Only a year late we were standing by the car at the Ferry Terminal in Oban waiting for the crossing to the Isle of Mull. The trip was originally booked way back in May 2019. The restrictions due to Covid last year meant that we were unable to go, so the booking was moved to this year. Since the turn of the year we have lived with crossed fingers, probably up until the second week of May when I think I felt confident enough to consult the maps and guide books once again. We left on Thursday evening and spent the night in Warrington just off the M6. On Friday we continued on to Oban where we spent last night. Standing by the car in the misty drizzle it was still difficult to believe we would be making the trip.
We boarded the Ferry just before 7:00 am, left the car and after a quick breakfast I was up on deck to watch as we pulled out of Oban harbour, the sea still and almost mirror like and while the clouds hung low over the surrounding hills and mountain the sunlight would break through albeit very watery.
The ferry maneuvered its way around the islands dotted outside of Oban, passing the lighthouse on Eilean Musdile.
The first birds seen were Guillemots on the water, then skittling away across the surface as huge ferry came too close for comfort.
Small groups would fly past, here mostly Guillemots but with a single Razorbill amongst them.
Looking behind as we headed onward towards Mull three Harbour Porpoise were seen in the wake of the Ferry
As we moved into the Sound of Mull we passed Duart Castle. The castle has dominated the view to the Sound of Mull and Loch Linhne for over 700 years. The castle being the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean.
With the ferry starting to slow as it approached Craignure I noticed two birds flying north on our port side. At first I thought they were Great Northern Divers from their size, but on checking what are basically record shots I could see that they were in fact Black-throated Divers, a very good start to the week.
We were not able to get into our cottage until 16:00 so we had to use up the time. Driving off the ferry we turned right, heading north towards Tobermory. The road at Craignure is of two carriageways, something of a rarity of Mull where the majority of roads are single carriageway with passing places. We soon though came across the single carriage way as we drove through the village of Salen, and this last almost all the way to Tobermory.
After parking we walked to the harbour where it is difficult to resist the iconic view of the buildings that line the harbour road, unfortunately the high tide prevented any reflections but I am sure there will be other opportunities.
Helen and I last visited Mull back in May 2008, then we stayed in the Steading's Flat at Glengorm Castle just a few miles north of Tobermory. With time on our hands we decided to visit and walk some of the paths we used to use back then. The road from Tobermory winds through forestry and open moorland. The highlight along the way was a Cuckoo on the power lines.
We pulled into the coffee house car park and the memories came back, unfortunately these memories for me did not extend to where to walk and we headed from the castle down the wrong path and having to detour back to the route we would have taken.
Soon though the views were also coming back as they stretched out across the sea with the Ardnamurchan peninsula, the furthest point west of the mainland of Britain and the islands of Eigg and Rum.
The first notable wildlife was an Irish Hare, which is a subspecies of Mountain Hare and the only species of hare found on Ireland, hence the name. They are also found here on Mull where they were introduced over 100 years ago.
Mull hares are slightly smaller, have shorter ears and white fur on the back of the legs, under the tail and on the ear edges, even in the summer. There is some debate about whether the mountain hares on Mull are related to the Irish hares because they also are found on beaches eating seaweed. However, the mull hares turn white in the winter, which is very rare among Irish Hares.
The area we were walking in was one of slacks and peat and moss where water was coming up through the ground as it made its way from the peaks to the sea. In places there were large clumps of Cotton Grass and in places the Marsh Orchids could be seen to bbe starting to flower.
The most dominant flower around us though, was the Bluebell with large patches spreading across the slopes of the hills.
As well as the Bluebells there were also plenty of flowers you would associate with the floor of a wood before the canopy closes over. Primrose, Lesser Celandine and Wood Anemone could be found all over the place.
More towards the sea and on the rocks of the cliffs overlooking the sea pink Thrift was in flower providing a lovely contrast against the dark grey of the sea.
Despite the overcast conditions there was a visible radiation presence and this brought out a few butterflies. This a Small Heath.
And a Green-veined White.
More views across to the Ardnamurchan peninsula.
In a round a bout way we managed, by crossing a stream, to find our way to the path we should have been on at the start of the walk. This lead us back towards Glengorm Castle. Highland Cattle were feeding in the field with also Black-faced Sheep and their lambs. With the sun coming out this Highland bull stood out against the dark grey colour of the surrounding sky.
After lunch in the coffee shop we headed south, stopping along the way for a pair of Buzzards harassing a Hen Harrier. We decided to head to the Fishnish peninsula on east coast of the island, an area that looks out over the sound of Mull.
As we stood scanning the shore line and the Sound we were surprised by a very large bird that flew over and headed west toward the mainland. As it went it was mobbed by a Hooded Crow and from the size difference it could only have been a White-tailed Eagle.
Still with time to kill we decided to walk a forest loop. At the start a Willow Warbler, one of many present on the island, was singing from the top of a Spruce Tree.
It was a nice enough walk, but with high trees on either side of the path not possible to see anything special. The one item of interest being this Common Heath moth.
By the time we had returned to the car park it was time to travel the one mile to our cottage for the week. Just off the main road it had views out across the Sound with distant conifers that appeared perfect for an eagle watch point and sea wrack covered rocks calling out for an Otter to visit. Time would tell what the week here on the beautiful island would bring
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