With some reluctance, I hopped back to the mainland from Gigha this afternoon and am now primed for my assault on Colonsay tomorrow.
Things to remember:
- Relentless rain overnight last night and it was a very grey, cold and murky start to the day.
- I was, though, treated to another excellent otter sighting first thing. An individual was about 200 metres out to sea and repeatedly diving on what I presume was a reef of sorts.
- By about 9.30am there was a break in the dreary weather so I took to the south of the island and walked one of the waymarked coastal loops. It was a totally solitary affair during which I experienced both unbridled joy and profound grief.
- Some fantastic landscapes but no unusual or unexpected species. Good numbers of bullfinches and a sparrowhawk terrorising waders in the saltmarshes were the most notable.
- I contributed to the Gigha economy by lunching substantially in the island's only café.
- I didn't have much of a plan for where to sleep tonight but have possibly bagged an improbable beauty (pic). Map features - once again - to the rescue. I'm alongside what looks like may once have been a military or important civic installation: but which has been long since abandoned. Access to the site itself is prohibited but I've been able to respect that and squeeze down a track alongside it to the adjoining coastline. Good job the L200 is <1.9m wide!
- From here I have stunning views back to Gigha and Jura and am amongst gulls, terns and waders. The best show in town, though, has been gannets plunging for fish. I've been enthralled for at least two hours.