Findorn Quietness

With the hills in cloud and the forests and glens midge-infested the coast seemed a good place for a walk so we went to Findhorn to look at the sea and the sand and the sky and the clouds on a day of  soft subtle light. There was a gentle breeze and the air was warm. The clouds were thin but sunshine never quite broke through.

After lunch at the excellent Phoenix Cafe at the Findhorn Foundation we wandered along the beach. The tide was low and the sea calm. Streaks of water ran through wide bands of sand and shingle. Far out to sea yachts drifted slowly. Gulls dotted the sand, occasionally flapping slowly along the water's edge. A tern dived suddenly, plunging gracefully down. Oystercatchers shrieked, breaking the soft silence. Peaceful. It was very peaceful.

As always on Findhorn Beach there was a wonderful sense of space and freedom, a feeling of escape and beauty. We weren't alone. Others wandered the sand, children built sand castles, a few ventured into the sea. But the vastness of the land and the sea and the sky remained. The only jarring note was the sight of the construction of the first beach huts along the edge of the beach. Maybe though, once the machines have gone and the bright colours have weathered and faded they'll sink into the background, overwhelmed by the landscape.