Gannets and curling

Caught the ferry from Cairnryan to Belfast this afternoon and spent the crossing sitting on the deck watching sea birds: kittiwakes and guillemots in winter plummage and some gannets flying in synchronised formation (see extra). The blip is a close-up of one of the gannets and the second extra is the island of Ailsa Craig (locally known as "Paddy's Milestane"), where the gannets nest (note the guano on the cliffs  on the left hand side). Ailsa Craig is also famous for its hard blue granite traditionally used to make curling stones.