Handa Island

I'm sorry about this, but I simply can't  blog and have visitors at the same time! It's either because I'm  a very slow blogger or I'm paying too much attention to our visitors!

But the great thing about visitors, despite slowing blogging production slightly, is the perfect excuse they provide for showing off  the stunning Scottish highlands!

Handa Island on the way to nowhere is exquisite. It's a site of special scientific interest and is managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Go there! You won't be disappointed. It's home to thousands of sea birds which gather there to breed - and enjoy the views!

Val and Norman provided the reason.

And Robin came too, prepared to spend his day with birds and 'old people!'

Home to guillemots and razorbills

Kittiwakes

And puffins! They were all over the place but I couldn't get a good photo no matter how hard I tried. They fly like wound up clockwork toys and are so sweet. They have very sorrowful  expressions.

Surround sound with wall to wall views. It was quite simply breathtaking

A boardwalk runs through the middle boggy bit of the island

and it's here the great skuas have their nest sites

A grumpy looking herring gull

and a wheatear sitting a long way off and not very big.

A baby rabbit trying to pretend we weren't there.

Back to the boat and the journey home

We arrive back at the busy mainland

and pull out in to the traffic to begin the drive home!
You would love Handa Island, I can't recommend it highly enough. It doesn't involve climbing mountains, just a short boat journey and an amble around an island taking in bird life in stunning surroundings.
I shall come back and bring Niels who was band playing at the time in Inverness. And I may see you there....?