Janingalina

Day 4.  A Sunday.  On Harris, nothing is open.  One can't get a cab because they don't break the sabbath.  One can't get tweed, because that would also be breaking the sabbath. 

Getting on the Zodiac to head for Harris, I was reminded by several members of the group not to forget my camera.  They were used to seeing me kitted out with the whole photog backpack.  I had decided to observe in my own way, though.  And Harris became an island, that if you were not there, you don't get to see.  I needed a day to experience it by myself, without the lens between me and the landscape. 

Also, so much of these islands are shaped by wind.  So much of the experience there, the feeling of wildness, has to do with the wind whipping over it, bending the grasses and knocking down potential saplings.  I couldn't catch the wind on film.  not yet.  so on Day 4, i went to experience it. 



Day 5.  St. Kilda

It's a lonely and forlorn place, inhabited for thousands of years but evacuated in 1930.  Now sheep wander amongst the stone cairns once used for drying seabirds, abandoned blackhouses, and dry stone fences. 

in the summer work parties carry out preservation tasks while seabirds breed and rear young. 


 






I climbed up the hill, looked out over the cliff on the backside of the island and took pictures of kittiwakes on their nests. 





Later we sailed past the tiny bird islands just north of Kilda.  All the white on this sea stack is Gannets and Guano. 





Gannets can only nest on sheer rocks that have an almost-constant high wind blowing by because they're big and bulky, and takeoff is an issue for them.  Better if they can just drop into the air-stream. 

Here's a pic of one taking off from the water (i had to work to get this one!), which the cruise company later used in some of their paperwork.  check me out!  i'm now a credited nature fotografin!






anyway, as we cruised around this island, thousands of gannets wheeled overhead.  for the record, those buggers are a huge mass of dive-bombing muscle and have a 5.5-6 foot wingspan. 
these are the best pics i got of them kettle-ing overhead..









and some gannet closeups for ya:








it was a big day for nature photography.  :D

After all this birding excitement, we spent

Day 6. Iona

The island of Iona is where Christianity first came ashore from Ireland.  We visited the beautiful Abbey there.  And while I'm not such a fan of the Catholic Church, it was quiet, peaceful and lovely. 






Mom and I bought Fair Trade chocolate at the gift shop (mm!).  Then while M&P hunted Corn Crakes in the irises, I went to the beach and played with crayfish and hermit crabs.  I didn't get their pictures (we were having too much fun together), but I did take the view from my little spot on the beach.




That afternoon we sailed through the Inner Hebrides, past Castles of the Rich and Famous





I wandered abovedecks after a little nap, and was the first one to spot the Basking Shark (badly photographed here)






(or was that nessie!?)

That afternoon was the last Wildlife Roundup, in the bar, where everybody compared lists of what they saw that day.





Landing in Oban, we bussed past Loch Lomond to Glasgow, and took leave of our Cruisin Companions.

Then it was just me, Mom and Dad in Glasgow.

Mom visited with Dr. Livingstone, I presume..   just in front of the Glasgow Cathedral






And then I took both of my parents to St. Mungo's.  (ok, not the hospital for magical mishaps and maladies, but probably - hopefully? - as close as we muggles will get).





There we learned more about the actual St. Mungo himself..  (click and check it actual size at flickr if you like)





before we left, we visited the kelvingrove museum.  we arrived before opening hours, so we sat in the window of the coffee shop across the street, M&P (who still have jobs at Ford *knock wood*) had fun spotting the Ford cars that are different in Europe, checkin out the Fiats and Vauxhalls and all the other weirdo tiny-euro-cars. 

I took a picture of the ceiling inside the Kelvingrove, because i just love ceilings that look like they're carved from butter. 






and why does the museum have an organ? 

cool though. 

so that's it.  the next morning we went to the airport and headed back to our respective homes.  :) 

i think i'll have to go back next year though, i feel like i really missed something with skipping Fair Isle and missing Jamieson's in Lerwick, Shetland.