DAY 16 - Ardrishaig to Craignure (Isle of Mull)

Refreshed from the hospitality of the Grey Gull we continue on past Lochgilphead on the A816 and into the most beautiful verdant valley of Kilmartin Glen. We pass the historic site of Dunchraigaig - a collection of 4-5000 years old ancient monuments and then on up the hill to Kilmartin where we have a quick coffee break at the museum.

After heading inland we again join the coast overlooking Ardfern at the top of Craignish – yachts moored safely out of the white capped waves that are whipping up the loch. We make a brief stop to take in the view from Arduaine gardens overlooking Lock Melford and then on to Kilmelford for a steaming cup of leek & potato soup at the Cuilfail Hotel, in front of a roaring fire.
The remainder of the ride to Oban is in heavy showers. However, encouraged by a break in the clouds  we decide to divert our route via the western Isles to Skye and take the 5:30pm ferry to the Isle of Mull. When would we get another opportunity?


On board Simon is in heaven. He has at last found someone to talk to intelligently about two of his passions – birds and football. For me the light was spectacular for photography. Miraculously my camera starts working again properly after the shutter had seized up when I fell off the dry wall back before New Cumnock.

.  We had checked  with the tourist office on what limited accommodation there was on offer in Craignure while waiting for the ferry and decide to secure a room at the more upmarket Isle of Mull Hotel. Way more than our usual and rather full of stuffy older people too smartly and comfortably dressed for our liking.  We decide to bike back to the ferry where we have an excellent meal at the Craignure Inn and discover we could have stayed there. We meet Jonathan & Tracy a lovely couple on holiday from Dewsbury near Leeds. They generously donate £10 to our charities

Simon Sez,

A better day although sill plenty of showers, some heavy. A beautiful ride up the west coast to Oban. The west coast and the western isles are so wild, rugged and beautiful.

By the time we get to Oban we had more or less decided to go further off piste and go via the Western Isle route up to Skye & the Wester Ross rather than the more conventional route  via Fort William & Loch Ness.  We were sucked in by the sheer romanticism of the Western Isles and rather ignored the “Amber Alert” forecast given.  We made the fateful decision to take this route. We went to Tescos and stocked up on energy bars.

On the ferry from Oban to Mull we drank a pint of bitter forsaking the £3 offer for a double Black Bottle (Islay malt blend).  Sometimes we make very bad decisions.

We meet an incredible man from Lancashire, Gary Jenkins. He is a seriously mad “twitcher” and bird photographer who is going to Iona to photograph corncrakes and then to somewhere else to photograph White Tailed Sea Eagles. He was also a fanatical Burnley FC supporter claiming to have missed only 6 games in 24 years. I had as a boy been to Turf Moor, home of Burnley FC  several times and had watched the great Burnley and Northern Ireland player, Jimmy McIlroy score a goal there from a corner (c.1958) I mention this to Gary who said “Jimmy’s still a God in Burnley” We watched gannets soaring and diving through his fantastic £1800 Swarovski binoculars and he told us about the amazing birds he had photographed ( 3 in this month’s Birdwatching magazine to which I happen to subscribe).

As we approach Craignure on Mull he mentions that there are usually Black Guillemots to be seen in the harbour. In the harbour there only two birds to be seen on the water, a pair of Black Guillemots, bobbing up and down. Rare birds that I have never seen before. Very beautiful – black as the night with large round pure white wing patches. Very exciting.

Into Craignure we book into the more upmarket Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa. It is raining hard. We eat at the Craignure Inn where we drink some excellent Highlander bitter – 4.8% ale with a real bite


I could murder a cigar