Down at the Pier

Shortly after ten each day, the Staffa Tours' Islander leaves Mingary Pier for trips out to the west.  We travelled with them on their tour to Staffa and the Treshnish Islands, but they also go whale and dolphin watching off Coll.

It a really great day out, particularly if the weather is as fine as it is today.  May is also a good month, as the puffins are nesting on Staffa.  The Islander is based in Tobermory, so if you're joining the boat at Kilchoan, you need to book - Staffa Tours' website is here.

We now have a brand new filling station at the pier - but it's for electric cars only.  It's been some time coming, but it finally arrived a week or so ago, and is up and working.

I was down at the pier was to check on the orchids.  For some unknown reason, the pier's are the first to flower, perhaps a little too early this year as several of the blooms are showing stress from the recent cold, wet weather, but....

....some fresh ones are just coming out - and they are truly beautiful.

Compared to last year, when they were a very spectacular deep purple, the flowers are pinker, which makes me wonder whether these wild orchids do vary in shade from year to year.  I confess to being poor at identifying them, but these may be northern marsh orchids.