TEA AND CAKES, BUT NO DOLPHINS

 July - the height of summer and we were off for a walk around Chanonry Point.

However, summer has been pretty grey and wet this year. So much so, that in Fortrose where we parked, there had been that much rain that you needed your waders on just to hang out the washing.

Fortrose is famous for, among other things, the Cathedral, but we ignored that and got on with the walk. Just in case you were wondering, the construction of the Cathedral was begun in the early 13th Century. It continued in use as a church after the Reformation, but began to fall apart in the late 16th and early 17th Centuries. The government took over care of the remaining buildings in 1851.

That was the potted history. If you really cannot do without the details there is plenty more information on the web.

Fortrose also has a yacht club and some of the smaller boats were being raced as we passed the harbour.

What you may not realise is that this quiet, leisure harbour was once a very busy commercial port from its foundation in the early 19th Century through to the Second World War. It was important as a berth for naval ships during the First World War, with 44 warships anchoring in the area during 1913 alone. It was also a secret combined operations base in advance of the D-Day landings in 1944.

 Once past the harbour, we headed off beyond the Academy and down towards the shore and thence to Chanonry Point.

By 1584, Fortrose had a Grammar School. The present Academy, which we passed twice on the walk, was built at the site of the Grammar School and the sandstone tower you can see at the front of the current school was opened in 1896.

Luckily this was not our lunch spot and despite appearances it was not built in 1896.

By now we were approaching the caravan site, which is held on the Common Good account and so cannot be used for purposes other than to benefit the residents of the village. The caravan park pays a yearly rental and this is used to fund various community works. 

A yacht.

No dolphins.

A bug house.

No visible bugs.

A signpost.

You can tell something about the makers. The first three markers send you to ice cream and fish and chips via a footpath.

This was the only sign we saw of dolphins.

The walkers await the arrival of Mac and myself before going around the edge of the golf course. Charlie balances a pole on his head while he waits.

The golf club is one of the oldest in the world - yes, the world.

They held a general annual meeting in 1793, although there is record of golf being played at Chanonry in 1702.

This is, I think, a Cormorant. It may be a Shag, but these are much more difficult to recognise as I get older.

Whatever it is, it is looking for Dolphins that aren't there.

Nice wavy lines on the new picnic benches provided at the revamped Chanonry Point car park. The car park has been revamped as the Point is one of the best places in the world - yes the world - for watching dolphins from the shore.

We didn't see any. 

The lighthouse.

Built by Alan Stevenson of the famous lighthouse building family, Chanonry light was first lit in 1846 to warn of the narrow stretch of water here. This is the shortest crossing point on the Moray Firth and a ferry operated from here until 1953.

Yer actual Chanonry Point.

Fortrose was actually once called Chanonry. This is thought to signify the place of the Canons, who once occupied the Cathedral. No doubt this name went out of fashion after the Reformation. 

While we were watching the sea for dolphins which never appeared, someone was watching us from the sea. The boat's name was Andreea. I don't know if that was Andreea watching from the deck of the boat, but I think it probably was.

Once round the point we began to walk along Rosemarkie beach.

Rosemarkie was, historically quite separate from Fortrose. However, once the cathedral was built in that town, Rosemarkie diminished in importance.

Fortrose and Rosemarkie became one Royal Burgh in 1455.

Not only did we see Charlie balance a pole on the top of his head, here is Mac balancing a whole shoreline on top of his rather fetching hat.

Three photos with the same focus. The yacht on the horizon.

In the first photo, the sky seems to be the dominant feature.

The yacht becomes more clear.

The yacht's the thing - and it is not quite on the horizon.

No dolphins, though.

While I was fiddling with zoom lenses, everybody else was watching the seal a few yards off shore. By the time I got my act together I managed to capture this ripple as it went down. 

I did catch it a little later.

 I also caught this Ringed Plover.

Then we all spent a bit of time watching this quite large Jellyfish.

I think this is a Lion's Mane Jellyfish which can give a nasty sting. They can also reach up to 2 metres in diameter, so pretty big. But not as big as a dolphin

Hmm. That's interesting,don't you think Sue?

The stairway to nowhere.

 One for Jimmy Smith - this is what a boules rink looks like. Could you please arrange that for your next annual petanque competition.

They may look small, but they still need two hands.

A wee secret alleyway which contains - a wheelbarrow!

Back to our roots in the Fairy Glen.

The Fairy Glen is a quite idyllic little walk nowadays, but once flax was steeped in a pond at the mouth of the glen. This was to supply the many linen weavers working in the village.

A sylvan scene. 

A slightly less sylvan view with nearly everyone looking at the camera.

 Lunchtime.

Leaves in the canopy.

Sycamore in this case.

Sycamore are not native to the UK, having been introduced in about 1500. They are prolific throughout the land and can be quite invasive in some places.

In Scotland, they were commonly used as hanging trees as the lower branches seldom broke under the weight of the body.

 We came across a large swathe of these flowers. we weren't sure what they were, but Campanula rang a bell.

 Finally, up the hill away from the shore and past the school again.

Do you remember how old the sandstone tower was?

If not, you weren't paying attention.

Well done to Susan and Robin for organising the day and for nearly eating all of their afternoon tea at Munro's.

It was clever also to arrange a walk round Chanonry Point without us becoming distracted by those pesky dolphins.

Thanks to Charlie for sending some photos for use in preparing the blog.