Scotland 2016 Pictures Day 2

After having breakfast and getting my day bag ready we left soon after 9AM to return to Shaw Hill on our way to Nairn. On the way Jack was worried about a large cloud sitting over the area but Shaw Hill was on the other side in sunshine. We parked up at the layby of Hawkweed flowers like yesterday and soon found 3 or 4 of them flying about. One settled on Bracken as a cloud cast a shadow and promptly sat there wings fully open and allowed us to get close. So after just 5 minutes we had a great basking shot of the Scotch Argus which allowed us to get very close. Soon we returned to the car as the local flies found and hounded us. The car was being mobbed by hundreds of them. So we promptly got in and droved off at 9:35AM. With the roof down they soon cleared away.

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Two shots of the Scotch Argus.		Flymageddon!

At 10AM we parked on Nairn High Street. Jack collected a prescription while I observed Nairn life and fog over the buildings and trees towards the coast. This was a classic haar, or sea fog. Towering cumulus could be seen building inland. The combination of fog and large clouds was quite alien to me and pretty too.

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St. Ninian's Church on the High Street.	Looking Northeast along the High Street as the haar passes overhead.	Towards the Firth the haar is thicker.	Looking Southwestwards past some monuments.

At 10:30AM we left Nairn, heading East on the A96 through Forres and then after crossing the River Findhorn we turned off and headed North through Findhorn itself before parking up at the sand dunes on the tip of the peninsula at 11:10AM. The beach was a lovely quiet shingle beach. Such a shame that someone decided to recently spoil it by building some beach huts. But our focus was more on the dunes behind the beach. We soon found a couple of Grayling butterflies as well as Common Blues, Six Spot Burnets and a Small Copper. A Male Common Blue gave us some great poses as it clouded over a bit.

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Majestic towering cumulus pushing up into a layer of altostratus as we head out.	A Nimrod parked at RAF Kinloss as we go past.	Looking Southwest across a misty Findhorn Estuary from the South side of Findhorn.	Walking up onto the dunes after parking.

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360 degree panorama on the North side of the haar shrouded Findhorn Peninsula. North in Centre.	Dog walkers enjoying the beach.	Breaking waves.

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Six Spot Burnet moth.	Two shots of a Grayling.		Tatty female Common Blue.

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Three shots of a Male Common Blue.			Small Copper.	Six Spot Burnet moth in the grass.

Soon it started raining as a shower arrived. That was our cue to move on, which we did at 11:55AM.

After a 20 minute pause at Spar in Kinloss for lunch (using the car's tailgate as a picnic table) in warm sunshine away from the Findhorn shower, we carried on East along the A96 until we reached the turnoff for Burghead. We drove in and through a quaint village with narrow streets, finding our way to the harbour which was right out on the peninsula and in the haar. The sea fog was thin though and the sun was still shining through warmly. Up on a small cliff we were punting for Small Blue butterflies but these were not present. There were lots of Six Spot Burnet moths though, as well as quite a few Common Blue butterflies and a couple of Small Tortoiseshells. Near the harbour a Female Meadow Brown was also found. I then walked over cliff to rocks on the other side while Jack drove the car round. Big spectacular waves were crashing onto the rocks which was rather therapeutic to watch. We stayed for a while as the haar cleared for a while before we moved on.

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Our improvised picnic table.	From the A96, to the North the haar was visible over the Moray Firth with Cumulonimbus shower clouds beyond over Caithness.			Approaching Burghead which is in the haar.

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A misty Burghead harbour.	Apparently this rust bucket boat is for sale.	The jeti at the end of the harbour, and the headland where the butterflies are.	Two shots of a pied wagtail.

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The pretty blue form of the Female Common Blue.	The stairs up onto the headland.	This ragwort plant had many Six Spot Burnet moths on it.	Small Tortoiseshell on another Ragwort plant.	A more regular Female Common Blue.	From the headland the jeti looked mysterious in the haar mist.

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Looking down to the North side of the peninsula.	A fort at the top of the headland.	Looking back to Burghead Harbour from the top of the headland.	Meadow Brown in the harbour.	Small Tortoiseshell back up on the headland on a fort wall.

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The North side of the headland.		Jack arriving in the mini as I look down from a small hill.	Waves crashing on the North side of the headland.

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One more view looking North into the haar as waves crash on the rocks.

At 1:45PM, after a pause at a local corner shop we drove East along the coast in clear air to some spectacular views. Behind and below us was the Burghead peninsula. A haar layer was visible in the Moray Firth, and beyond to the North over Caithness (where hills poked up out of the fog from our viewpoint) and to the West huge cumulonimbus clouds were building. It was very hard to take pictures in the challenging light conditions but the view was epic!

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Looking North towards the Caithness cumulonimbus clouds as we leave Burghead on the coastal East Road (B9040) towards Lossiemouth.			Looking back Westwards to Burghead.

At 2:30PM we arrived at Lossiemouth after driving past the RAF air base. It was a pretty looking place with a bustling main street with bunting, and a bar of sand dunes across the River Lossie Estuary accessed via a bridge. We didn't get out of the car though. The haar was thicker here and I was feeling cold and tired. But after a little while we decided to go back the way we came. Up ahead, incoming from the Southwest was a thunderstorm. As the sky darkened we put the roof back up and continued. Indeed we drove through heavy rain which thankfully cleared as we got back to Lethen at 3:30PM.

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Driving through Lossiemouth town centre.	Looking Northeastwards out at the sand dunes across the Lossie Estuary.	Lossiemouth from the Southeast.	Driving back West along the A96 into the path of a heavy shower.

A nice cup of hot tea was most welcome at this point. Then as more rain arrived and stayed into the evening (what luck that we got all we wanted to get done before the weather closed in) Jack and I got stuck in with photo processing so we could share them with each other and online. I put cod fillets on at 6PM. They and brocolli were delicious and I felt a lot better after a good meal. I continued on the computer into the evening until it was time to retire for the night. As it got dark the trees disappeared into fog for a while before clearing again. I eventually went to sleep by about 10:30PM.