After two days of fairly strenuous hiking we decided to have a rest day with no plans to don either backpacks or hiking boots. The day started out overcast with light rain falling but as the morning progressed it brightened to patchy cloud and blue skies.

Finally stirring ourselves around mid-morning we took a short trip out to Inverkirkaig to visit the bookstore and coffee shop there. Following another narrow and twisting single-track road, this time heading south, we passed through the villages of Srathan and Inverkirkaig before arriving at the parking area at the foot of a steep drive leading up to Achins - our destination. (A few yards further at the ford across the river is the border between Sutherland and Ross & Cromarty but that's an adventure for another day).

There were a number of people browsing the bookshop in spite of its remote location and among them were two of the most irritating people it has been my misfortune to meet in Scotland. An older woman and her middle-aged companion who were "ever-so-British" and spoke loudly to make sure that everyone could hear them in voices so plummy I'm surprised they didn't choke on the stones! They exuded arrogance and superiority as they carried on their loud and impossible-to-ignore conversation in the cafe and I think it was a relief to everyone when they finally upped and left.

With peace decending like a cloud, we were finally the only ones left in the cafe as we had chosen to have lunch rather than just a coffee or a snack and this gave us the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the girl serving in the cafe who recognised Alex's accent as Australian. It turned out she had spent some time in Perth, Western Australia so we spent a good few minutes exchanging stories and experiences of our travels and the value of the pound vs the Aussie dollar.

And so, after a very pleasant break and a delicious lunch we set out on our way again. From the bookshop I came away with a small print of a view of Suilven and Canisp; it seemed fitting seeing as they have featured prominantly in our Lochinver experience.

Driving back into Lochinver we took the time to check out all the little shops such as Rockpool, and The Little Village Green shop which is all fair trade and alternative-type goods where I bought some bamboo socks, then we drove around the bay to the Costcutter (which is even smaller than the Spar on the main street!) and picked up a few grocery items. Tour of the village completed, we drove back to Torran Cottage.

After a spot of afternoon TV with a cup of tea and some chocolate shortbread biscuits (yum!) we ventured out again to take a walk to the harbour. We had timed it for when the tide was out as this increases the chances of seeing any seals or otters. The harbour was again very quiet and there was much less wind than usual so we spent a good while scanning the water and coastline for any activity. A seal popped up in the marina - the same one that Alex saw the other day - just shy of the boats. This seems to be its favourite spot and I'm sure it's used to foraging around the returning fishing boats for fish. Today it was out of luck but we kept seeing it pop up out of the water for a look-see; ever hopeful.

We strolled back along the bay and to the village cenotaph where there is a conveniently placed bench ideal for otter-watching. Apparently Lochinver has a family of resident otters but they are extremely elusive. We only managed to see a few sea birds foraging at low tide. Retracing our steps we passed again in front of the house for sale that I have my eye on. The lovely white two-storey house sits on the crest of the bay with an unobstructed view out to the Minch. We looked it up on the internet and it's a five bedroom house (perfect for a B & B) with an asking price of GBP 220,000. Worth it for the view alone! Maybe I should sell up in Perth and move here.

Back home again we settled down to a relaxing evening to recharge for tomorrow.