NORTH BY NORTH WEST

CAPE WRATH the most north westerly point on the British mainland is one of those mystical places you only hear of on the shipping forecast,it is somewhere I have wanted to visit for years,I tried once before but the boat did not show; you can`t drive there,a ferry or tiny motor boat takes you across the Kyle of Durness for a fiver,and a big bloke from London called Andy takes ten quid a head to drive you to the cape in a mini bus that holds 16 people,a nice little earner?The funny thing was Andy turns up in full regalia kilt,dirk down the sock etc,I suppose it impresses the Yanks!It takes 45 minutes to drive to the lighthouse,an hour there and 45 minutes back,it didn`t live up to its name that day it was all benign and peaceful,I would have preferred a big blow to see how wrathful it could be.The usual seabirds were on the cliffs or doing a fly by and a few pilot whales and dolphins were seen sailing by an occasional dorsal fin breaking the surface.

ALL ABOARD THE SKYLARK

NEXT STOP CANADA

CAPE WRATH LIGHT

THE CAPE WRATH MOTORWAY!

ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CAPE

THE FOGHORN

ROCK STACKS CALLED THE CATHEDRAL

Back to the ferry landing stage and blow me down ,camera in bag for the crossing a Golden Eagle comes gliding by right over our heads,and hovers  for a few seconds,it was a sub adult bird and pretty tatty with flight and tail feathers missing,so not a very pretty boy.
A south facing grassy bank by the sea is always good to explore and  in bloom here were fragrant orchids and common twayblade.

FRAGRANT ORCHID

COMMON TWAYBLADE.

There was still plenty of time left before going back and the Dipper that had eluded me so far even though there is lots of suitable habitat was on the wanted list.The Borgie Forest nature reserve looked ideal,but no luck,but a family of spotted flycatchers provided a good photo opportunity.

SPOTTED FLYCATCHERS just out of the nest

 I wanted all three together but it was not to be,mum came back to feed them and they flew after her,I know my place.