Arriving on Mull

Thursday morning and I have a boat to catch, I'm off to Mull. My time keeping is normally abysmal but I can make an effort if I have to, I'm early in the queue. It's a very fast turnaround so from seeing the boat approaching, unloading, and getting on, is no time at all.

This is the scissor lift which alters the height of the pedestrian walkway as the boat is loaded up.

Nearly there, follow the one in front.

We all have to lock our vehicles up and make our way to the upper decks. Off we go, leaving Oban behind.

Here we pass Dunollie Castle.

And Maiden Island

Oh look, it's Jonathan Livingston Seagull following us, flying faster and higher than all the other seagulls. Come on Jonathan, you can do it, ha ha.

After getting off the boat at Craignure there is a 40 minute drive to Tobermory, along mainly single trackroads. I spotted the hostel straight away as it is one of the colourfull buildings on the sea front. All the parking space is full up along the road in front of it, so I parked in the car park a couple of minutes walk away. I had a bite to eat out and set off for a walk as it's too early to check in. Tobermory is quite steep so there are lots of places to walk giving good views. The weather is changeable, one minute bright sunshine and the next it clouds over and we get a downpour.

The pier jutting out into the bay.

Just catching a glimpse of the hostel now.

It's that peachy coloured building next to the one with the blue top.

These little cottages are halfway up the hillside, their gardens are on the opposite side of the road, with fantastic views.

That's the car park down there and the visitor centre.

This is one of the cottage gardens, how lovely to sit there on a summers day sipping a glass of wine.

I have time for a longer walk so I set off down the road for the forest and Ardmore Bay, another walk from the book. This is what they call a Burn, I call it a stream. A lot of trees have been cut down, but I see they are replanting, there are lots of areas with new baby trees coming along.

An easy to follow path.

The guide book says there are ruins of old cottages amongst the trees so I go and investigate.

This was Ardmore Village

A tree growing up inside the building.

It looks very spooky, not another soul about, except perhaps the souls of the people who used to live here. I wonder what they were like.

At last I reach Ardmore Bay, have a bimble around and eat a sandwich, and set off back.

Looking back across the bay.

Evidence of the new trees which have been planted.

And here we are back in Tobermory. There are spaces at the front of the hostel now that the day trippers have gone, so I moved my car. I have a few bags to get out.

Settled into my room nicely, it has six beds and I have a bottom bunk, three others in the room with me. More interesting people to talk to. I think I will go to Iona tomorrow.