Short Trip to Mull

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Alas, the last part of the Scotland trip! Have had the 2 day Glasgow interlude, the awesome WHW walk, the Edinburgh family reunion and fantastic explore of the city, the wedding -my sister, Lesley and now husband, Si had a great night complete with kilts, clans and cake. Now it is time for... The Isle of Mull with the parents!

Pick up hire car (with additional hidden charges, of course... grrr), drive Edinburgh to Oban with parents via my WHW villages and some random forest roads as per the GPS instructions (only missed 2 turnoffs, hence the random forest roads I think), miss the ferry to Mull, drive (OMG!!!) onto next ferry 2 hours later, very smooth 45 min trip across to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. Very impressive, these ferry's, with lots of seating and a cafe and a gift shop! Stunning skies. I spend most of the trip over out on deck. Mull is the 2nd largest island of the Inner Hebrides and way bigger than I had imagined at 870 km sq.

Have pre-booked 4 nights in a house (Lyndale Cottage) overlooking Tobermory Bay, self contained house, accessible via steep single laneways and hairpin bends, comes with sheep (seriously, there are 4). The drive from Craignure to Tobermory takes us about 45 minutes. Tobermory is the capital of Mull (in my opinion) and home to the colourful houses on Main St. Very picturesque. It also has an excellent little supermarket that sells absolutely everything you could need for a self catering holiday.

Note to Geoff- we should move here.

Day 1: We have a very big day of almost circumnavigating the island, spending time at Calgary Bay- whitish beach sand, stunning vistas and scrambling coastal walk, then driving, driving, driving to Fionnphort (via the op shop) to catch a ferry to the island of Iona.

Stunning. Stunning. Stunning. I want to live here.

We finally eat our packed lunch about 4pm. Monastery there established in 563 AD, ruined nunnery, artisan shops and some nice walking trails. Ideally you could spend several days here walking and relaxing. Unfortunately we are here for only a couple of hours before a winding drive all the way back (the scenery on the drive is just incredible though). 12 hours later back at the house now quite confidently driving the mostly single track roads.

Note- I was confident, the other drivers on the road may have felt vulnerable.

I whip up a light dinner with our available supplies, it is now after 9pm and I don't think my parents are enamored with my vege frittata ("where's the meat?"), there is a lot left. Or maybe they are just beat, they're in bed before 10pm.

Day 2: Rainy day. Having nearly killed the parents with the massive day yesterday, today is a slow one. Dad produces superb full fat Scottish breakfast (note- the supermarket sells these amazing breakfast packs for about &7- black and white pudding, bacon and scottish sausage! They enjoy that about 100 times more than my vege frittata!). I get out for an afternoon on the Aros Coastal Trail with detours to the upper waterfall trail and Aros Park lagoon. Lots of waterfalls and so green. Quite muddy, which I love. I only see about 4 other people for the whole few hours. Picturesque trail even in the rain.

Note to Geoff- Mull has otters and an extensive bird population, I don’t find the otters, I do find seagulls and small flitty birds. The golden sea eagle remains elusive, let’s go find it...

We all then take a very late afternoon rainy Main St walk where my 2nd umbrella dies and I nearly kill mum and dad (again) walking down from the house and back to the town (very steep hills and lanes so narrow that cars and pedestrians have to give way to each other). The Tobermory Distillery proves to be an interesting spot to visit

Day 3: Sunny again, road trip time! Spend morning at Duart Castle - 13th century home to Clan Maclean. We are lucky enough to be first people there and tour the castle by ourselves. Good walk around the grounds down to the coast and then through a wooded forest garden. The castle people also do very good coffee and cake. Mum finds some excellent souvenirs. Hit up great op shop (massive book collection) back in Craignure on way back to house with sheep. I take a forest and farmland hike in the afternoon on an Art Sculpture Trail- clearly took a wrong turn because it was 15km mainly through deep, dark pine forest. No art.

Day 4: Super wet departure day. Pack up, say goodbye to the sheep, forget to turn radiators off and drive back to Craignure to catch ferry. Alas... the last of the single lane roads, errant cows and sheep, and some final photos. Too early for the ferry so we manage to find a great cake and coffee place in Alice's (there are a total of 2), then sit it out in the rain in the car in ferry boarding lane number 5. Arrive back in Oban in the rain. Late afternoon stroll around the waterfront with dinner at a fish restaurant- really good fresh stone bass, mum is served the largest fish and chips in the history of mankind.

Sleep at the Elderslie Guesthouse. Excellent, recommended.

Day 5: Will be having my last fully fat Scottish breakfast in 15 mins before taking the scenic route back to Edinburgh. A final family dinner to celebrate my nephew’s birthday then the long haul back to Perth tomorrow.

Another excellent adventure with very different facets to the trip. The hiking was awesome- goes without saying. The wedding was lovely, also goes without saying. Great to spend time with my parents these last few days in a part of Scotland they haven’t been to. They have been very tolerant of my driving and lack of directional sense, we’ve all had a good time. What an incredibly beautiful country this is.

Winner, winner...

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Photos

Driving Onto Ferry
The whole process is incredibly smooth and well directed, Calmac Ferry Co provide a very good service