'To walk along a beach, the sun against your face, feels every bit as sweet as the warmth of an embrace.' Anonymous.

A vertical line of sunshine, where my bedroom curtains almost met, lured me out of bed this morning. Both my plans for today had fallen through..so what should I do? I'd love to walk along a beach, I decided. Where to go? Easy. Rosemarkie. 30 mins from Inverness. There's a Beach Cafe with open sea views, from outside tables. And a one mile walk along the sandy beach to Chanonry Point. With a chance to spot dolphins -the Moray Firth pod. A perfect plan!

About two hours later, I was duly sitting outside the cafe with a bacon roll and a coffee, gazing out at a distant hazy oil rig and the stark grey, angular walls of Fort George at the other side of the firth. There was a beach-load of children & dogs, noisy and active in the sunshine. The tide was just going out so the the stretch of sand to Chanonry Point was still only a narrow wet ribbon. But once past the hoots of the kids and all the hyperactive collies, it was soothing to hear the waves gently turning over, contrasted with the shrillness of larks on the rise. And then to get the coconut scent of the whins mixed with the salty air - just perfect!

In the distance, a dark mass of Lowrie-like figures were pointing and grasping cameras. There must be dolphins! I walked past them, round by the lighthouse and sat on the jetty wall. How indulgent just to sit and enjoy the sunshine and think of nothing else!

With the tide further out on my return journey, I managed to pick up some sea glass for my collection. There's nothing like a walk on a beach to blow away those cobwebs! I recommend it.