Stags with antlers, and other Scottish excitement

The weather has continued fine-ish, windy and cold. We are working away like little bees in our separate cells in the hive - one room and one desk each is working out well. Yesterday we took a drive to Armadale, where the ferry from Mallaig arrives. Today we walked from our cottage around the end of our penninsula (sort of).

We went to Armadale to see a museum that purported to give the history of the Isles - and it did, albeit with almost no artefacts at all. To make up for lack of artefacts it had both info boards and audio guides, so one was instructed from all sides. Nonetheless, we did get something of a timeline in our heads, and come to understand some of the anomalies (King of Norway in charge until he went broke and the 'Lord of the Isles' was created; Ireland is really close to the Isles, much closer than, say, Cornwall (or even Glasgow), which explains a lot about culture; the chiefs of the clans turned capitalist and shafted the workers, who then all moved to Canada, Australia and Dunedin - but you knew that). The most interesting bit was in the time of the Lord of the Isles (both this name and the Isles themselves, shimmering blue-ly in the middle distance, remind me of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader) when families had professions that were passed down through generations: most venerated were poets and musicians (harpists and pipers), then doctors and lawyers. Very sensible order I think.

Anyway, Armadale is a one-time seat of the Donalds (on their banner of allied names was 'Clark' which cheered John up no end - he'd love a highland ancestor). A mock-gothic castle was built there in the 1800s, but they did such a bad job it's falling/fallen over and is now a 'romantic ruin' like they did it on purpose. Hadrian/the broch guys have it all over the Victorians.

So broken the trees are growing inside it...

Nice view though...

We wandered through the laird's woods...

Mallaig ferry fighting the wind and tide - it was just about stationary. Not doing that.

Herbaceous border, because we haven't had one for a while

And wildflower of the day

Now, today we just went for a local walk, up the road, down a road to the sea, around the coast through a wood, and back to the road again....but we saw three classics - an unexpected stag (four, actually, two on the way out and two on the return), a highland coo and a broch (bits of).

This is not a stuffed stag, despite appearances. He and his mate were eating the bracken on the hill beside the road.

Not keen on being papped.

The remains of Dun Liath - circular shape still well defined. Never been excavated, therefore tempting to take small spade.

View from the broch a good one...

Stags on the way home. Not photogenic, but this shot makes me laugh.

Foxgloves are coming out.

And these yellow lillies in bogs seem to be endemic....

Now, some cottage shots.

This is how small the door is...

And the amount of bending required -

And this is the texture of the walls - they are plaster over the rock and that's it