The Black Isle

The Black Isle isn't really an Isle, it's a peninsula.  It received it's name from the rich black soil, not peat, that makes it excellent for farming.  We had spent our morning unpacking and settling in at Muir of Ord.  The weather was a sunny period, so we went to explore.

Chanonry Point on Moray Firth.

The moral to this story?  Be careful who your prophecy of doom concerns, it may be your last!

The lighthouse on the point, still very much in use.

We set the GPS for Rosemarkie, aiming to arrive at Chanonry Point on Moray Firth.  Our tourist map showed it to be a place to see dolphins.  When we arrived, the wind was blowing hard, making white caps so seeing Dolphins, unless they were waving big signs, was impossible.  The views were incredible, though. Others had the same idea, as the parking lot was overflowing.

It's never too cold and windy for ice cream!

"When your down by the sea and an eel bites your knee, that's a Moray!"  Sorry, I've been singing this ever since we arrived at Moray Firth.

The waves on the windward side of the point looking out at Moray Firth.

The roads on the Black Isle, other than the B832, are very narrow.  A lot of "on coming traffic in middle of road" signs.  Some of them are single lane with passing places.  We drove on these to Cromarty, at the tip of the Isle.  Driving in Scotland is good for getting your heart to racing!

One of several drilling rigs in Cromarty Firth.

Baby and Adult Gulls were everywhere.  The babies were real whiners.

Cromarty has a wonderful beach area park.  The beach is rock and the water is cold, so not much swimming going on.  Instead they have several benches and a nice grassy area where families were enjoying the day.  The wind wasn't quite as fierce here.  We sat and took in the view, which included a drilling platform. There are several of these in Cromarty Firth.  It is amazing how huge they are.

A tour boat heading out to watch the Dolphins.; we didn't see any from land.

The clouds were coming in, signaling the end of the sun and the start of the showers, so we headed home.  Eleanor and Brian had left us a couple of bottles of Black Isle Organic ales to try.  Yum!

Our favorite product from the Black Isle!