Day 15 - North of Badcall Bay


I started the day with a 5 mile run but it was so hard in the 60mph winds especially head on up some really steep hills.  I planned to go out at 6.30 but it was raining hard.  It had stopped by 8 although still windy

We didnt venture out until 11 and started off by going a short distance north to a peninsula where there was a circular road around several lochs.  At Tarbert there are passenger ferries to Handa Island which is owned by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  Ferries don't run on Sundays and todays were cancelled because of the wind.  Handa was partly shrouded in low cloud but the drive there was very scenic and we saw Eider ducks in the harbour.  It was very windy but the weather was definitely brightening up

 
Eider duck at Tarbert 


Tarbert with Handa Island in distance

Loch near Tarbert

 
Fanamore Beach 

We then went a bit further on the NC500 and crossed the River Rhiconich and Laxford Bridge where we turned left onto a coastal road running to Kinlochverbie and Oldshoremore, which the pod owner told us about.  We first stopped at a viewpoint and took photos then realised there was a large bird of prey soaring above.  Photos didn't show any signs of a white tail so we assume it was a golden eagle.  That is what Google Lens suggested.  Of course it could have been a buzzard but looked too big.





Viewpoint where we saw the eagle

Kinlochverbie didn't look particularly nice with quite a bit of industry and a working fish harbour so we continued on to Oldshoremore.

We came to a junction with 3 possible turnings.  The first just led down to a farm.  We went back and took another road which led to a car park for Sandford Beach.  However we found that the beach is an 8 mile round hike from the car park.  It seems popular with wild campers.  We went down another turning nearby which said Polin Beach and we found ourselves in a small attractive village with a walk across fields to a sandy beach.  We didnt go onto the beach as it was a steep climb down but took photos.  The houses in Polin have little fairy type ornaments outside their houses.  One had sections of tree trunks made to look like fairy houses.



 
Polin Beach
 
 
Fairy houses at Polin 

Fairy house at Polin

We eventually found Oldshoremore Beach which the 3rd of the 3 roads and down the road to the cemetery.  It was the best we have seen with grassy sand dunes behind.  

Oldshoremore Beach

Sand dunes

Path to beach

Stream at Oldshoremore

 
Hairy Caterpiller 

 
Stonechat 


We made our way back to our pod with a stop on the way to see the rocks that were cut to make the road.  They look really polished. 

Coloured Rock at roadside cutting.

It turned into a really nice clear evening and we had a few new visitors near the pod.
 
 
Mistle Thrush 

 
Resident sheep 

 
Cormorant with Greater Back Backed gull 

 
The wonderful Oystercatchers - heard them long before seeing them. 

 
The sheep outside the pod.

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