Kiawah

The two weeks in Kiawah Is , SC with the family ( sadly without the 8 months pregnant Jane, and Johannes ) - a year in the planning, came and went far too quickly.  A memorable get together combining 4 generations with Granny Eye joining us for a few days  ( Mary's sisters Martha and Janie taking a 3rd house for the 2nd week ). Big, big success.

Day 2 of the Ryans' 2 weeks stay - meeting dear friend Martha for breakfast in Charleston. Bad pic, but all I've got ! 

Meghan with Cormac, Angus and Iona

Cormac and Angus 'help' us to do our early morning beach yoga

Iona and Cormac at first tennis lesson .....

......aided by tennis coach Granny Moon

Iona and Angus

The Oregon contingent arrives - Oli at top of the table flanked by 2 of his Irish cousins

Granny Eye ( 94 ) joins us on the beach and holding her youngest great grandchild Maggie. Meghan and Katy the safety officers

July 4 parade - Duncan with Oli and Maggie in tow

1st game in 3 years for Duncan. An adventurous 18 holes for us both. Dad soundly beaten ....

...despite the distractions. And no, that's not a doll Iona's holding - that's baby Maggie. Oli on Duncan's knee

This guy - a few hundred yards from our house - kept the kids on their best behaviour

The parting of the ways - in 3 directions - at Charleston airport

Scotland

7 days of Munro bagging with golf at Muirfield at each end. Mary meanwhile holding the fort in Snowmass and welcoming our new music student  - Norman Huynh who has just been given a 3 year associate conductor's position at Portland OR - who will stay with us for the 8 week long music festival.  Item of late news - we watched him conduct on July19 the 1st movement of Beethoven's  5th for the ACA orchestra at the tent. Other festival highlights - Puccini's La Boheme at the Wheeler with student leads ( i.e appropriately cast which is invariably not the case in professional performances at the Met, ROH, Glyndbourne ! ) , and some brilliant Mozart and Haydn symphonies at the Tent.

With Jane and Johannes in Inverness in their new house

Jane with '6 weeks to go' and therefore losing my munro companion on this trip

Angus, the ferryman awaiting me at the appointed hour at the east end of Loch Mullardoch on day 1

Easy access - 5 miles up the loch to my starting point for the 4 munros on the north side .

Heading for munro No. 2. No need for compass here

Ditto

Lunch time day 2.  Left car here on road to Lochcarron and biked 6 miles up the glen to the south

The views SW towards Skye from Munros 5 and 6 in the twilight

Emerging from tent following morning - dreich describes it pretty well

Munros 7 and 8 completed, collected tent and bike and back to car

Munros 9, 10, 11, and 12 in Knoydart. Looking west to the last of them Sgurr na Ciche

Profusion - need to know what they are though

Rod i/c barbecued steak - well protected against those pesky midges

Munro 13 - Sgurr Thuilm on a cracker of a morning

A burn to cross on the way

Final pull to summit of Sgurr Thuilm

Top of the world

Looking north back up to Knoydart

Loch Arkaig looking east to the Ben Nevis range

A rare view of Ben Nevisand northern corries

Normal weather service resumed. Munros 14 and 15 in the Mamores

Day 7 and Munro 16 .  Here having car trunk breakfast at the dam at eastern end of Loch Quoich with Gairich back right

Looking back down Loch Quoich from near the summit

Dropped in on good friends Richard and Sheila Evans on way back to Edinburgh . Ewe 95 sheared. Impressive

Job well done

Raemore ( Fife ) looking its usual magnificent self