Maol Buidhe

Despite winds gusting well into force 7 and some sleety showers bouncing in from the northwest, we climbed Maol Buidhe, the 'yellow hill' that rises at the southwest end of Ormsaigbeg. It's our favourite short walk, an hour if it's taken briskly, but great exercise as the slopes are steep and much of the going fairly rough.

The top picture was taken almost exactly a year ago. This picture, looking across the Sound of Mull from the top of the hill, shows how windy it was yesterday. Ardmore Point light is visible to the right, and the bay opening to the left is Bloody Bay. Bloody Bay is the site of a crucial battle in the history of the Lords of the Isles, a grim struggle between father and son, the story told in a BBC programme here.

The ground, damp after days of rain, was perfect for the annual display of toadstools. While this fully grown specimen is light orange, the younger stages are bright red. The Diary knows nothing about toadstool identification so would be interested if any reader can suggest a name.

As we descended, we looked along the length of Ormsaigbeg towards the main village of Kilchoan, with the hill called Glas Bheinn, the grey hill, in the distance. This is a colourful village, with the yellow hill at one end and the grey at the other.