Red Point

Loch Gairloch in August is great for seeing decent numbers of divers with most in summer plumage. Today I counted at least 18 black-throated divers and 10 red-throated, but I had to wait until we arrived at Red Point to see the first great northerns of the trip.

Red Point is about 10 miles south west of Gairloch and from the car park at the end of the road it's possible to take a round walk of about 5 miles which takes you down onto Red Point north beach, around the headland, across Red Point south beach and back through Red Point farm. It's a really beautiful and spectacular walk, with views across to Skye, Raasay, Applecross and Torridon. 

There were plenty of gannets about, as well as black guillemots and three species of diver, with twite and cuckoo on the farmland and a juvenile white wagtail.

Great northern divers

The rib Orca 1 with the Quirang in the background. We'll be on this boat tomorrow. The only cetaceans we saw today were a few common dolphins around the boat.

Red Point south beach.

Twite.

Ringed plover and Sanderling.

Juvenile white wagtail.

Red Point north beach.

Gairloch