Sporran fondling.

It's Scottish school holiday time. Although we're out early the beach is already peppered with young fathers banished from the house with early rising and overly excited four year olds. It rained heavily yesterday so there's a lot of pent up pre-schooler energy around. A few toddlers confuse adventure with foolhardiness and venture into the water. They quickly discover that the North Sea remains toe numbingly cold all through the year. Shrieks rend the air.

In town large groups of sensibly dressed Italian tourists prowl the streets. They stick closely together as if danger might lurk around the next corner. On the pavement outside the  kilt makers they stop and examine the bekilted mannequin by the door. Without exception they all touch the mannequins sporran as if it's some sort of  venerable religious relic. A Celtic Shroud of Turin . Sporran fondling is not something you see every day. All the Italians are wearing sunglasses which signals a collectively optimistic view of the Scottish weather.

The art gallery has a new owner. 

Two ceramic dog sculptures have pride of place in the window. I bet they sell quickly.

The wildflower meadows down by the estuary home to scores of larks. A particularly audacious one rises skywards and flies defiantly over us  before heading back to its nest. The presumably soar like this to distract intruders wandering close to their chicks. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/skylark . Lark song is particularly beautiful.  They used to be common birds but are now firmly on the red list . 

Todays radio music. The eagle eyed among you will notice the butler from Downton Abbey and a young  Ewan McGregor in this snippet from a 1990's 'tear jerker' of  a British film  :https://youtu.be/9LnGM2Ee9lY?t=59

We've come a long way in our understanding :https://daily.jstor.org/the-seventeenth-century-space-race-for-the-soul/