Did you know that mermaids have been seen in the Highlands? We heard a rumour so set out to find out for ourselves if this was true.
On the way we went for a drive down on the north side of the moray firth as it’s an area we’ve never been before – it’s really pretty with a row of homes along the seafront.
My arty shot of seaweed hanging on the remains of a fence.
Our destination was Balintore which is on the coast further north to us. It’s a pretty little place with a lovely community centre which also has a cafe, sports hall, and information section, and yes we tried out the delicacies in the cafe.
These fish were swimming along the seafront.
We went for a walk along the beach in search of mermaids and as always I was in search of seaglass and plastic. If we all took at least three pieces of plastic off the beach when we’re there then it would all add up to a big difference to plastic pollution. You never know what you’re going to find.
We found the beautiful mermaid reclining on a rock and she’s much larger than we expected.
The legend of the mermaid is that a local man stole a mermaid away from the sea to be his wife. He hid her tail so that she had to stay with him (did you know that mermaid tails were detachable?). Years later after they’d had children the mermaid found her tail and returned to the sea. She came to the shore with fish for her family regularly, but refused to return to the land.
After communing with the mermaid for a while, we headed further north to the Tarbat Ness lighthouse. As you can see from the picture, it was a glorious day with a stunningly blue sky.
The lighthouse was built by Robert Stephenson in 1830 and is the third tallest in Scotland.
We walked down onto the rocks beyond the lighthouse and sat in the sun for a while – definitely a spot we’ll have to go back to for a picnic when it’s not just sunny but also warmer.
I was fascinated by the patterns in the rocks, evidence of the power of nature. This one looks like someone has been bashing it with a big hammer – maybe a giant uses it as a stress reliever.
This rock shows the pattern of cooled lava that existed thousands of years ago – you can see the wave pattern in the rock.
At this time of the year in Scotland the predominant colour is yellow, with gorse, broom, and fields of rapeseed in flower.
During our wanders we passed a chicken farm with lots of happy hens roaming freely on grass and amongst trees – how all chickens should get to live. There were hundreds of them, and they looked very relaxed and content.
By the side of the road there was a stopping point with the below shed where you could buy eggs from the happy hens.
Inside the shed the eggs are in a large vending machine – you put your money in, choose a number, and then that section opens for you. They had all different sizes and they even had double yolkers for sale. We of course had to buy some of these eggs, knowing that they would taste fabulous because of the life the hens have.
When I got out of the car lots of the hens scurried over for a chat – aren’t they pretty.
When we got home from our day of exploring, my beloved cooked scrummy omelettes for our tea with the happy eggs, and it was delicious.
Another gorgeous day in the highlands.
PJ
Tasmanian Abroad 
Hi Pam – lovely time you had up in Balintore … the sculpture park looks to be a fascinating tour … love the salmon -while the mermaid is perfect isn’t she. Beautiful scenery – rugged but telling its own tale of geological life. Yellows against the skies with the greens of newness … what could be better. And yes I’d be stopping at the egg farm … what a clever idea for dispensing eggs … looks good – cheers Hilary
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