Going for purple and gold

Bornesketaig – an old favourite, a walk along the clifftops to look down on the Gold Cave. There’s no gold in the cave, of course, but there’s plenty of golden vegetation – lots of marsh marigolds in the damper places, and no shortage of golden gorse, but another colour catches the eye up here – early purple orchids. We were too late for them on the Wenlock Edge last week, but here, near the northern tip of Skye, we’re in time – there are lots. Mostly on the cliff edge, catching the stiff breeze (I’m glad I’m wearing a thin jacket) and blowing about deliberately to make photography difficult, but beyond the cave, there are a few more sheltered spots.

This morning I heard a corncrake (I think there may have been two of them), a cuckoo and a curlew. It’s good up here!