Selkies

Spent the afternoon on the beach nearest to our house with the boys and Bucky. Well, I say with the boys but they quickly lost me and I was able to wander the beach with just the selkies for company.

Selkies is the word for seals in the Northern Isles, I think they are known as Silkies down the west coast of Scotland.

It is fantastic to have seals for neighbours. The seals are very curious and will follow you along the beach. Sometimes they pretend they aren't watching you and stick there noses in the air. They are usually happy to have you around and it is possible with a bit of patience you can get fairly close. Campbell managed to get too close to a sleeping pup last year. Just as he put his handout to touch it, it woke up and I don't know which of them got the biggest fright. Lucky for him the seal reacted by trying to get away rather than sinking it's teeth into him.

On calm nights we can hear the seals singing at the house. It's not that tuneful, more of a meandering moan than music. I suppose some may be freaked by this but I like it. It is surprisingly human sound and it is easy to relate to the tales of selkiefolk. I've always loved these stories and wouldn't be that surprised to find a sealskin folded on the beach one day.