A Winter Weekend on Mull

Getting there…eventually

Maybe it was the photos a friend and neighbour was sending to me of her winter Hurtigruten cruise up Norway’s spectacular coast but in early December, I really, really longed for our own gorgeous west coast.One advantage of off peak is the chance to stay in some nice places for half the usual cost and I soon found that the Western Isles hotel in Tobermory was offering a pretty reasonable two night deal for the weekend ahead.

Getting a ferry booking wasn’t easy however despite the time of year and we had to settle for a late afternoon sailing. Never mind , we’d make the most of the beautiful drive to Oban and take our time.

 However,the fairly mixed forecast for Saturday suddenly changed and Storm Darragh was due to hit the whole of the UK Friday night into Saturday! That spelled warning bells for the Oban – Craignure crossing so I signed up for text and emails alerts from CalMac, the operator.

We’d had a long arranged brunch planned with Chris’s son and his wife and wee granddaughter so after a lovely morning with them, we set off around 12 noon.That still gave us plenty of time for the 2.5 hr drive to Oban including a lunch stop somewhere.The wind was fierce and the rain battering down when we left home and it felt brutally cold, even though it was well above freezing at around 5C.But the wind is always the thing in Scotland- it’s never warm even in summer!

The roads were busy enough though the traffic eased as we hit Loch Lomond, the area looking incredibly beautiful, the cold waters of the loch whipped up into white horses.The hill forecast was for 70mph winds on the summits and I looked up at Ben Lomond wondering if anyone was up there; there’s aye some nutcase!

Still, the drive was glorious even under gloomy skies.

The rain was mostly off and we were soon at one of my favourite café stops, the simple Tree Shop Café beside the more upmarket Loch Fyne Oyster Bar.Got  great homemade Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper soup with good bread plus a nice bit of Carrot Cake to share and a cuppa.

The messages were coming in thick and fast from CalMac with sailings cancelled but they were holding out till 4pm to see if the(our) 5pm would go. Unfortunately, we were too late to make the alternative, non bookable Corran and Lochaline ferries to Mull as they went off mid afternoon because of the weather.They are usually a saving grace if the Oban run is booked or has problems.

Fortified with food and tea, we headed through Inveraray and over the hill road to Loch Awe.With shafts of sunlight on the mountains, the whole scene really was stop-in- your- tracks stunning.Had a brief stop at the viewpoint to Kilchurn Castle, an atmospheric ruin at the head of the loch.It looked quite something in the winter light…

On to Oban and although increasingly windy, the roads were fine and not busy.Arrived in Oban just before 4 pm and almost immediately got a message that all further sailings today were cancelled.So…no Mull today!

I got us booked onto the 9am ferry tomorrow, Sunday and also got the good news from the hotel that we could shift our booking to Sunday/Monday night at no extra cost.Terrific! I also managed to book an Airbnb en suite above the town for Saturday night, so…we were sorted.

A quick trip to Marks and Spencer’s in Oban to get goodies for our dinner and we headed uphill to the Pulpit View area where a very attractive little room, kitchen and bathroom awaited.It was at the top of a very steep hill with parking right outside and appeared ot be the lower level of a very large villa.Inside it was very stylish and I liked it at once – cosy too, plenty warm! We had our own breakfast bar area plus a fridge, kettle etc for tea plus a bottle of wine had been left for us (lovely!) , some nice chocolate biscuits and even a pint of milk! These wee touches really elevate somewhere,you do feel welcomed.The little en suite was also very cosy and the heating had been put on for our arrival.Would certainly book this place again if we had an early ferry to catch.

Super quiet at night so had a good sleep – an advantage of Airbnb over a hotel where even in really top hotels, I don’t like the noise that sometimes emanates from other rooms/guests.People seem a lot noisier these days, less considerate of others!

Over the Sea to Mull…

It was still dark when we drove down the hill to the harbour next morning, the wind noticeably lighter and no messages from CalMac.No news is good news!

There was quite a queue at the port as various island sailings were going out…to Tiree and Coll, to Barra….all much longer than the shortish 50 min crossing which awaited us.

Set sail we did, bang on 9am in the small Loch Frisa boat as the main boat was elsewhere for repair.Beautiful sail as ever, stunning views of the mainland mountains lit by the winter sun.

Pretty much all CalMac sailings are gorgeous but over to Mull is one of my favourites.It’s why I’d always prefer this route to the island, rather than via Corran though that offers some great scenery too.

Looking towards Mull in the first photo then the mainland mountains of the Argyll coast…

I love the view back over the lighthouse on the little Isle of Lismore…

Duart Castle near Craignure was looking impressive…

Approaching Craignure…a tiny place…

Given daylight hours are relatively short in December (about 8 hours) we decided to stick to the northern half of Mull this trip rather than visiting Iona.Always a miss but we know Iona and the southern end of Mull very well.In fact, in May we spent three days on the island and enjoyed a truly fantastic meal at Ninth Wave.For fine dining, this incredibly pretty restaurant (which has very limited opening hours, lunch only and must be booked well ahead) is quite unique in Scotland and to me, THE place to try for foodies.The restaurant’s signature Lobster dish…

I wanted to see Loch na Keal and Calgary Bay, which is actually one of Scotland’s 40 officially recognised National Scenic Areas.With luck, we might also see some of the star wildlife species as Mull is otter and eagle (sea and golden) central.

Half an hour’s drive took us to Loch na Keal where we scoured the ruffled waters for any tell tale signs.No luck, all was quiet.Lovely drive though…

Meandered our way up the loch’s north shore, stopping often to admire the views.Had a peek inside the honesty box at Ballygowan and lo and behold, there were several freshly made Sourdough loaves! Oh, the aroma! In the summer, we’d bought still-warm cinnamon buns.Gorgeous baking from the lady of the house.

It feels very remote up the North West coast, with views to the ethereal Treshnish Isles (puffins galore in summer) and the Isles of Coll and Tiree.

Had a stop at one of the waterfalls on route – in the photo above.

And another stop to look back down Loch Tuath to the island’s highest mountain, Ben More at just over 3,000 feet and some of the cliff girt headlands…

Calgary Beach

Then the big sweep down to the open ocean as we headed for Calgary beach.The beach was actually quite busy with what seemed to be two families playing cricket.I must admit, I felt slightly aggrieved as in winter, I’d expected to find it really quiet if not deserted.

It really is a lovely stop for a stroll though, albeit we decided not to go out along the coastal trail today, a favourite hike on the island and a very easy one on a good path.We were feeling lazy! I’d really recommend that little walk as far as you feel like going – it gives great vistas over the turquoise bay and we usually see sea eagles out that way.

For more photos of all of the above areas of Mull under mostly summer skies, please see:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzTBcK

The excellent Calgary Café was shut(as in fact many island cafes were) so we parked above the beach and did a circuit of it.

Onwards to Tobermory, a good 40 mins away.Roads were very quiet.

We’d had breakfast in the Airbnb and lunch on the hoof…some fruit, chocolate, crisps and sparkling water and were now looking forward to a hearty dinner at the hotel! Normally we might have got bacon rolls on the ferry but the small replacement vessel only did vending machine hot drinks.Tobermory below with Xmas lights lit…

It was still another hour or so before we could get into our hotel and I was desperate for a cuppa.Chris wanted something better so we headed for the Mishnish pub, a well known hostelry in Tobermory.Very characterful inside with a stove blazing, it was a lovely short stop.

Fortified and with a bit of daylight left, we decided to up the step count a bit more and do a walk I’d always meant to do but never seemed to make the time for – out to the Lighthouse at the edge of Tobermory Bay.

We followed a lovely wide path from the end of town which took us through woodland high above the sea.

Views began to open up to beautiful Ardnamurchan with Ben Hiant and Ben Resipol looking very fine.

Then a gentle descent to the Lighthouse itself, the walk out here taking us about 30 mins all in.We had a wander round this attractive spot then headed back as we were both pretty hungry by now!

Our room was on the second floor with courtyard views.Nicely decorated, with painted wood panelling and an attractive shower/bathroom.As the days are so short, we didn’t reckon we’d make the most of a room with a view and the extra cost was considerable.

Nice views of Tobermory from the hotel’s terrace…

We had got a good deal, I thought –  two nights B&B @£260 including  a £50 contribution towards dinner and a bottle of wine in the room.

The Western Isles hotel is a very old building and very traditional inside but with an excellent conservatory dining room, all glass windows overlooking the harbour and the sea.

It’s 3 star so the rooms are not wow but perfectly acceptable.The public sitting room was lovely…

Popped open some champagne in the room-  ‘slainte!’ Down at 6.15 pm for an early dinner as we were famished.Wed just snacked during the day.

Very nice dinner it was too.Top notch scallops to start, beautiful! I honestly think Scottish seafood is the best in the world or certainly the equal of anywhere that boasts good shellfish etc.Beautifully cooked, browned on the surface on a cauliflower purée.

My main was just fish and chips but the haddock was so firm and meaty, wonderful.Chris’s Rib Eye was good too though the peppercorn sauce was unbelievably salty.I suggested he mentioned this to the waiter but he decided just to leave it.Tasty chips.

Nice relaxing evening in our room, planning tomorrow..good forecast, so a nice easy walk to Langamull beach was on the cards.

2nd Day Langamull Beach and a great Otter sighting

Woke to a fine dawn and watched the sun rise from the dining room as it lit up the Sound of Mull.Cold buffet plus full cooked breakfast on offer…I noticed a vegan option and although I’m definitely not vegan or vegetarian, I went for it as I liked the veg in it.Without going into detail, I need to eat a lot of veg.This had mushrooms, butternut squash and lots of cooked spinach.Chris’s traditional fry up looked far more appetising but needs must sometimes plus I’ve been putting weight on consistently all winter and had hoped to cut down a bit pre Xmas so that I could indulge properly come 25 Dec and beyond!

Well fed, we headed out via the Dervaig road again, making for the Langamull car park, a 35 min drive away.Only one other car when we arrived, a lady with a basket for gathering things on the beach; may have been shells she was after as she was out on the sands even longer than we were, picking things up.

The lovely shell sand beaches at Langamull are a 40 min gentle walk downhill on good tracks.When clear, they offer lovely views to mountainous Rum and the distinctive outline of the Isle of Eigg (below.)

My Bird App picked up the call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker in a little copse of trees as we strolled along – not the usual rap on a tree trunk but an actual call.Didn’t recognise it at all but great to know it was close by.

It was a cold but beautiful blue sky day as we strolled down the track, the wind having dropped almost completely.

It really is delightful at the beaches.There are never many people at Langamull, given the walk. Apart from the ‘gathering’ lady, we had the lovely turquoise coves all to ourselves.

A bit more seaweed during winter – more accurately, it’s kelp from the Sargasso sea near Bermuda, brought here by the Gulf Stream.

We enjoyed a wander in and out the little coves, otter spotting and at one we actually saw fresh prints, definitely not from a dog from the shape…

That gave us extra hope that an otter wasn’t too far away as they looked very fresh.

We both made our way out to a low headland, scanning the calm sea.I had just walked over a little rise when slap bang in front of me, twenty metres away at most and in a little hollow, an otter was rolling itself on the grass, cleaning its thick fur.

What a sight!

I stood stock still (their eyesight never seems to be very good on land, as long as you don’t move they don’t appear to focus very well on what you are.I hoped I just looked like a great big rock.) Chris joined me quietly, not moving if the otter looked up suddenly from its ablutions.They have to clean their coats regularly to keep them in good shape for our cold waters.

Got some really good video footage but I’m not sure how to load it on this site.

Bowled over by this experience, we headed back up the track to the car park, the woodpecker calling again.

Forty mins very winding drive took us to Tobermory where we had a stroll along the pretty High Street though most shops were closed.

Aros Park and waterfalls

With a bit of daylight left, I was keen to see Aros Park , a few mins drive from town.This is a very unusual park in the Hebrides given it is so wooded! A network of good paths and trails lead to waterfalls and a little loch as well as a new development at a pretty bay which will be fantastic when it opens next year.Really impressed with this area  – the waterfalls were spectacular.

Picked up some BBQ Chicken Wings and Drumsticks for dinner in our room, olives and Jalapeño and Cheddar bread.Tasty quick food!

Our last day dawned very cloudy and dull, bit of drizzle but not too bad.With our ferry at 1pm, we had plenty time to do the Crater Loch hike near Tobermory.It’s a small hill that sits above the pretty Mishnish lochs and a reasonable if at times boggy path took us easily up its slopes to a little ring of high ground round a small Lochan.The thing would be to have a clear day for the views to Rum’s impressive mountains but the island was in clag.However, we did make out Coll and Tiree and even South Uist on the Outer Hebrides.

Final Day and Crater Loch walk

Good to get a walk in, maybe 90mins all in, including a sit at the top and photos.I was keen to get down towards Craignure and the ferry, so rather than go into the Chocolate Shop in Tobermory we made for the Isle of Mull hotel which had a big makeover a couple of years back.I’d never been in it and wow, what a change.

Sat in the lovely lounge with a view over the bay, had tea, latte for Chris and some nice shortbread.Really impressed with the place.

Then on to join the ferry queue…our weekend over.But what a wonderful trip, Mull as ever, inspiring even in the short, dark days of winter.