First hint of sunshine got me out of the office to check the trails.
From the Moorland Trail on Loch Gruinart Reserve the view was lovely, looking North to sun-soaked Colonsay, and South to hidden-in-Marks-personal-rain-cloud The Oa. This photo is taken showing the diverse habitat we have on Islay, keeping livestock and wild-stock equally happy! In the foreground, moorland and rough hill-grassland; beyond is our imaginatively named 'Floods' where we maintain a high water level for wintering ducks and waders. Past the Floods is the salt marsh at the head of Loch Gruinart and where thousands of geese roost each night. Further still is our neighbours farmland, similar to our own with foot-drains scoring the fields. In the distance, some of Islay's highest hills. The highest is Beinn Bheigier (pronounced Ben Vicar) at 491 metres.