Tuesday 16 October 2018

Decisions in Torridon

Last weekend Gail and I visited our cottage in Torridon. On the basis of a weather forecast on Thursday, promising heavy rain and gale force winds for the next few days, we nearly stayed in Aberdeen, but I'm pleased to report that Gail decided to ignore the best advice of the Met Office and head west anyway.

You can however understand why I decided not to go for a paddle in the normally calm waters of Loch Torridon on Friday afternoon.

On Saturday the wind had died down and I was most alarmed to overhear Gail and her neighbour Julia discussing whether they might go sea kayaking the next day, rather than taking me for a walk.

Thankfully sense prevailed and they decided on a Sunday morning ramble around the Shieldaig peninsula. At the spot where the pathway divides, we opted to take the right hand trail, thus an anti-clockwise circuit.

It wasn't a fast walk, and there were many 'posing for treats' stops.

Some of the posing locations required careful negotiation of the rocky shoreline. I just point this out so you are aware of the considerable effort that sometimes lies behind the production of my blog.

After a while, it occurred to me to add variety to the photo opportunities by changing the colour of my lower limbs. In areas of peat bog, the colour change thing is not the exclusive preserve of the chameleon. (OK, so we don't have chameleons in NW Scotland, but you get my drift I'm sure...)

Most unreasonably, before we returned to the village of Shieldaig and a bar lunch in the Tigh an Eilean Hotel, Gail decided my paws needed a thorough wash in a clear but very chilly stream.

I would like here to point out to Julia (who is nice, on the whole) that one does NOT appreciate being photographed at moments so disadvantageous to one's dignity!

The cold bath was the first of two poor decisions on Gail's part, the second being that she refused to give me a single morsel of her fish and chip lunch, and I was made to lie quietly beside the table while Gail and Julia munched away, and pretend to be happy with the occasional pat on the head from other passing customers.

PS Some readers may not already know that Julia has a beautiful blog called Hand Knitted Things. Fans of knitting, or Torridon scenery, or sheep, will love her latest post (click here).

14 comments:

  1. such a wonderful day with a long walk and fish&chips...what can be better? we love your country!!!

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  2. Bertie, so glad you and Gail made the decision to visit Torridon at the weekend. What a lovely walk and you are so good at posing. Point taken about the photo I took of you have a bath in the stream. I will try to refrain in future and make sure I only take the best shots of you for the inter web.

    Looking forward to our next walk (subject to favourable sea kayaking conditions).

    Best wishes

    Julia x

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  3. Hari Om
    Bertie lad,I think you fasred better than we did this bit durther South, and I am glad you got to pose in so many gorgeous frames!!! Hugs and wags YAM-aunty xxx

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  4. Looks like a wonderful adventure. Despite the peat feet. I think you should get fish pieces but not chips.

    Teka Toy

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  5. Bertie over the weekend we saw some weather on the TVees from Scotland it was so windy a waterfall was blowing backwards. YIKES.

    What a beautiful day you had for a walk and I can see by your WFT tail you were as happy as a clam! Good grief your had some muddy feets my little buddy. Thank goodness for clear mountain streams...albeit a mite chilly.
    Hugs Cecilia

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  6. Oh Bertie, that was such a clever idea, to change your paw colors for the photographs! You're a real pawfessional at this. I see I have so much to learn.

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  7. That sure looks like a fun adventure (except for the bath in the stream of course). We can't believe neither Gail or Julia gave you a taste of their meal.

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  8. We think your new paw color was very fetching and glad it was captured on camera before Gail removed it in the stream.

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  9. At least the decision for a walk was a good one. We think the cold water leg bath was probably worth getting dirty for.

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  10. Bertie I so envy your Torridon scenery.
    Sweet William The Scot

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  11. Wonderful posing in the beautiful scenery and changing leg color was brilliant!
    hugs
    Hazel & Mabel

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  12. No fish and chips? Dat are wrong!

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  13. Very nice posing and costume change (on your legs). I bet that water was cold - and surely, you should have been rewarded with some fish and chips!

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  14. You sure have beautiful places to explore, Bertie!

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