Return from Holiday

We've been abroad for a couple of weeks, in search of some real sunshine as opposed to the Kilchoan variety. As we drove away down the peninsula, a pair of sea eagles flew low above us, as if escorting us on the first leg of our journey.

Little seemed to have changed when we returned, though there were the first lambs in the fields. This is the first Ormsaigbeg lamb, one of Nan MacLachlan's, just over a week old.

We returned to some worrying news. The Coastguard tug based at Stornoway has been withdrawn - again - by the Westminster government in a continuing argument over who is to pay for the service. As if in perfect timing, the Flinterspirit, a 4,500 tonne Dutch bulk carrier, ran aground on North Uist yesterday (report here). Fortunately, the crew was able to refloat her, and she was escorted to Stornoway by the Barra and Stornoway lifeboats. Last time the tug was withdrawn it was Her Majesty's brand-new submarine Astute (above) which obliged us by colliding with Skye.

In some better news, West Ardnamurchan's new emergency medical cover is beginning to take shape, with five of the six Emergency Responders appointed. One of the ERs is Jessie Colquhoun, while another is Ambulance Technician Sam Harding, who is now living in Kilchoan. They have taken delivery of their own mini-ambulance. As well as life-saving equipment, it carries airwave radio (more about this here).

Although we found our sunshine - The Diary, as usual, came back with a burnt nose - it's always good to be back, particularly as the weather here is beginning to pick up.