Sun, sea, clouds, rain, blue sky, wind, beach,

Day 17
Yesterday ended well as we walked to Chanonry Point to look for dolphins. Somewhat to my surprise when we were about 150 metres away I saw a dolphin fin and a long back curve out of the water, and slide back under. I walked the last bit considerably quicker. We were there at least an hour and saw so many fins, backs, and several times even an entire dolphin leaping from the water. It was all a bit too far away for great photos, but plenty close enough to feel very excited.
The longish walk and the blustery cold wind meant we were very tired when we got back and everyone slept well!
Today we took a cruise on Loch Ness. For three of us it was a birthday present from Jude and Dave. What a great present! I’m sure the cruise would be impressive in almost any weather but on a day of dark clouds, towering cumulus, sun, rain, rainbows, and blue sky it was truly wonderful to be out on the water. We sat outside the whole time and really enjoyed ourselves.
After that adventure we drove the short way to Nairn, where we are currently parked in the harbour, looking out over the sea washing up to the wall.
The carpark is free, but they have several places for camper vans and suggest a voluntary contribution of £10 to stay the night. The money goes to community projects. What a great idea, we get a lovely spot for the night and the community gets a little extra dosh for an otherwise empty car park. We also pop into the local shop, then the pub, and tomorrow the Red Cross charity shop. Everyone wins!
The sea may be up to the wall now but when we arrived it was low tide and I got the picture of the approaching rain, dark clouds and bright sun over the sandy shore. Very representative of the whole day.