Outer Hebrides Trip Day 15 - 23:00 08/04/18 - Scotland

N 55.37771°, W 02.50366°

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:55.37771%2C-02.50366

Last night's random dive-down-a-track camp proved to be a top spot and far more 'birdy' than expected. It helped that we'd camped near the stream and that the coniferous plantation hadn't encroached right up to it. I was actually awoken by a bird song I didn't recognise and after getting up saw a good range of finches, tits, thrushes and a great-spotted woodpecker.

The drive through the highlands this morning was spectacular with all of the higher mountains well and truly still covered in snow - but set against a pleasantly warm and mainly sunny spring day.

We lunched on a quiet road just south of Pitlochry and, in the warm sunshine, I saw my first swallow of the year. It looked a bit odd with the snow-capped peaks in the background but it seemed fit enough.

It's been a big driving day but we're now back at the first spot we overnighted at on the trip (coordinates) ready to make a bid for home tomorrow.

A random wander about the area resulted in the expected stuff, plus... my first chiffchaff of the year.

All in it's been a great trip. We slept on 11 of the 15 inhabited islands and have no hesitation in reporting that The Outer Hebrides (pic) are a fantastically peaceful, beautiful, compelling destination.

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