minutes later we were being let in by the lovely Tosh.

Belated wine and cheese, and so to bed. Relaxation starts here.

Woodcock
Bird count: 1