Surreal

I know this photo breaks all the rules, and that my phone camera couldn't really cope with the full-on sun - but I find it strangely attractive in a surreal sort of way, and it seems a fitting conclusion to the walk I'd just had. I took it just before I got back into the car, having walked along the Toward shore road and out along the beach track known as the Ardyne. I can honestly say that I've never before felt that my nose might freeze, but that just at this moment, at about 4 in the afternoon, that's exactly what I felt.

When we'd left the house, at about 2.30pm, we were still swathed in the freezing fog that had swirled around Dunoon all morning. But my sister in Ayr had assured me several hours earlier that they had full sunshine, so when I looked downriver and saw a gleam in the sky we followed it and came out into glorious sunshine - there was even warmth in it. For much of the walk we were out of the wind, but the last stretch up the road was straight into the northerly stream that I'd seen on the weather map last night, and though my body was warm my nose was painfully sore - and running, unattractively.

But as for the photo - apart from sun, what you're looking at is the island of Bute, with a glimpse of clouds hovering over Arran beyond.