October Day

A typical October day today, which started with a cool, brisk westerly wind knocking the migrating ducks across the sky, then grew in strength until, by about 11am, we had a low overcast and half a gale blowing.

Yet by mid-afternoon the sun was coming out in bright intervals broken by sudden squalls of hard rain. Corran ferry was off for a time, much to Gordon the bus-driver's delight, but our local ferry to Tobermory kept going, working its way crabwise across the Sound under sheets of spray.

October is one of the most beautiful months here, a time of ever-changing weather with a landscape under it that gently folds into winter.

Loch Mudle

Loch Mudle, 4am.

Many thanks to Paul Howes for the picture.

Holiday Snaps

While we were on holiday, Sue and Dochie Cameron were also away, in Jersey, where Dochie bought Sue this sporty little number which will shortly be seen on the roads around Kilchoan. Its previous owner was a man called Bergerac.

Coming in the other direction, Steve and Sandy spent early September on holiday at Ardslignish where they took this picture of a young swallow which, with its sibling, had just left its nest. Hopefully, the swallow found enough energy to take off southwards on its first fight to Africa before the wet weather arrived here. Many thanks to Steve Suttill for the picture.

Meanwhile, this intrepid Kilchoan explorer was already in Africa enjoying the sunshine while paddling up a river which, we were assured, was not crocodile and hippo-infested....

....returning just in time for the weather here to turn, so we had such a beautiful October day today that we went kayaking again, this time along the coast to the west of Kilchoan.

A Return Home

The Diary has been away on holiday for a fortnight, in a place where, being in the middle of a very dark continent, there was no internet connection. Daughter Rachael has been running things, for which many thanks.

As always, it was the views of Camas nan Geall, that beautiful, ancient, and mysterious bay, which told us that we were home. One of the changes we noticed was that the bracken had died, staining the hillsides rust brown.

Another change which had an almost immediate impact - or lack of it - was that much of the road that swings north around Ben Hiant, from Loch Mudle to Caim, has been tarmacked. When we left, the road was pockmarked with potholes which had been filled in by our local road men. The drop from the newly-laid tarmac onto the soft verges is considerable in places, quite enough to leave a small car stranded.

Our holiday was in a very sunny, colourful place, in a countryside which always seems to be filled with sound - of birds and insects and other wildlife. By contrast, the views here are in tones of grey, and one of the most striking things is the silence.

Tups

Two fine Cheviot tups graze in a Kilchoan field.