Balnakeil Bay and Faraidh Head, Durness, Sutherland

Scottish primrose

Grass of Parnassus

Yellow saxifrage

Common twayblade

Flowers including:          
Scottish primrose 30+
Common twayblade many
Field gentian
Grass of Parnassus
Mountain everlasting
Fragrant orchid
Northern marsh orchid
Yellow saxifrage
Kidney vetch
Yellow rattle
Alpine bistort
Mountain aven (in seed)
Frog orchid
Greater butterwort
Heath spotted orchid

Birds:
Great northern diver 1 summer plumage
Arctic tern 30
Gannet 20                            
Black guillemot 5
Whimbrel 3      
Sand Martin
Swallow         
Puffin 50 at Faraidh Head colony
Fulmar
Razorbill
Guillemot
Shag

Butterflies:
Dark green fritillary 3
Common blue

Sitting here now at 7pm on the car park of Smoo cave near Durness, on a warm summers evening, waiting for tea to cook, it's hard to believe the weather we left behind in Ullapool. Heavy rain and low cloud to within 5 miles of here.

We spent the day in sunshine at Durness on the north coast of Scotland, a botanists paradise, and one of the few places where you can find Scottish primrose, a beautiful plant endemic to Scotland and growing only here and on Orkney. 

Smoo cave gives a clue as to why this place is so good, it's machair on limestone and in this part of the world that produces all kinds of oddities such as mountain aven and alpine bistort growing at sea level. A wonderful place.