Our final couple of days in Ireland were memorable for sea birds, a super, cliff-top walk to the Giants’ causeway and strolling on the beach at Ballycastle in the evening sunshine. Also, for the highly amusing spectacle of a bus driver trying to explain to a French tourist that, the local currency being Sterling, he is unable to take Euros as payment, with fellow passengers vying to exchange his 20 Euro for a suitable number of pounds.
From Ballycastle (north coast of Ireland) we had a clear view of Islay and the Scottish mainland. By halfway across the North Channel to Scotland we couldn’t see anything apart from the inside of a cloud, and it didn’t get better. We anchored off Islay but could barely see it, and then moved through the murk to one of the rather splendid new moorings outside the Jura distillery. The business plan for the moorings looked pretty sound based on the amount of trade generated by crews of visiting yachts at the distillery and hotel bar. One boat with 8 guys on board came back with bottles of whisky and by late in the evening we had half clothed sailors trying to get their dinghy to do doughnuts around their yacht; we now know we are back in the UK.
Yesterday we woke up to a traditional Scottish day of mist and rain. Walking through a midge-laden swamp on Jura we had such bad visibility that we couldn’t see the sound of Jura, and often couldn’t even see the path, never mind the hills above.
On a positive note, we have enjoyed having John on board with us for a week. Long suffering friend, IT consultant, suspected tax-avoider and creator of the infamous non-setting jelly, he has been patiently teaching us the difference between guillemot and razor bill. However, we have a feeling that he is relying on our complete incompetence in this area so could probably tell us anything.
Ventata 
Great progress! Didn’t think to give you my beekeepers veil, but doesn’t whisky help?
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