Having had two boats trips in successive days, we were pleased to have less timed events so after breakfast, we decided to head out and explore the South West coastal area.
We first called by near Castle Duart (closed for repairs) as there are eagles active in that area. We observed the multiple signs warning you not to stop, park, stay, wait etc, although to be fair, one of the places which tempts you to stop is the entrance to someone’s property.
Parking near a Cemetery which had a sign opposite prompting you to stop, we sat and watched for a while but no joy. You could see the eagles nest though in a tree in the distance, and it looked huge.
Moving on, we had a brief stop near Loch Don which was a quaint place and unsurprisingly with lots of properties and a single track road, signs everywhere saying no parking or stopping.
There was a lovely old boat sitting there waiting for a shot, so we stopped like a pair of bank robbers with the car engine still running, and I bagged the shot below.
Next up, we decided to take a detour off the main road to Lochbuie with the promise of coastal views and another castle.
It was a decent drive along single track road and the coast was impressive.
On arrival, as the sun was blazing, we enjoyed a cuppa and a piece of cake from the shop and noticed quite a lot of camper vans which wasn’t a surprise given the amazing view out to sea.
We walked up to the castle and took some shots of the stream which made a nice leading line up to the castle.
I think this is a really nice shot, which I can only criticise that it would’ve been better with a more cloudy overcast sky.
On the walk back to the car, we then called in St. Kilda’s Church, which was built in 1876.
The church was tiny but had lovely stained glass windows. There were some lovely reflections being cast on the window ledge and floor from the sun coming in.
I’ve took some other shots to check over at a later date.
Heading back to the main road, and progressing further along the coastal single track road heading West, we continued the tour.
Completely on purpose (courtesy of the Photovue Scotland book), we ended up at Uisken beach which was a stunning beach with lots of rocks, and mountains on the horizon.
This was late in the day, but there were lots of folks getting their water sports gear packed up.
We wandered around and I did quite a few shots here handheld. It lived up to the recommendation and there were plenty of photo opportunities on offer.
We drove up to the car park at Ardalanish beach but it was getting really late, and neither of us fancied the walk down there, so we began our drive back.
We had a quick stop at Bunessan to look more closely at the harbour and use the local facilities. We laughed because at the Craignure Inn the night before, I had the “Bunessan Bad Boy” burger, so it was good to see the place which inspired the name.
I got the shot below but again, feels wrong to be complaining, but the weather was too nice! So sunny, warm and bright, the sky was bereft of much detail.
We then decided to head back but take the coastal road at Aird of Kinlock round Ben More.
This was a lovely scenic drive and past the place where we would’ve been on the sea eagle boat trip. We were hoping to maybe spot an eagle, or an otter on the shore but no joy.
This road is another single track road and care is needed as some drivers appear to like to drive along this road at pace. It’s hard to avoid stereotypes when casual observation does seem to suggest Audi, BMW, and 4WD vehicles appear to be largely driven by those who don’t value life.
Having got back late, we missed the fish and chips at Salen, and were too late for a third trip to the Craignure Inn so had a night eating snacks.
To be fair, this was welcome as we were both scoffing lots of food already on this trip, and could feel the extra “timber”!
That was it for Mull – our lasting impression was that it is a nice island, and well worth a visit. We felt that in 3-4 days, we’d done most of what we wanted and there was no pull to come back again.
The single track roads were challenging but we also felt and noticed a lot of rules, and that there was a real lack of designated places to park and take in the views.
Feels harsh to mention these things as the landscape needs to be preserved and treasured, not trampled on and destroyed by tourists. Whether these rules, signs and notices have always been here, or they’ve increased due to increased footfall due to post-lockdown tourism is not known.
We enjoyed the Isle of Mull very much and glad we came. My original concern that we had undershot the amount of time to stay here were unfounded.
We left satisfied and with plenty of happy memories to cherish.
Next up was to depart by the nearby ferry early next day for the Isles of Lewis and Harris.
Onwards and upwards…