Helsby Hill

The sun is blazing hot so a walk round Helsby Hill, which is mostly under cover in forests. Lovely and cool.

Helsby Hill elevation

Helsby Hill route

Fields and trees

Hazy hills behind wildflower meadow

Flowers

Shadowy woods leading out to the sun

Gill and cows

Flowers

View from war memorial

Sandstone

Lush trees in the sun

Helsby Hill

View from Helsby Hill

Skulking rabbit

Buzzard being bothered by Crow

Buzzard

John looking out at north Wales

Ferry to Mainland

Dodging the pouring rain to get to Port Ellen and the ferry trip back to the mainland. The rain cleared eventually but then clouded over later on.

Ferry route to mainland

2 hours of fresh sea air.

Carraig Fhada

Lagavulin distillery

Ardbeg distillery

Gannet

Guillemots

Boat

Sparkling sea and hazy hills

Laphroaig distillery

Gannet

Great Northern Diver

View from the bow of the ferry

Jura

The last day and we haven't been to Jura. It's now or never. A long car drive with a short ferry ride and we're there. Weather started quite overcast and a little drizzly. It cleared up to be hot and sunny by lunchtime.

Jura route

The first part of the A846 runs right next to the sea, where we saw various Divers, Shags etc. Just as the road turns inland there is a little cove where we saw an Otter swim in with an enormous crab. It scoffed that down then had a good roll around in the seaweed.

View from the ferry down the Sound of Islay

Oystercatcher

Rock Pipit

Welcome to Jura

We saw a female Hen Harrier gathering nesting material. Good clear views but it was very far away and then we got moved on by some vehicles (single track road).

Female Hen Harrier

Female Hen Harrier

Otter

Otter on seaweed

Shot of the holiday!

Otter spraint in action

Normal service now resumes with some picturesque landscapes.

View of north east Islay from Jura

Linnet on Gorse

Forests near Craighouse

3 young dogs awaiting orders from boss dog

Little chapel outside Craighouse

Paps of Jura

Paps of Jura

Paps of Jura

Caterpillar (huge, roughly 5-6cm, possibly Drinker Moth)

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle (also huge and reluctant to go away)

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle

Buzzard being harassed by Hooded Crows

Stonechat eating one of the beetles

Gill had been hoping to see a Whinchat all through the holiday (all Stonechat shots closely inspected) and we eventually found one near the end. Rough photo but it was very far away.

Whinchat

Calmac going down the Sound of Islay

Great Black-backed Gull

Common Gull paddling

Just before the ferry terminal we came across a Red Deer on the side of the road. So close I couldn't even fit it in the frame of the big camera.

Red Deer