Foamling

My dad tells me this is a sanderling. This is one of a pair who were prodding about in the foam on Portmahomack beach.

Fred and I went for a Pictish adventure this afternoon. We took the car on the Nigg to Cromarty ferry (some reversing fun for Fred on that one from the ferry to the slipway – it's tiny wee!) We visited the Nigg stone (lovely carvings and a wonderful peacock butterfly – see the first extra pic), ventured on the Bishops Walk to the shore, and drove to the Shandwick stone. There was a chap there doing some maintenance so we got into the glass cube to see the stone up-close. He told us that the glass structure was salvaged from the Glasgow Garden Festival all those moons ago. The stone itself has carvings of stags, stars, and an eagle, among other animals.

From there, we visited the Tarbat visitor's centre to see all the Pictish finds there (boars, a dragon, and early crosses) and on to the Tarbat Ness Stevenson lighthouse, which is highly photogenic (the second extra). Our last stop was Portmahomack, for sanderlings, beachcombing and a dip in the sea for Fred (third extra for beachcombing finds and a sneaky pic of Fred). We had a chat with a local guy who says the sea is warmest in October. We'll have to return in a couple of months.