Chocolate ice cream

The morning is spent in Guy’s office reading Megan’s dissertation. It’s a detailed study of the best way to store excess renewable electricity generation on Orkney - so not everybody’s ideal Sunday reading. I hadn’t expected there to be so much economics in it, but I guess Net Present Value is what drives the modern world.

Then, as counterpoint, we wield pick, shovel, and barrow in the age old game of shift-pile-of-soil-from-one-location-to-another. And then it’s lunch, al fresco.

I head for Inverness, where I meet up with Jacquie. We go to the Clachnaharry Inn for Guinness (Jacquie) and coffee (me). The outside table is fine for the first drink, but there’s a chill wind, so we head inside and ignore the footie.

Ultimate destination of the day is to Ardross. Pete is in fine form, although the lodge is suffering from a dose of flat roof syndrome. He retired this year and is enjoying it to the full - writing, turtles, and WarHammer.

After another great meal, it’s time for a round trip to the airport to collect Petrea. We’re nominally late, but that works out fine, because she emerges from the airport within the allotted 10 minutes of free parking.

Back at Ardross, conversation continues to burble as midnight approaches. It ranges over autogenics vortices, Andy Goldsworthy, tennis, and a fine new history of pre-1963 Scoraig until spring claims us.