Road to the isles, 30th June, Lochbuie

After our stone circle experience, we drove into the hamlet of Lochbuie, where there is a lay-by, a post office selling coffee, a few houses and the rather ugly Lairds house, visited by Johnson and Boswell in 1773 during their Hebridean meanderings; "Lochbuy has, like the other insular Chieftains, quitted the castle that sheltered his ancestors, and lives near it, in a mansion not very spacious or splendid. I have seen no houses in the Islands much to be envied for convenience or magnificence, yet they bare testimony to the progress of arts and civility, as they shew that rapine and surprise are no longer dreaded, and are much more commodious than the ancient fortresses." Moy castle, as romantic a ruin as one could desire.
We parked a little way down from the lay-by next to the pebbly shore and walked to the castle which is locked up as it is unsafe, being abandoned before Johnson's visit. The shore line was full of yellow flags and twisted trees. A small road led towards Ben Buie huddled under a threatening cloud.












Alan went out for a cycle ride and saw a baby pine marten!! I stayed by the van and was entertained by some tame chaffinches who ended up sitting on my knee. Hettie was non-plussed as usual.




We had decided to wild camp in our spot so after dinner we went for a walk along the foreshore, hoping for the magnificent sunset, which naturally did not arrive.















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