Having dithered somewhat yesterday morning as to where to spend our day I finally settled on the Scottish Seabird Sanctuary. Regulars here may recall that on New Years Day we made our way there with my parents without appropriate fore-thought and only realised on our arrival that it being deepest midwinter, there weren't going to be any birds......save for perhaps the odd seagull!
So plans made and and having watched seals and puffins on the sanctuary's webcams earlier in the morning, off we set in bright spring sunshine clutching camera and binoculars. Shopping by comparison seemed quite dull and hell.....I have lived here for three years and not seen a Puffin, it was about time I did. This place I had also noted on our last abortive attempt to visit has a coffee shop that serves a particularly acceptable latte and chocolate fudge cake!
(Pics, as ever, are clickable)
The as yet unseen Puffin. © Laurie Campbell.
Of course it was not to be. Almost within sight of the place the heavens opened, stair rods of rain, hail and sleet, vision obscured, sunlight gone! We persevered, after all we are British, we are used to this, it would pass we said....did it hell!
At the point we had to turn off the main road north a decision had to be made, no point going to see sea birds when the sea was barely visible. A new plan was hastily formulated and we headed instead for the closest shopping mall. Edinburgh city centre is beautiful but it is the most horrendous place I have ever the misfortune to experience where it's parking is concerned so we took the 'out of town' option instead.....and headed for lunch.
Bass rock in the rain.
'Out of town' shopping rarely has anything inspiring where lunch is concerned but this place did at least boast a Pizza Hut so Pizza Hut it was....one of those 'eat all you can for a set price' affairs, and eat we most certainly did, whilst we were entertained by the manager, most of whose staff had called in sick that morning and who was trying desperately to do the jobs of five staff alone and look calm. Oh how well I know that feeling. It was kinda funny to watch someone else and wonder if I look that harassed on the average Saturday.
Whilst eating copious amounts we made plans to peruse the local retail establishments and then go to the cinema, have dinner and meander home at a leisurely pace. That didn't happen either! 'Post lunch' we both felt fit for nothing, yes of course we had eaten too much, you just have to in those places, it's part of the deal. We staggered around a few shops, made one or two purchases and then headed for the multiplex BUT..... half way there we looked at one another, neither wanting to be the first to say that all we wanted to do was go home and chill. It was agreed, we hastily made our way to the car and set off homeward.
Firth of Forth.
We did at least make the effort to drive home along the beautiful coastal route. We stopped at the spot the boat sails to Bass Rock and Fidra from, to see the birds we never got to see..... and discovered that whilst the website is excellent in every other respect, it fails to tell one that sailings don't begin until the 16th April!!!! I took a few pictures, we briefly discussed if sex on the beach would be a good idea in the inclement conditions, decided that a charge of indecency bestowed upon us courtesy of Lothian and Borders constabulary was most definitely not the thing of fantasies or the kind of memorable birthday incident we were after..... and beetled off back home, where we collapsed in a heap to watch Coronation Street and stuff cream cakes!
I didn't even check my email....now that is tired!.
The moral of this story? Try to obtain more than 6 hours sleep in the 48 hours previous to a birthday. :o)
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