You heard it on the shipping forecast

We'd only ever heard of Cromarty from the Met Office shipping forecast but today we found it at the tip of the Black Isle north of Inverness. Pretty little place with a deepwater harbour sheltering oil rigs and suchlike. And it has a ferry, across to Nigg, that will take one larger van or two smaller cars. If your van is too big you don't get on! We hopped on and met some lovely Spanish people Victor and Neus. Their chatting helped Amanda not to feel seasick.

On the way we watched a shrew shuffling for food and quoting Shakespeare. Something about not being tamed?

The telegraph pkles are so old that they even have moss growing on them.

Then the beach at Baltinore. Long, sandy, warm with crystal clear North Sea water to swim in. Like a bath it was.Read more