After a stunning sunset (which incidentally was still showing some pink at midnight though this photo was taken just after 10!) last night, we had a beautiful day today.

To make the most of the day we got an earlier start and followed the A77 beyond Girvan to a shoreside parking / picnic area at Carleton Bay. On the way I stopped catch low tide shots of Woodland Bay

and Ardwell Bayboth of which we visited a few days ago when the tide was in (and it was raining!) and looked very different today.

We then parked up at Carleton and wandered down to find a lovely big stretch of sand all the way out to Big Isle (rocky outcrop mostly submerged at high tide and a frequent basking spot for seals).

Walking around to our left along Whilk Bay

and back to our right onto Carleton Bay

From here it was a bit of a scramble over rocks to reach the lovely long Lendalfoot Bay.

Here we stayed awhile and enjoyed the sunshine, a little spot of bird running and of course ball throwing – aah we are easily entertained! We then continued along the coast (northwards) with more rock scrambling to reach the two lovely beaches at Pinbain Bridge.

We took our time so happy to be in the sunshine (it was T shirt weather for the first time in ages) and enjoying these mostly deserted beaches.

Back at Carleton we took a look at the Varyag Monument commemorating the Russian Naval Cruiser who hit rocks just off this point whilst being towed to Germany to be scrapped. Her history is quite fascinating, having been commissioned by he Russian Navy in 1899, she was sunk, rather than be surrendered by her own crew after the Battle of Chemulpo Bay in 1904. She was then salvaged and recommissioned to the Japanese Navy and sold back to the Russian Navy in 1916 during WW1 – seized by the British Navy in 1917 until 1920 when she was sold for scrap to a German company and ran aground under tow and was eventually scrapped in place in 1925!

Two thoughts of the day:

Warmth – that is what has been missing this year – it doesn’t need to be hot like last year – just warm!

In Wales I was fascinated by the Red Kites – here it is the Gannets, just watching them dive bomb into the sea – amazing!