Magnificent Mad Monday

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.

Is there a hint in the sky of the storm that was about to break?

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.

Wave after wave was driving in and rolling along the pier

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.

You just have to stand in awe at the power of both wind and waves.

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 from the house

Waves breaking over the Scarinish headland

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.