Not interested!

We had just seen a Sea Eagle; however, Berry was not interested!

A pause at Shieldaig for a coffee meant that we finally glimpsed a flying barn door! Just delighted to see one, as usual at a totally (to us) unexpected place (we had kept our eyes peeled further south) although we subsequently learnt that a pair have settled on the island here and even come down into the village for fish scraps for their chicks. It was a way up high in the sky but unmistakable. 

We started the day at Kyle of Lochalsh, mainly to get chicken wings for Berry from the butcher (!) but we also had a coffee sitting on a bench looking at the Skye Bridge (extra).  I was watching a Shag fishing close by and had a superb view of it underwater, propelling itself along with its wings. There were plenty of logs stacked in a yard waiting, presumably, for onward transport. We've seen plenty of evidence of felling as we've driven around; the landscape left behind is not attractive to my mind, with stumps and brushwood left in a moonscape - I'm not sure it's much use to any wildlife but I'd be very happy to be corrected. 

Earlier, we visited Attadale Gardens at Lochcarron (extras of the house, built 1755, and gardens).  A very attractive place, hostas just unfurling, skunk cabbage flowers ponging a bit (!), loads of news in ponds and rhododendrons juuuust nearly blooming. Give it another week ... except that the weather is apparently turning cold again. A lovely little fernery geodome and specimen trees, one or two from the mid C18th but mostly late C19th/ early C20th.  We were talked at by a lady who headed up a gardening club in Nairn and had come over for the day to recce for a club day trip, which made me realise just how accessible the west coast is from the Inverness area (hence the NC500,I guess).

And we saw a lovely little Red Squirrel up in the trees, hopping around very happily. 

We just enjoy trogging along in the motorhome through spectacular scenery and roads which go from wide to slim at the blink of an eye! Not a huge amount of traffic and plenty of passing places where necessary, and we are very aware of not holding up others - we know just how frustrating that can be!

Another good wildlife spot were three Whooper Swans on a small loch on our way through to Shieldaig. We felt they must still be travelling north to breed, although they had a super little spot there. 

Arrived at the Kinlochewe campsite in good time for another relaxing evening, reading books with a little tincture. Not a bad life ;-)