You would think, wouldn't you, that meeting a wire-haired fox terrier called Nobby would easily be the highlight of any animal loving visitor's stay in Scotland.
But apparently not.
It seems that for Gail's friend Helen, up here for the past week, I come a poor second best behind the puffins perched precariously on the cliffs at the RSPB's Fowlsheugh Nature reserve, the golden eagle spotted soaring over the Applecross peninsula, the otter swimming near the southern shore of inner Loch Torridon, the pine marten who scampered across the road just up from Gail's cottage, and the playful dolphins showing off to spectators at the harbour mouth in Aberdeen.
I want you to know that I waited patiently and quietly while Gail and her young friend trained their binoculars on the cliffs and Gail tried - with limited success - to take pictures of the puffins on Saturday morning.
To my mind, these puffins are anyway over-rated in the cuteness department, and have much to learn when it comes to sitting still and posing nicely for the camera...
