Into the Wilderness ... Tarbat Ness

Following my morning fishing at Portmahomack .. where I enjoyed my fill of mackerel ..it was time for a walk around Tarbat Ness.

Tarbat Ness lighthouse is the most easterly in Scotland and is the third highest. Its distinctive red bands make it a pretty photo on such a lovely summer day.

I then had a look round the Discovery Centre which features some fine Pictish relics and art works.

Although I was not so impressed with their whale vertebrae exhibit.

I think my own collection  of dead sea creature bones from my inflatable boat journeys is far more artistic.

I made this video to recall this fine day during the cold dark days of winter. Hope it makes you dream of summer weather again too.

Direct Link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6D4CXgvOs

Into The Wilderness ... Portmahomack

Returning to the North .. I headed for Portmahomack .. another village from distant childhood memories. I chose the east coast this time because the forecast for the west was wet and windy. But dryer in the east. There are less midges to bother me which was also a bonus.

The negatives for the east coast for me is it more populated and the land cultivated ... which meant finding overnight car camp spots a bit harder. The coastline has little shelter from the swells on the North Sea.

As it was forecasted to be windy .. I took my smallest boat .. it would take up little room in the car. My idea was to explore the east coast by foot.

The harvest was golden ripe in the fields .. in contract to the bleak heather moors of the west.

I arrive in Portmahomack in the evening to look for a suitable overnight camp spot. The sea was calm and I looked forward to a calm morning fishing for my breakfast

This video illustrated my small Avon inflatable performance very well.. and Im pleased to say..I didn’t go hungry.

Direct Link to video on U tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd6HEM-oSrM

Into The Wilderness ... Sluggan Bay

After my journey around Priest Island and Little Loch Broom ... I was a bit stiff from sitting in the small boat for most of the day.

It was still a beautiful summer’s evening so I decided to visit Sluggan Bay and see its deserted village. I wasn’t going by boat this time .. I was happy to walk for the exercise.

Here is a short video of that walk. Nothing spectacular ..but it let me see another part of the coast that I had not seen before. There were lovely clear views from Sluggan across to Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

Direct Link to video on U tube

https://youtu.be/oqNuZLSryeA


The following morning I headed for home .. to check on my mail .. have a good clean out of the car ..rest a day or two .. wash clothes ... before heading north again.

On the way ... I stopped off at the House of Bruar for a coffee and a leg stretch ... where I watched some canyon walkers below the Braur Falls.

Once my house was in order I headed for the north east coast of Scotland.. simply because the west looked very wet and windy from the weather forecasts.

Ben Cleuch by The Law

I'm still around ..and although I have been quiet on the blog for a day or two .. its because my love of the hills has been calling. Which is great news for me as my lousy liver disease took it away for a year or more. The pills are working.

Anyhoo .. the snows arrived on the Ochil hills on Friday afternoon and after a bitter cold night .. I couldn't wait to get out there. Possibly because my house was freezing during the day.

I clambered up Ben Cleuch again but this time by The Law. Its the most scenic way ..but its also the steepest way I go.

I'm glad I chose the Ochils on Saturday as the bitter cold and strong winds sapped my energy. A munro would have been much harder.

Here is the video of my first winter hill walk this year..hope its one of many more to come.

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://youtu.be/UisySIA7ygg

Into The Wilderness ... Litttle Loch Broom

Leaving Priest Island ... it was still only mid morning .. so I decided to have a look in Little Loch Broom. Then explored all the sandy beaches in Gruinard Bay. It really is a lovely area to explore.

This video tells the adventure well....

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8l14D92iqs

Into The Wilderness ... Priest Island

In the evening ... following my Anthrax Island adventure ... I took a walk along the coastal cliffs from Mellon Udrigle campsite to Rubha Beag. I wanted to size up my next adventure. A four mile open sea crossing to Priest Island. Its one of the Summer Isles and I had missed it when I rounded them ... preferring to approach it from this side of the mainland.

It was still a bit breezy for the crossing .. but I hoped that by leaving early the following morning .. I could visit before either wind or common dolphins were around.

And that is exactly what I did.

Direct Link to my video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Ua417HuBs

Into The Wilderness ... Gruinard (Anthrax) Island

Its amazing how a little sunshine can improve a grey mood ... so after a couple of days drying out on the east coast .. the weather improved again over on the west .. so I headed back to Gruinard Bay. It looked a far different place under blue sky. Warm and inviting again.

I had wanted to visit Gruinard Island for as long as I can remember. In the 1980’s I often passed it touring Scotland on my motor bikes and always stopped to wonder what it would be like walking there. Of course ..in those days it was still prohibited to land due to the dangers of the Anthrax experiment they conducted there ... testing germ warfare for WW2 requirements.

Its now clear of anthrax and landing is allowed.. although not many folks do. Some think the anthrax spores could still survive in the ground ? That rumour was not going to stop me from visiting. All I had to do was find the best place to launch my wee boat.

I chose the campsite at Mellon Udrigle.

It has a lovely sandy beach with easy access from the tent.

It was a blustery day but I was impatient to be on my way. The waves didn’t bother me.. but I got a bit of a surprise half way across the bay.

This video illustrates perfectly what happened that day

Direct link to the video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w42CWC5nTjI