A Perfect Highland Day

Last night I stood on the shore of Loch Oich and watched the ripples reflect the golden shades of the hillside opposite. It was the end to a perfect highland day.

Staying with a friend in Invergarry, we had travelled through Glen Shiel and over the Mamratagan Pass into Glenelg. It was one of those highland days that stick in your mind; sleet and mist at the start and, by the time we had crossed the pass, sunny with patches of blue sky promising a day-long improvement.

With snow-capped mountains all around us, the views of Skye, across the Sound of Sleat, were stunning. We made our way to the Glenelg brochs where I wanted to look again at the lichens and mosses which cover the boundary walls.

After lunch we followed the shore road along Loch Hourn to Arnisdale. The afternoon light was a perfect accompaniment to the triptych that opened before us: the mass of Knoydart across the loch to the left; Eigg, at the entrance of the Sound of Sleat, in the centre; and the Black Cuillin ridge on Skye to the right. 'Breathtaking' seemed hardly sufficient.

Returning through Glen Shiel we had close views of a small herd of feral goats, with kids following, and a hundred or more red deer. Birds during the day included buzzard, loch-side grey herons, a pair of goosander and hooded crow.

More to follow, including pictures, when I return home to Redesdale.