Appletons meet in Ullapool!

The weather in Ullapool is fantastic and we have been making the most of it. Yesterday I went swimming in the estuary and today we are at Mellon Udrigle beach where I have had another swim. The water is at its warmest at this time of year, it’s such a pleasure to be able to stride into the water without even flinching! Kevin had been staying with us for the last few days and it has been lovely to see him. He posted a few photos on Facebook about his trip and his cousin’s son contacted him to say that he now lives in Ullapool! So we invited James and his partner Cal round for drinks and we all sat in the garden in the hot sunshine and chatted. They are in their thirties, really nice and also extremely interesting. James is a photographer and film maker and hill runner and kayaker, and Cal is a vet and paddle boarder. They moved to Ullapool a couple of years ago and are renovating a boat as well as travelling and working. Last year they made a film of Cal paddle boarding around Scotland, interviewing local people on the way about their work for the environment and biodiversity. We watched the first part last night and it was fascinating; we’re going to watch part two tonight. 
On Saturday evening James, Kevin and I went to see the Lewis McLaughlin Duo at the Ceilidh Place Venue. Lewis is a talented young singer and guitarist, and he was accompanied by Chloe Bryce on the fiddle who was also great. It was an excellent evening and the sky was glowing red on the horizon as we walked home along West Terrace. We also took Kevin for a trip on the Shearwater yesterday morning, where we saw bonxies swooping about, and lots of dolphins leaping in and out of the water. It turns out that tour guide Noel Hawkins is a great friend of James and Cal - so many connections!