Exploring the Neighborhood

It has been snowing round here. So we built an igloo.

When the weather cleared, we had a lovely sunset. I went down to Portencross to photograph the sun sinking behind the snow-covered mountains of Arran

The next day, we went out to explore the local countryside. Across the ferry to Rothsay, then another ferry to Colintraive. We took the coast road, down by the water:

We had to dodge the sheep on the road:

And continued all round Loch Riddon

Where we spotted icicles forming:

Andrew spotted moss garden growing on a fence post:

Deserted beach:

Highland cattle, with a calf:

You have eaten at Loch Fyne restaurants, but we have been to the real place

We heard that the road North of Otter Ferry was blocked, so we took the road over the hills. There were still drifts of snow and ice in the shadow of the trees. We barely made it up the hill and slid down some parts of the other side and had to squeeze past fallen trees. We were rewarded with interesting snow and icicle formations.

The journey back towards Dunoon took us down the shore of Loch Eck:

Which took us to Holy Loch, with views to a village called Reflection and round to Dunoon. We caught sight of a seaplane going down the Clyde and snapped the ferry as it passed Skelmorlie church. The 237m chimney, Scotland's tallest free-standing structure is soon to be demolished.

We came back via Bute and Andrew braved the freezing wind to snap the Toward lighthouse, Skelmorlie Castle and our own home. The compressive effect of the lens makes it look very crowded: