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Scotland, June/July 2009

Page 5: Shinness

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For the second week of the holiday we stayed at Shinness Lodge, a former hunting lodge overlooking Loch Shin.

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Loch Shin seen from the slopes of Ben Hee.

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Bob and Pat having a quick snack before continuing up Ben Hee.

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The view looking north from the summit of Ben Hee: Strath More, Loch Hope and Ben Hope.

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The little ferry that took us across to Handa Island.

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Ruins of cottages on Handa, abandoned when the islanders had to leave during the potato famine in 1847.

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Cliffs on Handa.

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Handa is a bird sanctuary. Every ledge on the cliffs was crowded with nesting seabirds.

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Remains of eggs taken by skuas from the nests of other birds.

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Beach on Handa. The gathering clouds culminated in a torrential rainstorm that caught us in the open boat ferrying us back to the mainland.

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Setting off to climb Arkle.

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The ridge of Foinaven seen from the slopes of Arkle.

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Bob, Jonathan, Ian, Barbara, Kate, Allan, and the summit ridge of Arkle.

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Coming back from the summit along the ridge.

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The Ord, near Lairg. What looks like a heap of stones is in fact the remains of a neolithic burial cairn.

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Bob, Kate and Jonathan on a prehistoric stone structure at The Ord.