A day of rest, reading and rain

A late start to the day and Gary is unwell with a cold / flu - just as well we were not planning to go far or visit any plots today.
We sit and listen to the rain, have a late breakfast and read voraciously.
I discover Monty Hall's "Beachcomber Cottage" on the bookshelves in the cottage and just have to read it. The book records six months of living in a croft at Applecross but ventures into Skye and the islands a fair bit. I remember the accompanying BBC programme and can now relate to quite a bit of the geography and scenery descriptions. A good couple of hours enjoyment.
I trawl off along the coast in the afternoon leaving Gary to rest and hopefully recover. As the tide is at its lowest, I find I can walk out to what would usually be islands in the bay. Do quite a bit of exploring of these rocky outcrops; there is no one in the bay apart from me. I walk for some distance along the coast, tripping over large pebbles and with the occasional slip on drying seaweed; enjoying the silence and the seabirds. (spot a heron and the usual oystercatchers and a variety of gulls) The sun peeps out and I take what I think are some good photos (soon to be disappointed when they are uploaded)
The best one is below when the wind dropped and there was almost a reflection.

View from hidden cottage

I discover a small cottage hidden at the back of one of the bays; you would never know it was here unless you were directed to it. It has a gate that leads directly into a small cove and looks straight across at the full Cuillin range. They are spread across the horizon in the just the same format that Mary's window seat looks out at.
Back at the cottage, we spend some time "designing" our perfect house - we will share these ideas with Mary to give her a starting point.
Having finished Monty's book, I have now found "Calum's Road" this tells the tales of the crofter (Calum MacCleod) who got fed up with waiting for the council to build a proper road to his house and settlement so decided to do it himself. This was in addition to crofting, delivering the post and occasional fishing and boat duties. Unsurprisingly it took him almost 20 years to complete the two miles across a hostile and undulating environment. The road and the making of it are now quite famous.
The road is on the island of Rasaay, between Skye and the mainland. Not quite as entertaining as Monty but a good read nonetheless. We have often seen the CalMac ferry going to and fro to Rasaay as we drive north on the island.
A peaceful and restful day is coming to an end and we are fast approaching the end of our two weeks away. Tomorrow is the day we meet the owner of one of the plots at Fiskavaig and we have one final plot to view on the road just out of Colbost; this last one stands above the loch with views out to sea as well as to the Cuillins.
Tomorrow could bring a decision - in principle at least. Then we just have to find a friendly lawyer, conversant in Scottish Law (including the crofting variety); submit a note of our interest / make an offer; ask Mary to view and comment on our choice(s); complete the purchase of the plot; agree the design; speak with the planners / amend or submit our design; apply to various for utility and water connections; tender the building work (through Mary) and finally - sometime in the too distant future - start building. Oh, and selling the house in Devon would help too. Seems to me that we could be actually living in our new house by 2015 if all goes smoothly!!
Still, it will be fun, exciting and worth it I'm sure. No doubt these words will return to haunt me over the next couple of years.