Day 9
5th September

Awoke at 7 am and rushed off the site virtually screaming because of the midges. We had never seen so many, it was really horrible. Another grey day with few views but because of the early start we hoped to see some deer but no luck. Glen Torridon was good with the clouds forming around Ben Eighe and Liathach but it was rather cold and drizzly. It brightened up a little at Torridon but not much and we headed for Shieldaig up some fairly stiff hills.
Shieldaig lay off the main road and we turned to the village in forlorn hopes of a cup of tea and were pleasantly surprised by the neat little village all in a line along the bay. Just out of Shieldaig the road to Applecross began with a 1 in 6 hill and it stayed in a similar vein throughout. At the beginning of the road we walked more than wee had done on all the days so far put together. The road twisted and turned and on a better day it would have been a really beautiful route. We passed on to the new road which had only been completed earlier this year and after a while had our first glimpse of Skye as the rain fell again.
More glimpses of Skye followed until we could see The Cuillins albeit under heavy cloud with a perfect pyramid of a mountain to their left. Further down the road we though we saw some deer but decided that it was just some old junk left over from the road building. As we got closer however it moved and, sure enough, there were deer - at least three females and one baby. We took several photographs and are praying they will be alright**. After some time we left the deer in peace and looked out to sea and to Skye which stood in grey mist and cloud above a shimmering silver sea. The lighting was spectacular. A few more miles and we were in Applecross which is a very nice place situated on a small bay looking out to Skye. We photographed some cattle on the beach and watched as the tide surrounded them before going on to the camp site for a good rest.

** The lab ruined three rolls of film when we sent them to be developed so we were left with just one photo!