03 August 2024
Littleferry
This was a chance to explore a new route at Littleferry, Golspie. Instead of taking the usual easterly path with its interesting selection of wild flowers, the group headed west. The girnal near the shore is interesting with crow stepped gables and outside stairs at each end. Part of the Sutherland estate, it has had many uses apart from storing grain, such as serving as a fishing lodge and now as holiday lets.
A path behind the girnal wends its way through pine trees and gives great views of Loch Fleet. Unfortunately the tide was too high to see the dozens of seals which visit the sand banks in the middle of the loch, but the varying colours of the water were admired. Sunshine highlighted the landscape across the water, including Ben Bhraggie and the statue of the Duke of Sutherland.
The group chose to follow a path from a random selection,enjoying the clumps of bright purple bell and ling heather, and regained the single track road, finding a grassy spot nearby to sit and have lunch. The path over the sand dunes is a botanist’s delight at this time of year, with patches of heather and harebell. An intriguing clump was made of purple and white bell heather together, rarely seen.
Standing on a ridge overlooking the water near the former ferry pier members spotted an osprey hovering. lt did not appear to catch a fish but then perched atop an electric pylon on the opposite shore.
We then drove back along the road to Balblair Wood where a pleasant broad path through the forest leads to a hide. However on this occasion the aim was to find some of the rare flowers found there rather than looking for birds. The search among blueberry bushes and brushwood resulted in finding the white flowers of creeping ladies tresses. This was a satisfying end to a varied day at Loch Fleet.
