Monday 4 June 2018

Òb a' Bhràighe and Upper Diabaig


No I don't have a clue how to pronounce it either, but this idyllic spot is Òb a' Bhràighe, a secluded little cove, just a hop a skip and a jump from our Torridon cottage.

Now as you know, I am a terrier, and so have the good sense to keep my paws on terra firma at all times. 

But give a certain member of my household a warm sunny afternoon and a swimsuit and she's wading into that not-so-warm and rather salty water, and before you can say goose pimples and hypothermia she's swimming around like a ..... (er, think of something that swims with more enthusiasm than style). You don't even have to throw a stick. 

So yes, our spell of most un-Scottish weather continued through the weekend, at least in Torridon. And just as I described in my previous post from Aberdeen, here too on the normally wet West Coast, one's favourite mud patches have all dried up.

And worse, last week, just a couple of miles from our cottage,  a really scary wildfire raged across a large area of moorland. Gail and I went over to Diabaig to investigate the aftermath.

Thank goodness no one was hurt and the fire did not damage any houses. But gosh it was a shock to trot along the footpath and suddenly go from this...
 To this...


15 comments:

  1. Wildfires are scary stuff.

    My momma LUVS dat swimmin stuff. I don't understand it at all.

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  2. Crikey Bertie ...... she swam in THAT????? It looks cold, mate!! What was she thinking????? You know what??? Your countryside looks pretty even when it's been cooked.

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  3. oh your mama swam in that magic lake, wow! ...it is sad to see how much things what grew for years are gone in minutes witth such a scry fire...

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  4. Hari OM
    Bertie lad, I have three siblings who swam in the Mull of Kityre during last week's 'heatwave'. Some kinda masochism?

    Now, the first word is pronounced a little like 'orb' but holding back on the r... then 'eh vraaye' for the other two parts. It means Bay of the Braes... Crikey though, that burning reminds me of all the bush fires I saw down under. Never thought I'd see similar here! Glad all were safe. Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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    1. Thanks for the Gaelic pronunciation tips. Still a bit of a mystery to this Sassenach I'm afraid.
      Cheers, Gail.

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  5. However they are pronounced, they are beautiful places...the wildfire damage is bad, but nature has a way of bringing things back...I will hope and pray that next year it will be green again (mostly>)

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  6. Boy Bertie that is a mouth full of letters...as my Papa used to say his tongue got caught around his eye teeth and he can't see what he is saying.
    Gail is a very hearty lady to take a dip in the rather chilly waters but alas it seemed to make her happy so that is what counts.
    Fire is so scary and moves so quickly leaving such destruction. We are glad no humans or homes were damaged and hope the landscape recovers very soon.
    Hugs madi your bfff

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  7. Really?!?! Did Gail voluntarily go into that big BAFF without chasing a stick???? Was there a duck or seal or sumthingy there she had to chase?????
    Glad to hear no one was hurt in that fire, it certainly made a bit of a mess didn't it
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  8. Fires are so scary, we are glad that no one was hurt or lost their homes. Gail is very brave to go in that cold water
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  9. Looks like a 'the-water's-fine-once-you-get-used-to-it' place. (In other words, numb) We haven't had any rain for months, though rumour has it that an Aboriginal Elder said July will be a month of floods. So far, we've been spared the fires.

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  10. We think we would like to go to a beach one day, but like you, we would not go in the water. But just think of the fun we could have doing zoomies along the shore.

    Thanks for your kind words about Timber. He seems to be doing better with his extra meal.

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber

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  11. Oh.My.Dog....She went IN the water and got WET?? Gail sure is a brave lady, we would much rather just play on the sand!

    That fire sure sounds scary, and how sad to see all the vegetation gone. We do know that where the California wildfires burned last year, all the green stuff seems to be thriving this year. Hopefully the same will happen in your corner of the world.
    xoxo,
    Arty, Jakey & Rosy

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  12. How terrible to see the ravages of fire in such beautiful countryside.
    Gail must come from very hardy stock to swim in such cold water, Bertie ! My human still waiting for the water in our pool to reach a decent temperature - about 28ºC - before she even puts a foot in ! As for me, well I don't go anywhere near, which is strange for a Labrador, don't you think ?

    Love,
    Inca xx

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    1. Inca, I think you are very sensible. Maybe you have terrier DNA hidden in there somewhere?
      Toodle pip!
      Bertie.

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  13. Dear Bertie,

    Ojo would swim with your person, but I will stay on dry land with you, thank you very much. We can wave from the shore.

    Also, you live a very pretty place.

    Also, I am glad you were not hurt by the fire. It is always sad to see burn like that. I know that Nature will be taking over and from the ashes will come the most amazing renewal! But maybe keep your paws out of the ash in the meantime? They're very dirty, and might lead to water being applied to your body.

    Licks,
    Cobi

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