Magnificent! Mad! Monday.
There is no doubt it is magnificent.
At this point in time the storm is still raging.
The question is whether it was mad to go out in it?

It wasn’t until 6:00am that the wind started to gust.
Even at that early hour of the day the gusts were only 30mph.
At 7:50am an impressive sunrise hinted at the approaching storm.
The gusts were steadily rising and by 9:00am the gusts were recorded at 46mph.

With meals to deliver around the island it was necessary to venture out.
By noon the gusts were 54mph and by 1:00pm the gusts had reached 61mph.
The wind was and is SSE and you had to be so careful getting in and out the car.
A careless move and the door could be wrenched out of your hands.
Worst still it could crash into your legs.

Sand was being blown from the beach, over the dunes, and onto the Machair.
With the wind from the SSE the south facing coast was taking a battering.
Out in the Passage of Tiree it was a seething mass,
The sea surrounding the island was wild.
A visit to the pier was a must.

Stepping out of the rocking car to photograph the beenie hat took off.
Thankfully after a chase it was retreved but it will need a wash.
Wow! It was truly magnificent out there.

No wonder today’s ferry had been cancelled.
There was no way a ferry could have approached the pier.
It would have been madness to ask pier staff to venture onto the roundhead.
The view of Millport and the Scarinish headland
High tide in Gott Bay was at 2:19pm and by 3:00pm the gust were 70mph.
The desire to see what it was like at the pier was overwhelming.
So what if it was 70mph and the car was rocking.
So what if the rain lashing down.
Some things you must do.
Waves breaking over the roundhead


How magnificent it is – such power in both wind and wave

For larger pictures in the gallery double-click on a picture
Life on Tire on a Magnificent Mad Monday.
