I have been to Mull several times before, I even worked there for a month, and this trip marked my first return there since I left that job over a year ago. The place had hardly changed at all. The approach on the ferry turfed up a lot of memories, which I regailed to Jane with a series of short anecdotes. I pointed out the sights I had become used to - Duart Castle, the location for the film Entrapment. The hotel in which I worked, and the playground in which I played so many times.
After docking we placed our packs in the Tourist Information Centre and went for a drink in the wonderful Craignure Inn, sitting outside in the glorious sunshine before venturing to the playground for a...well...play. We returned to the pier, buying some ice-cream, which we ate as we waited for the bus to Fionnphort.
The bus journey takes a little over an hour, and winds through some absolutely spectaculr scenery, and after leaving Craignure it is all on the single track road system. The villages are small and the scenery massive, it is hard not to feel awed.
When we returned to Craignure after our Iona excursion we headed for the shop where we bought some ice-cream before wandering to the Shieling Holiday site where we paid for a pitch, and erected the tent in record time. A short walk was taken toward Torosay Castle, which we abandoned - in place of which being a nice relaxing sit down in the Craignure Inn.
We retired early to bed, for the action and frantic travelling had worn us out. The sun had been beating down for over a week now, so it is really only sods law that it decided that it would be this night when the rain would start to pour - and my tent decided to spring a leak, so at 3:30 in the morning we abandoned our canvas shelter and set up in the common room before we vacated early the next morning to catch the first ferry.
The tent was duely, in a fit of anger and frustration, tossed into the garbage.
The ferry was quiet, and the weather clear and cool. As we stood atop the ferry watching the world light up around us we spotted something in the water - a quick discussion as to what it could be proved fruitless, for a few moments later two dolphins lept up and began playing in front of our eyes.
A lovely way to wake up. |
