Rainbow over Cruachan

In the morning we had a girls' trip to Oban with my mother to choose or visit things beginning with C: curtains, cordless phones, charity shops, and carrot and coriander soup, which we ate outside. Oban is a bit trying in summer: even less chance of parking, and the one way system liable to severe congestion. And Argos having almost none of the items listed in their catalogue actually in stock! Definitely the end of the line...

However, the curtains were chosen and ordered, and we left town so that my sister TMLhereandthere, and her daughter Immy, could start their marathon journey to Nelson, New Zealand. We were sorry to see them go, especially as the weather had turned out lovely after a wet start. Tanya (TML) kept remarking on the super-puffy clouds all the way back from Oban, and wishing she had had her camera on her.

So after they'd gone, and poor old CleanSteve had finished putting the first coat of paint on my mum's sitting room, he and I went up to Ardchattan pier to hang out and enjoy the evening sunshine. I'd been having a day off from dusting and sorting, as my allergies were kicking in big time. I don't often suffer, but there has been a lot of dust! So I got to the pier, lay down and almost fell asleep, until I noticed that as well as Ben Cruachan's usual cloud-top, it was sporting a rainbow too! So I just had to blip that, though we were spoiled for views.

I recall the pier from the days when I used to cycle there from my Mum's, fling myself down, and read the latest Dick Francis novel. I was supposed to be revising for my Highers at the time! Now the pier is larger, and there's a wee fish farm, with the threat of a much larger, noisier one in the offing. (I've raised my objection with Argyll and Bute council). There were even speed boats out on loch Etive. Fancy that!

This is similar to a scene I blipped last year, but it is THE local view, and all my walks take me in this direction. Never, though, have I seen a rainbow apparently poking out of the peak of Cruachan, the highest mountain (range) in this area.

Cruachan is the only munro I have ever climbed, in 1996, but I didn't manage all the peaks, as the rain came down so hard. Not sure that I would attempt it again in all the extreme/changeable weather we've been having.