Hebrides 2017 - beaches for swimming - Barra*

*caveat - I am neither an athletic nor a brave swimmer so these spots represent only my personal preference and are undoubtedly too tame for the seasoned wild swimmer.

Vatersay
Vatersay's twin bays offer just about everything I yearn for in a beach. The calm turquoise waters of the east-facing Bagh Bhatersaigh with shoals of tiny fish and its wilder partner, Bagh Sair facing out into the open Atlantic. A sublime swathe of machair separates the bays. In early August the dunes were studded with tiny white eyebright, pale blue harebells, red clover, magenta self heal, bright yellow trefoils, vetches and ragworth and the hairy brown buds of knapweed.

Bagh Bhatersaigh, Vatersay, Outer Hebrides

Bagh Halaman
We remembered the beach at Bagh Halaman from our previous visit to Barra and headed straight there the evening we arrived. I nearly cried for not bringing my swim gear. We headed back there early the next morning, left our bikes at the telephone box, traipsed over the machair and swam in the just-deep-enough pool by the skerries. It was cold but bearable.

Bagh Halaman, Barra

Bagh Halaman, Barra

Traigh Tuath
Where the brackish water of the Abhuinn Mhor bleeds into the azure Atlantic. The water is deliciously cold and then icy in turn and under the water the sea wriggles and squirms where the two meet and mix.

Traigh Tuath, Barra

small watercolour - Traigh Tuath, Barra

Coming soon - swimming on (or should that be off?) North and South Uist.

Golden Plovers at New England Bay

Golden Plovers at New England Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some 'on the go' photos

On dulse

Dulse (Seaweed) Seasoning.

Collect fresh dulse from idyllic Scottish beach. 

Beach near Mull of Galloway

Carry in rucksack for rest of day.

Rinse prodigiously under cold tap water.

Leave to dry.

Leave to dry some more.

Leave to dry for a bit longer.

Pop it in a (cold) oven because the smell is beginning to overpower the caravan.

Nonchantly dispose of damp seaweed and hope the the rabbits will eat it

campsite rabbits

Collect fresh dulse from idyllic Scottish beach. 

nope, none of this is dulse but pretty isn’t it?

Wash dulse in campsite sinks and hope no one else comes in to see your madness.

Leave to dry.

Dry in a very low oven.

Turn occasionally.

Ignore the smell.

Consider it dry enough (it probably isn’t).

Heat pan of oil – not olive unless it is all that you have (it was).

Add driest piece of dulse and watch it crisp

Remove, cool, taste and marvel at its subtle burnt flavour.

Add a not-so dry piece.

Try not to panic as damp dulse hits oil and spits violently (feel reassured that caravan has fire blanket but ask family to vacate the vehicle just in case).

Remove, cool, taste and chew.

And chew some more.

And a bit more.

Repeat cooking and store fried seaweed.

One week later remember to retrieve fried seaweed from caravan. 

Fried dulse. And yes it was red until I fried it.

 Consider fried dulse's best use is probably in the compost bin.

Ringed Plovers at New England Bay

New print alert!

Ringed Plovers at New England Bay

I love these little ringed plovers and the way they scuttle comically along the tideline. They blend so subtly with their environment that its easy to mistake them for tumbling pebbles. I watched this little group as the sun rose over New England Bay, Scotland.

I created this print from two plates - one for the background of blue blended to sand and the other for the details in buff, orange and black. The detail plate was cut back after each inking until only the little black areas were left proud.

The print was not without mishap. I convinced myself that the orange was too much but was happier when the black was added. And there was a tricky moment with a wayward leg.

TL - the wayward leg TR- the offending section removed BL - a substitute leg carved from a sliver of rubber and BR individually added to all 18 prints in the edition!

There are just 18 prints in this edition and they are available in Folksy and Etsy shops now.

Scarborough

oh i do love to be beside the seaside...

Just back from a blustery week in a caravan on a high hill overlooking the sea. As a lover of  wild, empty and isolated beaches Croyde came as a bit of a shock to my system but we joined in the fun all the same (I pray that no camera caught sight of me in my wetsuit on a kid's body board!). If its like this on grey day it must be bedlam when the sun shines!

My only regret (apart from not saying "be careful" before oh & son went out on a mackerel fishing trip and returned 5 mins later after son hooked 6 fish and then his own hand) was not taking the chance of a swim in this wonderful sea pool at Ilfracombe - even in the rain it look wonderful (honest!).

And just to prove that the sun did shine, once or twice...

 

Gannets, periwinkles and small fry

Of all the visual feasts available on the beaches of the Outer Hebrides the dive of the gannets was the most thrilling to watch. Time and again we watched these birds circle high above the waves then abruptly adopt the dive position before hurtling towards the sea at an astonishing speed. Mostly we had to observed the gannets from a distance but on the journey back to Ullapool the ferry crossed the path of one of these magnificent birds and it passed within feet of the window where we sat, an amazing glimpse of pure sleek muscle. 

Gannets, periwinkle and small fry is available in my Etsy and Folksy shops.

Dane's Dyke Beach

Dane's Dyke Beach sits where the Yorkshire Wolds meet the North Sea just to the north of Bridlington. It is reached via an ancient tree-filled entrenchment that cuts Flamborough Head off from the "mainland". The beach is backed by chalk cliffs and is strewn with wonderful rounded chalky boulders. I've tried to capture some of that chalky essence in this print , which is now available in here and here .

A surprise trip to the

A ride on a tram and a walk along the promenade and blue, blue skies (with hardly a vapour trail in sight). A fine afternoon  in Blackpool. OK, a lot of the front is still a building site but where the works have been completed I think its looking pretty good, but then I do have severe beach envy and would kill to live near any open water.

Faro Fishing Village, Gotland, Sweden

I think I will occasionally use this space a place to give a bit more background to some of my work. The print I use as my banner and its pair seem a good place to start. Gotland is a large island in the middle of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Latvia, Faro is the smaller neighbour clinging to its northern tip. There is real beauty here. There are delightful country roads deep-lined with wild flowers, strange marshy plateaux where small succulents cluster on the bare pink rocks, long sandy strands and stark pebbly beaches guarded by towering limestone stacks. It was a bright sunny day when we visited but there was a real sense of the deep bleak desolation.
Special offer to my blog readers, buy both Faro prints together for £40.00 + £3.00 uk p&p (overseas buyers please contact me first for a shipping quote) and save £5.00 on the current list prices. Just purchase from my Folksy shop in the normal way, type 02faro into the message box and I will refund you the saving through Paypal when your payment has been confirmed.