Kinloch Lodge - the outbuilding where Jonathan and I stayed.
After breakfast, the group split into two – Joe, Judyann, Roger, Wendy, Ed, and Mary took the more vigorous rout with Stuart, while the rest of us took the Kinloch Forest walk of about 4+ miles. The trailhead was back up the drive to the road, and led up into the hills a bit before turning northward back towards, and upslope from, the lodge.
Passing ruins of the stone house and a campground, we came to a sign, complete with map, showing the loop of the trail. We took the upper trail out to return on the lower path. Our route more or less contoured the hillside with occasional undulations. Most of the trail seemed to cross logged areas in the bright sunlight. This was the first day I started without wearing my raincoat for either rain or wind, and it stayed rolled up in the bottom of my pack the entire day. Not long after starting up the trail, I she the fleece, attaching it to the exterior of my day pack, proceeding in shirtsleeves the rest of the day.
There were numerous views out to the Sound of Sleat between Skye and the mainland. A sailboat setting out from a dock on the island side led us northward along the water eventually disappearing around the bend even as a trawler emerged from the opposite direction heading south.
We crossed numerous streams tumbling down the mountainside – although the rail was dry, the land was still very wet. Pól pointed out various plans and flowers, beetles and slugs.
After looping back to the lodge, we sat at the edge of the lawn eating our brown bag lunches in the sunlight. It was warm enough that I removed the leggings from my hiking pants and wore them as shorts the rest of the day.
Kinloch Lodge - the outbuilding where Jonathan and I stayed.
The main building of Kinloch Lodge.
From the front of the lodge looking down to the water.
Manda's got her horns on. There were two racks on either side of the entrance to the lodge.
Heading down the road to the trailhead from the lodge.
All the moss covered mounds (rocks?) underneath the trees made a interesting pattern.
Passing through a stand of birch trees.
A black slug (Arion ater).
Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta).
I'm guessing this is a wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa).
Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).
An unusual lichen covering a tree limb, perhaps a lungwort (Lobaria scrobiculata).
More lichen.
Lady's mantle (Alchemilla mollis) - water condensed in the center of each leaf was prized as the purest water.
Slime mold.
Looking south across Loch na Dal to the Ornsay lighthouse and the Sound of Sleat.
Looking across Loch na Dal to a landing.
Pól welcoming the sun - or was he just posing for our benefit?
Looking eastward across the sound to the mainland. …
… This area of logged trees will be left to native species to recreate the forest typical of Scotland. The Sitka spruces are (obviously) non-native and were planted for timber and pulp, but crowd out native species and decrease biodiversity.
Jonathan coming up the trail.
Some flowering heather(?).
Primroses (Primula vulgaris).
More lichen.
I liked the contrasting textures of the thistle surrounded by the moss.
Another vista - yes, there were some of these vista shots I didn't post, about two thirds of them in fact.
Zooming in on the Ornsay lighthouse and a sailboat setting out.
Harriet and Jamen.
More lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria).
A dung beetle - the only animal (other than man) to navigate using the Milky Way.
Jonathan striding up the trail.
A singular mossy mound.
A peacock butterfly (Inachis io).
Violet (Viola sp.).
Jonathan in the ruins of the town Leitir Fura.
Jamen taking a snap of the walkers.
A shot of the Sitka spruce forest.
An emerging fern.
A trawler plies the waters of the sound.
Heading back towards the lodge.
Rushes silhouetted against the water.
The afternoon trip took us further down the Sleat peninsula to the Donald Clan holding and the ruins of the manse, museum, and gardens. We spent an hour there wandering among the gardens and resting on a bench looking over the strait between Skye and the mainland.
Daisies (Bellis perennis) in the lawn at Kinloch Lodge.
A bed of daffodils at the lodge pales in comparison to the sea of daffodils that welcomes visitors to Ballindalloch Castle.
I got a shot of Kinloch Lodge from the bus as we headed south.
A shot of the gardens - a hillside rhododendron in flower.
The ruins of the laundry (at first I thought it was the main castle).
Numerous ferns, several inches across, had taken hold on the inside wall of the ruins.
OK - this is actually part of the main building - the ruins of the gothic wing.
A shot of the main building - the part in ruins. To the right, the building is occupied with offices of the museum.
A shot taken from an information panel showing what the original building probably looked like.
Showing expansion of the castle.
A very close up shot of a cypress or juniper (or something similar).
Now back at Kinloch Lodge with the sun casting shadows the opposite direction.
When we got back to the hotel, I soaked in a hot bath and took a short nap before we headed off to dinner to another sumptuous dinner. Tonight’s menu is below.
Not the best crowd shot, but shown to give a sense of the dining room decor.
Course II - wild pigeon breast, Stornoway black pudding, beetroot and crème fraiche, citrus jus.
Marcellos’ special: Seared west coast scallop, Parma ham, peanut.
Sirloin of Speyside beef, slow-cooked beef cheek, caramelized onion puree, Orkney smoked cheese ‘coxinha’, Madeira port sauce.
Very lemony tart, crisp pistachio pastry, honey and whiskey sauce.