Keeping A Lookout

We took a drive out to the west of the island today ……….. the far west!
Huisinis

14 miles along a single track road that was more akin to a roller coaster than a road.

The road actually runs through the grounds and right in front of the rather nice Amhuinnsuidhe, Castle – and I mean right in front (there are two posters with descriptions of sea trout and salmon on the walls of the ground floor office that you can read from the car). They sell venison from a fridge in the stable block which works on an ‘honesty box’ payment system. I hope the box was full because the fridge was empty (apart from 2 bars of chocolate and 2 small packets of oatcakes). We spoke to a member of staff and he told us it was finished for the season and was just hanging a carcass (which is done for 28 days). That was a bit of a disappointment.

We spent quite a while taking pictures on the beach and the machair before having a rather tasty late picnic put together by Jeb. I took a series of the stranded jellyfish and bits of seaweed

We then dondered back to the cottage where Mrs Mac and I then spent a while photographing mushrooms - large and small - until the drizzle started.

Within 5 minutes of getting in it was a monsoon.

However, later it started to get a golden glow and the rain eased but Mrs Mac stated she was not putting her boots back on for anything.

Within a few minutes the clouds started breaking and it was looking good for a sunset.

I shouted on Jeb to get her boots on (she had gone for a lie down and a read) ……… fast. She thought there was a rainbow and was amazed to see the developing light.

We dived into her car (it was facing out and didn’t need turned) and we raced off down the drive knowing we only had a few minutes. So we screeched to a halt at the first available spot above the beach and rocks and legged it down to the edge (she threw away her camera bag, coat and keys – I ditched the tripod) grabbing a few shots without thinking about the technicalities just so we had something. Then it was a case of trying to be slightly more considered but we only had maybe 2 minutes before the sun dipped below the horizon and the usual cloud bank came over and started to suck the colour out of the sky. Before it went I was able to get some of the texture and oil like colours on the sand.

Such a shame – but it was still the best we had had all week. Jeb even reasoned it was worth the soaking her feet and legs got (one of those rolling waves like a mini tsunami that came up over the 2’ high bank she was on).