A Summer Storm

June 1st - and by mid afternoon we were enjoying a typical winter storm, the wind from the southeast blowing straight into the bay below our house.  Some eighteen of CalMac's ferry services are cancelled or affected, including our own local Kilchoan-Tobermory route, which is usually pretty unfazed by poor weather.

It's difficult to assess the wind speed but it's a good force 6 gusting to gale at times, and YrNo's forecast for the next few hours is for it to worsen before it gets better.

It's a miserable time for the local wildlife, particularly those who specialise in insects - most of which have probably not even bothered to emerge yet.  This pied wagtail was on the beach, sitting with his face into the storm wondering what on earth was happening.  One of them was on our terrace this morning eating the seed left by the chaffinches.

The storm has affected two kayaking expeditions which were passing Kilchoan.  These boats, pulled up onto the foreshore below Trevor Potts' Ardnamurchan Campsite, belong to Katie and Lee, who are doing a round-Britain paddle in aid of the RNLI - their Facebook page is here.  Meanwhile, two other kayaks are pulled up at the slipway below the shop. They belong to Nick and Duncan who have a more limited aim - a circumnavigation of the north of Scotland in aid of cerebral palsy and motor neurone disease - their website is here.

Many thanks to Trevor for information.