Haar

Last night we drive back from Ullapool in lovely setting sun. It sets behind the house and lights up the beach and mountains. Suddenly we noticed the mountains had disappeared! The beach remained visible and in the sun for quite a while, eventually that disappeared too with the mist coming right up t the fence across the road.
In the morning the beach was back but the mountains were still shrouded.
In Yorkshire we call this a sea fret, quite common on the east coast. Here it’s called a Haar and we haven’t experienced it here before.

So a misty walk this morning to Fox Point from Old Dornie harbour. We’ve done it before but there were views, this time we concentrated more on the flora and fauna. Masses of tiny wild flowers everywhere. Little yellow Potentilla that are hard not to stand on, tiny blue wild violets, bluebells, spring quill, bog cotton just opening and lots of wild primroses, particularly in the ravines of the cliffs, together with sea pinks.
Today there was a patch of lovely heath spotted orchids - extra.
We also noticed the birds. The sound of Oystercatchers on the shore, a couple of squabbling Stone Chats either cross with us or each other and a Wheatear on a beautiful orange lichen covered rock.

We tried the Tanera Bothan for a coffee, we discovered it at the end of Badentarbet Pier yesterday, we got the wrong place when we went to the old ice house on Monday but no luck it was still closed, as it was yesterday!

Back at the house for coffee and lunch,  the sun came out lighting up the house and beach but still no mountains.

We left it late to set off to Lochinver as we knew we were staying over there for dinner and by then it was warm and sunny. I took the blip from the car window as we waited in a passing place at the end of the road. This is ‘our’ bay and beach, you can still see the haze of the Haar hovering in the background.

Glad it lifted as we went over the ‘Wee Mad road’ into Assynt which as the name suggests is a little hairy.
Got there just in time to buy pies from the famous shop which  was just closing. A quick visit to the Highland Stoneware pottery and the Art shop where a deer was spotted. I took a picture but he was surrounded by old pallets and what looked like plumbers waste so nit sonscenic. There are often deer here, they used to be all over the football pitch but they’ve put up a deer fence now!
We then walked out to the end of the harbour. Beautiful California poppies amongst all rocks edging the pier, why don’t they grow in the garden for me?
I could have used any of these flowers for flower Friday but the bright yellow gorse is ubiquitous here at the moment and you can see some in the foreground of the blip.

Just back in from a lovely meal at Peet’s (reportedly run by Ruth Jones’ - Gavin and Stacey - husband?)
Wonderful seafood and I love their gin so I bought a bottle, all in all a great last day Haar or no Haar. Now we just have to finish off the wine! Oh dear 

In the second extra collage you can see pictures of Eda with a bear which Grace has been sending me all week Apparently Eda and won ‘Bear of the week’ from her drama class for remembering everything at rehearsals for her show coming up at the end of the month. Well done Eda!