Airshow no show

Earlier in the year, I had offered to accompany a good friend, Calum, to Scotland's National Airshow at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune. The plan was to drive down from Orkney on a Friday, go to the airshow on Saturday and return to Orkney on Sunday. So, during the last weekend of July, that is what we did. The drive down was in mostly glorious weather (the only overcast moment was when we stopped off at Insh Marshes to look for dragons), as indeed was the drive back (every time we stopped to look for odes the sun disappeared and the heavens opened).

And speaking of rain, this was Saturday morning... 

Now, Calum had experienced a similar day two years previously, and was in no hurry to spend another six hours in a wet field, waiting for aircraft that didn't turn up. Instead, he took me on an alternative tour of Edinburgh, beginning with his favourite shop. Calum likes building model kits, mainly aircraft.

My model kit days are behind me, but I had to acknowledge that the manufacturers do seem to have kept up with the latest trends in ground warfare. Sadly.

After some targeted clothes shopping for me and lunch in an Italian restaurant, we visited one of Calum's old friends, before heading to Edinburgh Airport for some quality aircraft time (Calum) and potential dragon time (me).

The habitat seemed about right.

There were insects on the wing.

Just maybe not male ones.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any odes at all. Perhaps my radar was off?

The return trip did have one positive flying experience, a Buddleia bush at Helmsdale, covered in Painted Lady butterflies.

And the sun was still shining when we arrived at Scrabster to wait for the ferry back to Orkney. The journey across the Pentland Firth was made all the more pleasant by plunge-diving Gannets and rapid-wing-beated Puffins.