Basking in Sunshine

It's wonderful to be home from blue skies and temperatures over 20C in Canada to a bit of true Kilchoan sunshine.  It's been a drecht day, with a clinging mist which hasn't risen and a slow, steady drizzle.  This picture shows Shore Cottage, now used by the West Ardnamurchan Jetty Association as their headquarters, with Kilchoan Bay beyond, and Ben Hiant lost in the mist.

At times it's been difficult to make out the houses along the road: in this picture, the line of croft houses in Kilchoan by the turn for Portuairk, Sanna and the lighthouse can just be distinguished.

It's the time of year to be looking for the first flowers as each spring species shows itself, but the blooms that have bothered to open are so sopping it's difficult to work out what they are.  We thought this might be a type of vetch, or a garlic, but it has small, narrow leaves.

The visitors are here in numbers, but it's no fun to be camping.  This was the view of Trevor Potts' Ardnamurchan Campsite as his happy campers squelched their way to and from the ablutions block.

But one visitor had the good sense to take to the water.  When you're sopping wet already, it isn't possible to get any wetter, and kayaking on a mirror-calm day, whatever the weather, is a pleasure.

The small birds, who are in the process of making nice warm, dry nests for their offspring, are, of course, loving this.  While we've been away the good people who have been house-sitting for us have managed to attract the siskins back, and we now have two damp pairs working the peanuts.

Then, at the end of the day, it's so good to sit down in front of the television and be told that the country has been basking in Bank Holiday sunshine.  We certainly have.