Thursday 11 October 2012--Miserable morning, heavy rain and wind, from the southeast. Back to bed after breakfast. Rain lighter but steady all
afternoon, the wind swinging around to the northwest. I hang around the B&B all day, catching up on email and playing with photos. Have a couple drams
in the lounge, and fall asleep in my chair. I've been the only guest in the place up to now--some other guests are due in this evening, but I haven't
seen them yet.
I planned a week in Coll and Tiree--four nights in one, three in the other. When I realized I could get to Coll direct from Edinburgh, without
laying over in Oban, it became five and three. It seemed a day too many in Coll, but I'm happy now that I can afford a down day.
It's quiet in the hotel for dinner, but things liven up later. There are some representatives from Caledonian MacBrayne, the ferry company,
on the island for community consultations, and some folks from the RSPB (Royal Society for the
Preservation of Birds), as well. This latter organization maintains an extraordinary number of nature reserves around the UK, including one in Coll.
There is very interesting conversation in the lounge as the pints and drams flow, sometimes quite pointed but always very civil. Eventually it all
deteriorates into a game of pool. I'm recruited to play for CalMac. I guess that's appropriate, given that I work in transportation. We win. Take
that, you twitchers.
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