On reflection .....

of our week on this beautiful island where we have experienced most types of weather (except snow and a real storm) We love the peace and quiet, the quality of the light, the friendliness of the people we have met and the road system(!) We have found a couple of possible plots and will need to speak to planners and Mary from Dualchas before we could proceed to the next stage. It is entirely possible that we could settle here and be content. To be continued .........
And also a reflection of the islands outside the house as it was so still this morning that they appeared to float above and below the water.

A still and misty morning

Woke to a thick mist preventing any view from the house but - whisper it gently -there was no wind blowing.
After a leisurely breakfast with Gary making short work of the remaining eggs, we headed off for Luskentyre beach; the beach of the sandblasting earlier in the week.
We had to share the carpark with one other car (a French family already on the beach). Notes on the map from the house directed us along the coast and over the headland to some pebbly beaches.
We sloshed our way across the sodden turf, slippery rocks and small streams until we reached one of many tempting headlands. Each one just called out to be visited. Eventually we found a spot for lunch where we could watch the huge waves breaking beyond a rocky outcrop. The stones on the beach were beautifully cratfed by nature with different shades of whorls and circles in contrasting colours to the main body of the stone. Rounded by the waves and almost polished smooth, there were hundreds of them. Much too big to move, which is probably why they remain where they belong.
The mist, which hadn't lifted all morning dropped even lower obscuring our view of the beach and the small islands in the sound.

A lunch spot with a view; would like to be here in a storm!

We returned to the beach; although the tide had retreated it was just too tricky to move safely down the rocks to small bays revealed between the outcrops. It was difficult enough leaping down the rocks we had climbed to access the cliff earlier.
Back on the beach, still no wind, we walked as far as the eye could see, which was a very long way! The light on the sand / sea and dunes was mesmerising and it looked just like an impressionist picture. Gary captured it on camera, kneeling at the water's edge to get the right angle.

We walked as far as you can see - and then back along the high tide line.

As a distraction a whole family gathering had arrived, two children in the sea OK paddling only but in the sea, in Harris, in April. The men of the family were setting up a barbecue in the dunes. Whatever was cooking smelled pretty tempting as we walked by.
The sun tempted us with a brief glimpse at this point but it was short-lived and the mist descended once again.
Found some sea-urchin cases / shells (?) which were a lovely shade of lilac and some perfectly formed tiny shells in a similar colour. Left the sea urchin for someone else but pocketed a few of the shells.
We both had damp feet by this time so headed back to the car with a view to stopping at a particularly pleasant spot for a final coffee on the way home.
I was taken by the light as we approached the turning back to the main road so hopped out and tried to capture it. This is along the estuary with the tide a long way out. More misty hills in the background.

Just managed to avoid the dead sheep out of picture RHS!

Sadly our preferred coffe spot was taken (there were a lot more people about today) so we drove to a spot we had earmarked yesterday and enjoyed a cup of coffee in peace and quiet.
As we drove back to the house, spotted Alan's son assisting a very new black lamb to find its feet.
Unpacked the car and in to start thinking about dinner and packing up.
Tomorrow sees us off north to Lewis for one night; we are going to travel via the west coast road and visit the Callanish stones and several other allegedly gorgeous beaches. Another adventure in the making.
Will be chekcing in from Stornaway tomorrow evening. We have a whole apartment booked for the night then the ferry to Ullapool on Sunday.