Puffins and High Tea

One of Sally’s childhood dreams was see puffins. Normally they are gone by this time of year but we hoped to see a few stragglers.

We left John O'Groats for the short trip to Duncansby Head http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/johnogroats/duncansbyhead/index.html
where we hoped to see some. The site is astonishing. It is very windswept with stunning views across the Pentland Firth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentland_Firth
to the Orkney Islands. You know that when you can see 3 lighthouses at once, it is a treacherous piece of water. The cliffside is split with

great fissures and stacks.
At one point we could see down into a great cave and the cacophony of all the different sea birds was deafening. Many birds were diving into the water and washing themselves. The seabirds all had tiny little ledges to make their nests and all seemed idyllic.

We saw a puffin but it was hidden in its burrow. Another came out and walked around, so we decide to try further on. We found a nearby stack just 30 metres away from us but on the other side of a 100 foot drop. There we spotted a pair of puffins who strutted around doing nothing in particular. They hop around due to their large webbed feet . They are not good flyers so they are easy to spot when flying. I was surprise at how small they are. Sally thinks they are the same height but much fatter than a blue penguin, while I think they are much smaller. We had great difficulty photographing them as the wind was strong and getting a stable base was not easy.

We returned back to the hostel for a meal of fresh vegetables, sausages, and fresh fruit soaked in cream.

The next day was Sally's birthday so we phoned her mum.

We had a quiet morning and in the afternoon went to the CUPS cafe in Scrabster for our high tea. http://www.cups-scrabster.co.uk/
Scrabster is the port of the town of Thurso and is the main arrival point for the car ferry from the Orkneys. The delightful café is located in an old church, facing out towards the port. It is the only retail outlet in the town. We have been there twice and both times it was packed.

Sally finally got to wear her summer dress (over layers of thermal clothing) and she looked very elegant. I was surprised at how well it

fitted her as she has lost a lot of weight.
We demolished the food on the 3 tiered plate in double quick time, along with a good strong pot of tea.
We returned for a light dinner at the hostel and a bottle of Chilean wine.