Lochalsh Woodland Garden
Wednesday was Plockton's festival event, the Plockton Tea Party, but we managed to slip off first to the nearby Lochalsh Woodland Garden.
 Much of the Garden is quite wild, though volunteers have made safe trails and marked many of the plants. I was charmed by the tiny pinecones everywhere underfoot, about the size of cocktail onions. They had specimens of rowan (sorbus acuparia, a native) and many other wonderful plants, and some more exotic mushrooms as well.
The New Tree Fern
 I had heard about the their latest acquisition, a tree fern, and they wrote of it with such pride that I was glad that I was able to find it. Surprisingly, it looked quite natural there in the upper north.
Giant Midge Swatters (for Giant Midges)
 Another great find was giant midge swatters, thoughtfully and conveniently placed along the trails for visitors who might be unprepared for the Highlands' spaniel-sized midges.
The locale itself took our breath away. It is right at seaside, and various twists and turns in the walk will suddenly put the ocean in your face.
Hydrangeas
 But the real stunner was to come around a bend and find the hydrangea dell. I had already enjoyed some of the natural varieties I'd seen along the trails, like hydrangia paniculata and h. aspera, but here was a riot of varieties and colours I'd never dreamed of. There has to be a staffer with great love for and incredible knowledge of hydrangeas, for not only were there colours I had never seen (teal, or royal purple for example) but there were also multi-coloured shrubs.
A Heavenly Spot
 These cradled a beautiful green sward with a lone bench facing the sea. What would it be like to live in a place like this, and stroll out here to this bench in times of thought?
Plockton's Tea Party
It seemed reasonable to have a wee dram to help piece our brains back together, but no more than that for, when parking with a jolt at the Village Hall, Donna asked, "What was that?" and I was forced to admit, "I do believe it was the curb."
So, we abandoned our drams in favour of tea.
 And a fine tea it was. There were sandwiches and cookies and entertainment, and all very reasonable. We bought raffle tickets only to be supportive, but Donna walked away with the Scottish shortbread prize. Steven, who'd nurtured us at the hotel, was splendorous in Highlands dress. A good time was had by all.
We exited into pouring rain and had to decide ... was this the time to do what I'd come here for in the first place? Would we brave the rain and take a seal trip?
| 
