A new year

 Happy New Year! 

Feeding sheep on cold winter's mornings

Frosty ground and a dusting of snow on the hill behind Ensay 

New feed buckets 

One each 

Waiting.. waiting..

Hungry hens on ground covered with hail 

Breakfast view, January 8th

The Aurora tree in the morning 

Afternoon light 

View from the Shepherd's Hut

View of the Shepherd's Hut 

Morning light, 5th January 

That wonderful winter blue sky

That wonderful winter night sky 

And a strong Aurora lighting up the sky, to the east and the south and the west

Putting the hoggs through the fank

May flowers

Bluebells

Early purple orchids

Cliff top 'gardening'

In the middle of a clump of willow were dozens of Water avens.  This one is one which is malformed because of a Gall.

Thrift and lichen

The roots exposed of a Juniper clinging on the cliff face.

The greening

The island is finally beginning to green up!  Relief for Farmer as there is now grass growing ahead of the ewes and lambs in the fields.

Our lambing is nearly over.   There is one Herdwick left to lamb - we cannot believe she hasn't had it by now!

East Cottage has one space in July left from 7th to 14th.  Please get in touch if you would like to book, or you can do so direct on the website.

It is funny to have been seeing photographs of bluebell woods further south in the UK for a few weeks now, as ours are just beginning to flower in the sheltered warm spots of the wood.  The ones that usually turn the Coronation Meadow blue are still only in leaf.

You don't so much walk through the woodland these days as scramble.  Lethal bramble tendrils threaten to trip you up at every step and fallen down trees act as gymnastic jumps - you choose whether to try and clamber over or limbo underneath.

Mallard duck and 3 young ducklings on the Duill lochan.

Lovely to have a pair of Collared doves around the bird feeders earlier in the week. Prasad saw Tree sparrows as well.

This bit of shoreline near Lagganulva is always good for Oystercatchers.  The Sea pinks are JUST beginning to flower. 

This little beach is near Croig, a short walk across grassy fields (no dogs).