Family Photos!

Click on the slide show on the right to see a new set of photos...
Tobermory is a great recovery stop. The girls are shopping and happy. Sophie caught up on her vacation (arithmetic) home work. Yesterday's dinner at Fish was excellent. Most notable are the 'in harbor' wildlife sightings we did. Yesterday an otter that was not shy at all was frolicking and feeding just 50 meters away from the main boulevard with about exited tourists cheering him/her on. Today we sighted 4 dolphins jumping and playing between the moorings.

Tobermory

Today we wake up at mooring in rainy Tobermory harbour. The town looks
promising with brightly collored houses and nice looking shops. The
girls will like this.
Yesterday started in Loch Nevis. A very impressive totally remote loch
with just a few houses and 'the remotest pub in Brittain' that turned
out to be a great find.
We sailed all the way to the head of the Loch (some tricky navigation
through narrow with strong currents) and anchored to enjoy the
fantastic mountain views and total silence. Nobody there.
Our plan to then go visit the Armadale castle gardens had to be
abolished over strong Northerly winds that created a swell in Armadale
bay. At a spur we decided to use the Northerly wind (fairly rare here)
and make a dash for Tobermory. For 45 min or so we had rough waves in
wind against tide at Ardnamurchan point (no fun) but otherwise we had
a very fast beautiful 'sleigh-ride' which included blue skies,
stunning views of Sky, Rum and Egg, diving Gannets (they drop into the
sea like dive bombers) sightings of Manx Shearwaters (puffinus
puffinus) a sundowner at sea and arrival in Tobermory with a remainder
of twilight and the moon just rising above the mountains...

Otters and porpoises - Kyle of Lochalsh

Quiet weather & smooth sea helped our fauna spotting team to excell.
We spotted 3 otters and many porpoises; also, razorbills with babies
and various seals, although the latter ones did not allow us to feed
them by hand like the Gairloch seal did.
My mom's time was up and we waved her bus out just now. The fauna
spotting team is loosing its most valued member! Another problem will
now be what to do if Julia is succesful at her mackerel fishing
efforts...
The crab Julia caught yesterday got seasick over night. We had to free
it. There is some slight hope that it will recover now that it is back
in clean cold water...
Kyle of Lochalsh has an excellent supermarket (we drove cart to the
boat) and the village is not unleasant. The hotels and restaurants are
'vergane glorie' though, so yesterday we had our slightly liberal
interpretation of 'high tea' in the cockpit - glorious.
Last night we were anchored at Eilan Donan Castle: looks better on the
photos, but nice quiet mooring and beautiful loch.

Portree

Today, is the total opposite of Rona (wich is rough and deserted;
perfect place for 'retraite' / writing book) Portree is a sweet place
on sheltered bay with nice microclimate. Lots of palm trees. Sailing
race with little dingies in the bay. More peaceful than this is hard
to imagine. Lots of second homes. Two trains diaily make this a 'major
hub; 6 hours to Glasgow. We had fish and chips (9/10) at picknick
table overlooking the bay. Family decided tob move here and start
pottery business.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Rona

Anchored at Rona in rough, fantastically beautiful secluded bay with a
view at Sky framed by series of gates formed by rough rocks and green
islands. The sense of depth is striking, augmented by the partially
clouded and partially sunny sky shedding a different, changing, light
on each island and with Sky's high, bold mountains the dark shaded
backdrop.
The wind has been changing all day, SW, SE, 5 knots, 15, 18, 10, 25,
10. Whenever we turn a corner around one of the high headlands the
wind changes.
For the first time there are other yachts anchored with us. All have
heavier anchorchan than we...
Grandma is cooking the few mackerels that we held back from the seal
yesterday. Enjoying parmazan with port in the mean time!

--
Sent from my mobile device

Rona & grey seal

On our way to Rona ('rough island'; just east of Sky) in 15knot S
wind. Kids head great stay in Gailoch with many sightings and even
feeding of the resident seal.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Gairloch

We (grandma, Ann, Sophie & Julia) are playing Uno in the Mountain
coffee company. Harbour seal was there again this morning. Fairy tail
walk on the beach. This pm we will collect clams and mussels at the
beach for spagetti al vongole (with mussels) tonight... Hopefully high
water will not interfere....?!

--
Sent from my mobile device