The Highlands in April – paradise.

20130402_121254A clump of teenagers – a crowd of so-called adults and more dogs than you can shake a stick at.  Spaniels, mongrels, Labradors, a mini schnauzer, when you head up to the wild north west you come prepared for all weathers but mainly wet  windy and cold. The joy that coarses through the veins when you realise that everything points to be it being a week of endless blue skies is nothing short of joyful.   With the warm sun on the winter blue faces of the assembled Scots we agreed  there is no better place in the world.

So remarkably a wild week in the highlands turned into a tropical break complete with forest fire.  Cue the Lloyd Cole song. Actually I haven’t heard it for years and as we stood in the pitch inky darkness of the North of Scotland looking west I found myself humming it as all we could see was licking flames leaping into the sky as the mountain top turned orange. What a sight.  Wow.

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By morning thank goodness the fires had died down so we relaxed and went for an eye boggling stomp up a hill. I felt like David Attenborough – yes an 80 year old man and frankly I looked like one too but I digress, dear dear David would have had something to say about the abundance of wildlife we saw. It honestly rendered us speechless. This does not happen often.  Eagles, deer, hares, stoats, sheep, highland coos, pine martin, pheasant, rabbits, a lizard and birds of all shapes and sizes amongst other spectacular animal that we clocked made for a wonderful break in the NW of Scotland.

You may also detect I have discovered the panoramic setting on the camera – even that doesn’t do justice to the jaw dropping scenery but it’s a start.

Much more Highland nonsense to come but for now……my Wester Ross appetite is gigantic and I must feed the tummy or it will think the throat has been cut…..hasta mañana

 

 

AlisonsDiary

Writer & broadcaster.

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