Skull

A couple of weeks ago when we were walking along that beautiful stretch of coastline to the west of the abandoned village of Plocaig on Ardnamurchan north coast, scrambling along the broken land at the back of the shore, we came across this skull. The Diary, having a total ignorance of such things, sent the photo to a couple of locals to try to find out what it was.

The answer came from 'Kilchoan Early Bird' in the form of another photo, this one taken at the same spot a year ago. It shows the result of a fox hunt, the dogs having flushed the fox out and chased him directly to where the guns were waiting.

Foxes are a scourge round here, taking everything from chickens to full-grown sheep. Scottish law differs from English on how they can be hunted. Here, dogs may be used but mustn't kill the animal, which must be shot.