Wild pudding

These light evenings with their glorious sunsets often tempt Chris and I to give the dogs late night strolls.

 If you walk to the top of the hill behind our house you can see right over to the Isle of Jura to the west; across the Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve to the mountains and the Isle of Mull beyond to the north;

 down the Crinan Canal towards Loch Fyne to the east

 and to the shimmering lochs deep in Knapdale Forest to the south.

 It is simply beautiful; and to make the place even more tempting to visit, the bilberry bushes are laden with fruit at the moment.

Bilberries are just like blueberries. They are also called blaeberries in other parts of the country. They may be small but they have a delicious sweet flavour and the effort that has to go into collecting them is well worth it for the prize.

From a very young age, all of us Holden kids were brought up  to spot a bilberry at fifty paces and not to give up our picking patch until we've found every last one. Don't worry we're not being mean to the birds and beasts, there are more than enough to go around!

I'm not sure how chuffed dad would be at Fox's keen interest in bilberry picking!

Whisper doesn't get what the fuss is about at all.

She is far more interested in rolling in nameless muck and racing round like a loony!

We managed to pick a pretty good tub full of bilberries, despite the number that got eaten before reaching the pot!

Chris put them to very yummy use :o)