Muddy Marge

 Burghead

A very quiet night last night, not even a hoot of an owl. The early morning rain cleared whilst John cooked his breakfast omelette, complete with the Girolles he'd picked from the verge the evening before.

It would take about two hours to show if they weren't the real thing!

The Burn o' Vat visitor centre had been a very good overnight stop. There were public toilets, the cleanest we'd ever seen, drinking water and a toilet emptying point. Of course, we left a donation, why wouldn't we? 

Our drive this morning took us across country through a patchwork of fields, the colours of green and rust intermingling with each other. In a field in the distance a toy tractor ploughed strips of corduroy. The landscape made us think we were either in west Dorset or Devon. Just before we reached Elgin we took the chance to once again top up Marge's fuel. Our heating and hot water runs of it as well as Marge so we need to keep her full. We saw four fuel stations in and around Elgin, all seemed to be serving fuel from all their pumps which was a good sign. 

Today we'd decided to head towards Nairn and stop overnight somewhere close by. The Moray coast is known as Scotland's Sunshine Coast. Fingers crossed. Last year we travelled this way and stayed at Findhorn, but sadly the price of staying there has increased significantly which is probably why Burghead where we are tonight is busy with vans. And the local people have no problem with that, they are very friendly. Marge and us were the first to arrive and we have a fantastic view.

The sky blue and the sun shining. Like children we headed straight to the rocky beach hoping over rockpools, salty spray stinging our lips.

Then down to the working harbour.

The catch of the day appeared to be squid. Swimming around the fishing boats were four seals, forever hopeful.

Returning to Marge, who was now in the company of another van, we watched the shags on the nearby rocks posing as Dracula, there black wings like cloaks, outstretched to dry in the sun.

Then, dolphin alert! The word was out, they were a little off shore. Binoculars out we scanned the choppy sea water for a flash of silvery white. There! And more there! We'd seen our first dolphins of the trip, and Angela's first dolphins in the wild ever. Amazing, brilliant, exciting, unbelievable. Calm down. But Marge we've just seen dolphins, did you see them? No, I was too busy looking at the seal that just swam by. 

Seal and dolphin spotting over with it was then time for sunset photography. This travelling is full on. Tell me about it.

Marge look, is that Susan Calman in Helen Mirren? No that's a large Scottish man in a very small Suzuki camper van. 

It has been a good day. We are glad we headed further north to the coast rather than hanging around the Spey valley. As for the sunset, well aren't they all fabulous in a different way. As the sun bled across the sky we looked forward to tomorrow with excitement. We might see the dolphins again in the morning if we're lucky.