Sun setting at Skelbo Castle , Loch Fleet .

We came to this spot for breakfast and ended up staying the night ! How could we leave the seals basking on the sand banks and the Eider Ducks showing off to one another and chattering in loud, somewhat mocking , voices .
The extra is of a seal sitting on a rock , it perched there for several hours, enjoying the sunshine I presume.
In front of the van was a bench , people came and went all day long , sitting awhile then moving on . I sat with my knitting and had several interesting encounters. One with a lady who is moving into the area another, with a very keen bird watcher who has given me some top tips on where to go to spot eagles and goshawks . It felt a bit like being part of Tom Rosenthal’s “strangers on a bench,” series which are fascinating and generally uplifting.
The highlight was meeting a couple while we were out on a walk and finding that we had each noticed the same curiosities along the route . We seemed to have lots of points of connection and were pleased to find that they were also planning to spend the night in the same spot . We sat together ,on the Loch edge , watching the seals as the light softened and day faded into night. We were able to chat comfortably about a range of topics and seemed very much on the same page . Such a special way to end the day in what felt like a really special place .
Here is the link to “Strangers on a bench just in case you want to give it a try .”

https://thumborcdn.acast.com/dJ94x0tIZLWc-vhJjRwRKIrVJL8=/150x150/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.pippa.io%2Fshows%2Fcover%2F1727341630549-42698d1f-a981-487e-8d30-41f1f57761d9.jpeg