Tarbet, Handa Isle and Scourie
Having spent the night in the car park at Tarbet I was ready and queuing up for the first ferry to Handa.
The landing beach, Handa
Great skuas
Handa was evacuated in 1847 due to the potato famine. It is now owned by a botanist doctor and is “run” by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. On the west of the island there are sandstone stacks with the usual ornithological occupants, including puffins. I still haven’t seen them with sand eels in their beaks – they only bring them in when they have young. I saw a razorbill, near to the puffins bring in some sand eels but the puffins weren’t doing much. So in the Eye-Spy book of things to do I still haven’t been able to tick the puffin/sand eel box, nor the otter box. Nor, since the dolphins at the Black Isle, have I seen any porpoises, dolphins, wales, etc, barring seals.
Looking north from Handa
I did see a couple of red grouse and an eider duck with ducklings. The couple in front of me saw a lizard which I was very surprised about,but, yes, they are about.
When I got back to Tarbet from Handa I went to the Shorehouse where I had hot smoked salmon for lunch and then drove to the camp site in Scourie.
Here I was able to get my electronics fully recharged and get washed, did a wash and, very lazily, had supper at the cafe (and bar) attached to the camp site – it was doing a very good trade- the rest of the village was closed – until Monday. I also heard a cuckoo.
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