Shieldaig with Caroline

Lots of beautiful scenery today. The sky changes constantly. We drove past a man standing in his sheep pen with the black faced sheep gathered in a bunch at one end. He was old and wrinkled, wearing a tweed jacket and hat. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, just looking out over the loch. The water moved slowly and the clouds hung low over the stacked brown, green, and golden hills.

Everyone has a Border Collie here. They are beautiful and run ahead of their owners.

On our way to Shieldaig on Wednesday night, we saw a young man with about four Border Collies in a field. It looked like he was ending his work day with them.

Shieldaig was beautiful. A quaint little loch side village with white buildings facing the water. A few people sped by on bikes, but a few walked with small dogs off leash trotting behind them. We had dinner in the pub next to our hotel. I had crab cakes and chips. They were delicious!

Our beds were large and soft. They felt like sleeping in massive marshmallows! I took a bath in the humongous tub. It was glorious.

The bed and breakfast was lovely, and we had the dining room all to ourselves the next morning for breakfast. I had toast, eggs, and tea. On this trip, I discovered how much I adore Scottish cheddar. It is sharp and tangy, making your eggs so yummy in the mornings.

The next morning before we left, we picked up seashells on the rocky shore and looked down off the small pier into the perfectly clear, turquoise water. The seaweed moved slowly back and forth with the gentle waves. We saw a bright red starfish which was unexpected and quite exciting.

The road out of Shieldaig was long and high in the highlands, almost vertical at times (Applecross). We crested a hill and were surrounded by highland coos, so close we could almost touch them.

More driving and finally we rounded a bend and there, in the distance, was the famous Eilean Donan castle.