Up for an early-morning stalk at Broubster, failing to shoot a deer but dropping a hare at 80yds. Back with Diana later who was duly impressed with the scale and features of the landscape. Further trips to "The Fairy Glen" and then "The White Loch".
Once back, I went to bed to rest for an hour or two whilst Diana went shopping in Thurso. I also caught up on three days of journal before bathing and changing for dinner.
News of an alarming killer disease that attacks the fleshy area under the skin but the authorities are playing down the effect of this virus, "Streptococcus A".
I had dropped off to sleep easily last night and slept through my radio alarm until Diana awoke me from a deep sleep at 4.30am and I got ready. I was still on station at Broubster by 5.00am which gave plenty of time before breakfast. It was a sunny, mild and very still start to the day so that I had trouble sensing the drift of air at first.
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I dug out the bolt to my rifle and fitted it and, upon seeing a hare on the road, tried it out for accuracy. I was pleased to drop the hare instantly at 80yds and got Sam to retrieve it unseen. The next few hours spying from my hills across the Dulochan system and surrounding rides and then a walk down "Deer Valley" and another long spy. There were Red Deer around and signs of Roe Deer but I could not locate a Roe Buck to stalk.
My first view of the trees was favourable and I was back in good time for breakfast. Diana enjoyed this meal with me and then came over to the plantation and was duly impressed with the scale and features of the landscape. The fine weather also gave her a very favourable impression of the Scottish Highlands. We spied the terrain and, having located some Red Hinds the other side of the deer fence, we stalked them together and I got her within about 100 yards of the hinds and their young calves before the hinds ran off, leaving their young hidden in the heather on the other side of the fence.
Further trips to "The Fairy Glen" and then "The White Loch". We sat on top of the glen and Sam impressed by retrieving my cap from the bottom within ten seconds! We rowed across the loch later and I did my normal trick of tending the outlet sluice so that the water could not escape and level was kept up. Back to Forss by mid afternoon, dropping off at the Cairns for interest. Once back, I went to bed to rest for an hour or two whilst Diana went shopping in Thurso.
I also caught up on three days of journal before bathing and changing for dinner. Time also to call Mark Rainer and get his latest canvassing statistics which were back to revealing more than a 20% deficit. The news from home is good with the children managing despite our absence. The news is of an alarming killer disease that attacks the fleshy area under the skin but the authorities are playing down the effect of this virus, "Streptococcus A".