Basalt bench

Another glorious day of sunshine. V slept badly but went back to bed after we’d waved our house guests off to see the puffins.  They had a lovely day for it and happily texted us about the pod of dolphins they saw on the way out. 

I spent the morning cooking tonight’s supper and walked the dog down the track, dropped off some stale bread for the chickens and then once V had arisen we went to Black Beach , Traigh na Cille for a swim.  We took a simple picnic and this is V sitting on the basalt bench, a flat and comfortable piece of rock almost made for picnics.  The beach was quiet despite the sunshine and Sunday.  I swam twice and the black sand definitely makes the water warmer than Calgary.  A small boat sped over from Ulva carrying a bunch of excited looking children of around 8 or 9.  They all jumped into the sea splashed about a bit and then were sailed off again.  Next on the I-Spy 100 agenda was a group of Romanian orthodox nuns who have become part of the Mull community by taking over the small mediaeval church near the beach at Kilninian.  It was a surreal sight watching them paddling, all dressed in black with white straw hats.  I didn’t take a picture but V, the documentarian certainly did.  

We got back about 6 and the others returned at 7, full of tales of puffins, and shags and stowaways.  After G&Ts we. ate the venison sausages and beans I’d cooked this morning and then watched an episode of Designing the Hebrides so J&S could see something we’d been telling them about.