A week in the Highlands (part 1)

Hi, Bente, and thank you for your very kind comments. We both had a great time, I’d like to say that it was very relaxing (which it was in a way) but we did do a lot of walking over the week. Seeing the Osprey was a great experience, especially as it flew almost directly overhead. I think there were actually two Ospreys because the first one I seen was moving away from us, and by the time I had found the camera in the back of the car, the Bird was really close and seemed to be coming from a different direction. I can’t be sure of this though so I’ll have to settle for saying that there was only one. The Rock Pipits were a bird that we seen quite often, I suppose this is only natural as we were so close to the coast most of the time, they are exceptionally cute though. I’ve found this way to be much easier to put my photos on, although I’ll still load photos in the normal way onto the site if I’m only intending to load small amounts of them. I think it’s just that I do tend to load a lot of photos at times, and the time taken to do this is the major factor in why I’ve chosen to do it this other way. If the site changes next year in relation to the ease of uploading, I’ll quite happily go back to loading them from here. I know a lot of people use links to flikr as well, I don’t have an issue with this either, but I personally like to read a story, or a report whilst I’m looking at the photos, and this isn’t possible with flikr (I don’t think), which is why I’ve never opened an account there. Besides, I like it here, and I like the people here, so I’d rather any posts that I might do are able to be accessed from here.

Wendy: I find that ‘Jungle Formula’ works for me, a small bottle of which is nestled in the back of my camera bag at all times.!!

Paul

Can't say I've any personal experience of Smidge PA but it's the latest 'buzz' (ha ha) & sales have overtaken most others, notably Avon SSS which was tops!  Is reputed to last for 8 hours!

Oh dear, I sound like a sales rep for Smidge!! Lol

Catlady told me about Smidge, she said that it works for her, and she should know; the midges up there can be ferocious at times. I remember one occasion many years ago when I used to do a bit of Trout fishing; we came off the wee boat at Loch Watten in Caithness and I had to run for almost a quarter of a mile across the fields with all of my stuff, including an outboard motor slung over my shoulder. By the time we got to the car I had a seriously swollen head (not through any tall tales of fish caught, I might add) and I was seriously almost in tears; I looked like one of those advert showing you what happens when cosmetic surgery goes wrong.!! I think I had used every ‘naughty’ word invented, including a few new ones of my own.!! It may sound like a humorous story but they could seriously cause you to go over the edge at times. The saddest part is that Midges seem to especially like me, I’m convinced that they go out of their way to feed on me. Mrs A gets bitten too, but not on the same scale as me, not even close.!! Every bite I get comes out in a lump around the same size as a 5p piece within about two minutes of the bite, so you can imagine the mess I was in by the time I got to the car. Forget the space program, they should be using the funds to immunise the population against Midges, in my opinion anyway.!!

Paul

Horrendous experience PA!  We are lucky here 'darn sarf' get relatively few numbers of quite reticent mozzies who think it polite to ask permission to bite, which gives ample opportunity to decimate them first!!! Rofl

I know just how Paul feels,the little beggars really like the taste of me,Even the Yorkshire midges bring me out in lumps and the Scottish ones make life almost unbearable which is why we choose the time of year for our visits very carefully.It is still a fantastic part of the country though and we try to work round the "wee beasties"