Got the 9:30am ferry from Uig.
Sunny crossing with views of gannets, arctic skua, puffins, guillemots. Porridge for breakfast on the boat.
From Lochmaddy we drove around the northern edge of Uist. An uneven low-lying marshy landscape with lots of pools (lochans). At RSPB Balranald we had bread and cheese for lunch in the car. We spent a couple of hours walking around the reserve.
Flowers everywhere in the machair: buttercups, vetch, silverweed, wild carrot, dark purple orchids, other unidentified herbiage. Birds. Among them, ringed plovers, corn buntings, twite, lapwings, ravens.
The ringed plovers were well-camouflaged and virtually invisible against the background of the pebbles on the beach.
There are several in the photo below.
Cup of tea at Clannach Kirkibost, then to Langass Lodge. Fabulous room with an amazing view.
Dinner was great: halibut ceviche, peppered duck breast, Hebridean seafood platter, lobster thermidor, nice cheese.
After dinner, we walked down to the loch. Mergansers and midges.
