Misty viewpoint.

A funny start to the day. Sun streaming in through the window to the east side of the house but looking to the view at the front there wasn’t one! At first just the mountain peaks then no mountains at all and then no beach!  A sea mist. You can see the view as we were about to set off out in extra 1.
We stopped at the view point looking over the Summer Isles and watched the mist drift back and forth, could have stayed there all day. The main island you can see is Isle Ristol with it’s lovely arch of white sand beach which is the destination of the family when they take the boat out from Old Dornie. Behind it is Priest Island, a nature reserve and breeding ground for many seabirds. Several of the islands are permanent breeding grounds for Greylag geese. The headland to the left is Fox Point.

The mist was rolling back in from the right in the main picture and by the time we got back to the car the islands had nearly disappeared. We were heading to Reiff which is the furthest settlement to the north and end of the peninsula and is on the right from here.
I was surprised Chris suggested this walk as it’s tricky parking and access has always been a bit of a struggle. It is part of the Coigach Geopark Trail and we have printed walks of it but unlike other areas where information and signage have improved they seem to have gone out of the way here to make it difficult. I confess to climbing over two fences this morning! The rock formations, cliffs and chasms are some of the most spectacular in Coigach. I know they bring geology groups here. See extra collage. 
It was foggy when we set off and we could hear the boom of a foghorn out on the Minch but it soon burned off. We walked back down the rocky side of Loch Reiff and then drove along the road for a drink at the Am Furan looking out over the same islands in the sun.

Back for a coffee and a sandwich of yesterday’s left over ham salad, more bread needed so off to Achiltibuie stores and a visit to Badenscallie beach. Last year we tried walking on the Acheninver trail from here but had the same problem with fences. Today there was a gate! So we went over the headland to Acheninver’s ‘pink’ beach. Extra collage - middle and bottom left. Merlin identified a bird which sounded like a wolf howl,  it was a Common Loon, apparently common in the US and we watched two large raptors circling each other but couldn’t get them in shot on my camera. 
We completed the circular by walking back on the road so a two walk day, albeit quite short ones and another fabulous sunny and hot one after the mist departed.

I know there is a blipper who will recognise this view and the chalets on the shore at the bottom of it!


** Great news our home area, including our village, is to be designated a National Nature Reserve - Bradford Pennine Gateway. I was slightly affronted to hear the commentator on the news suggest our city was the most impoverished when it came to nature.  We’ve been walking in this area for many years and I’m sure anyone who sees my blips will recognise it is a great area for nature.