The Black Isle

On my way to my annual trip to Isle of Lewis, I stopped off in Dundee to visit my cousins and then a week in Avoch (pronounced Auch) on the Black Isle.

I left early and headed to the A68 so to miss all the roadworks around Birmingham.  Stopped overnight at the Brown Horse Hotel in Walsingham.  Very convenient.  My first impressions was that the hotel was fairly functional.  However, I chose from their Indian menu.  Worth making a stop here just for that.  It was delicious, homemade and full of flavour.  Owner and staff very friendly.

Off up the A68 the next morning, stopping at Lauder for a second coffee.  A lovely border town with two good coffee places and some independent shops.  I splashed out on a pair of designed tweed trousers for the princely sum of £30.  There was barely any traffic on the road, whereas the A9 was jam packed.  A good recommendation from my friend Terry in Newcastle.

Stayed at Invercarse Best Western Hotel in Dundee.  Had a stroll around before meeting Margaret and Mary at the cafe in Botanic Gardens.

Lots of street art in Dundee

A dog playing ball

Colours were still around in the Gardens

Looking up

A short journey to Avoch on Friday.   I stayed at Taigh Sonas for the week.  A good location and lots of walks from the cottage.  Jenny was coming over from Lewis for some shopping in Inverness.  I met her on Saturday morning and we shopped til we dropped.  Had a pizza at the Fire Station.  We drove north of Ullapool - beautiful scenery and lots of deer.  Dropped Jenny off at the ferry and drove back in the dark looking out for the deer who are likely to pop out into that road.

Avoch towards Ormonde Hill

In the Highlands with some ICM

More icm

At the layby for Ardvreck castle

And the icm version

Lichen

Ardvreck castle

Icm version

A couple of deer

On Monday I walked to Rosemarkie and the Fairy Glen waterfall and back to Avoch.

Geese in the fields above the cottage

On the railway line walk to Fortrose from Avoch

Thank you biker for wearing red

Fortrose cathedral

Yellowhammer

On the Fairy Glen walk

Fairy Glen waterfall

On the road back from Rosemarkie, the sun was shining on the spiderwebs

A sea horse

Back on the railway line.  I took the figure from a morning image to put in the mist.

Tuesday I walked along the shore road and around Ormonde Hill.

Knot

Red Kite

Woodpecker

A tree covered with lichen

Foxgloves hanging on

On Wednesday, I drove around the Black Isle but the rain drove me back to the cottage and I spent the afternoon processing photos.

Thursday, I did a round walk towards Fortrose.  The geese were coming and going and I snapped them every time.

Avoch without the mist

So many geese

Capturing the sunshine

Across the Firth

It had rained most of Wednesday so there were lots of waterfalls

Autumn leaves

I climbed up the steep side of the walk to see the geese only to find there was a slope in the field and they were the other side.  These few did come as near as this

In Avoch at the end of the walk.  I wondered who had put the chair there.

Off to Ullapool.  Stopped off at Knockan Crag reserve then back to Ullapool.  Stayed the night at the Ceilidh Place.  I missed the turning on of lights by one day but there was a torchlight procession to the leisure centre with stalls.  The tennis court had been turned into an ice rink and the crowd watched two women put on a display of dance.  As it wasn't real ice, it was difficult for the skaters but they made a good job of it.

North of Ullapool

Icm version

View from Knockan Crag reserve

Ice skaters

Music supplied by the band

Ullapool lights

A beautiful morning to take the ferry over to Stornoway.  I moved into Abhainn cottage in Breasclete until January (well I move out for New Year week into a cabin up the road).

Morning light from Ullapool beach

Reflection in the window opposite

Next blog from Lewis.