the running wave

It was a brief visit to Wester Ross, but a colourful one.  The autumn hues were intense and rich. The journey home was punctuated by a couple of stops to take photos of a small loch in the middle of nowhere, and later, to take a short walk with Tilly, who was a complete star, by the way.  She spent a lot of time in the car with us, but behaved herself immaculately! I love the colours across this expanse of water.  The overall effect reminds me of a Monet painting! We always enjoy a drive alongside the loch at Kishorn.  This view looks across to the zig zag single track road that winds its way up and over the Pass of the Cattle, the Bealach Na Bar.  It is not a route for the faint hearted.  We didn't drive that way during this visit, because we were staying a bit further along Loch Torridon, but it is a spectacular route. We stopped by the Rogie Falls, near Inverness, and Tilly and I had a wander down the path leading to the waterfalls. ...

When I looked out of the window of our B&B bedroom on Thursday morning, there was a suggestion of a sunrise in the sky.  It didn't come to much and remained grey all morning.  We were heading to a little cafe, at the end of road (literally) in Diabaig.  It's a long twisty road, through the village of Torridon, and on through a rocky landscape until we dropped down in to the hamlet of Diabaig.  The drive takes one hour and ten minutes (if you don't stop off anywhere), and fifteen minutes by boat from our B&B!!!  This is not an easy part of the world to get from A to B.  It all takes time, along narrow, scenic routes.   Torridon is a long, straggly village with these hills as its backdrop. On a stony outcrop, jutting out into the loch, Torridon has a hidden outdoor chapel amongst the rocks.  It was used during the Reformation, when the churches had been destroyed, and it is still used on occasion, for weddings (t...

Wednesday morning in Applecross was rainy, but not cold.  We set off along the road (narrow tarmac strip with passing places), towards Applecross, stopping along the way for various reasons!   "What are you looking at?" These handsome beasts were hanging around, along the roadside.  We had to stop and wait for them to move - I am not sure how much damage those impressive horns can do to car bodywork, so we had to be patient!  The three, below, look as though they might just break into a well-rehearsed dance routine! There is a viewpoint along the road, and on a fine day you can see the Cuillins on Skye to the south, and across the Inner Sound to the small islands of Raasay and Rona.  It was raining and grey, but no wind and the sea was very calm.  The view below is looking south, and the first white cottage in the photograph is where we have stayed several times.  It's remote, and beautiful, and we will always love it!  It's a...