A Grand Day Out

On Wednesday I go an invite to join Jonathan and SNH counting grey seal pups. The last time I did this (regularly) was almost 40 years ago. Then it was aboard inflateables with the Seals Unit from Cambridge ... rugged stuff in November in Shetland! Today, it was aboard the Dunter III with all mod cons.

We cruised the wee islands and holms around Whalsay, Fetlar, and Hascosay. My job was to count the white coats (they thought I might still possibly manage that). These white coat pups are just a week or two old. The large seals beside them are the mums and the larger one on the beach is the dad.
I had planned this summer to get to Out Skerries ... but never did. But on Wednesday I made it, at least around it. From afar a few wee low islands.
We scooted through the harbour ..

and onto the lighthouse.

... the Lighthouse, built by the Stevensons. It was at this lighthouse that an Orkney man with the surname Laughton was working in 1863 and my impressionable great grandmother took the name for her son, James Laughton Johnston. There you go!