I’ve been writing and editing for such a long time now that I’m well trained in the art of brevity. So I enjoy finding signs that don’t obey the rules. The disruptors and mavericks – mixing things up. A bit wordy. Slightly long-winded. They meander to the point. This one might be better as a map, but I’m glad it’s this very stolid (and highly legible) sign.
This one is like the ‘before’ part of a Plain English exercise. I can feel the red pen itching to come out. It made me slow down and appreciate the objects.
And this one. Oh boy! You get a clear picture of the person who wrote it. I am relieved to report I was not taking small children into the museum and no valuable exhibits were harmed.
Ulva is another island off the coast of Mull. It’s community-owned with an interesting history. Much bigger than Iona, there is more to explore and if you fancy full day’s walk, Ulva is linked by bridge to Gometra, an island off an island, off an island, off an island.
Getting to Ulva is fun because you summon the ferry by sliding a cover across a wall facing the island, to display a red square. I’m pretty sure the ferryman can see who’s waiting anyway, but it’s fun to follow the procedure and feel all powerful when the little boat, that’s like something out of Thunderbirds, makes its way across the short stretch of water.
Sheila’s Cottage, close to the ferry tells the story of life on Ulva, in a traditional thatched cottage. It was closed for refurbishment when we visited but was suitably atmospheric from the outside.
There are no cars on Ulva. There are no paved roads to put them on. There are plenty of walks though. We did a shortish walk to see a church designed by Thomas Telford. I found it a bit of a trudge to be honest, possibly because it headed inland on rough tracks or perhaps I was just spoilt after a beautiful day on Iona.
Beside the ferry landing on Ulva, The Boathouse does cakes and meals and is a great place to watch the comings and goings on the water. For ferry times and some truly beautiful photos follow The Ulva Ferry on Facebook, or @theulvaferry on Instagram.
The Isle of Iona lies just off the south-west coast of Mull. The ferry leaves from Fionnphort, a pretty wee place with a particularly stunning beach (above).
Famous as the cradle of Christianity since St Columba arrived in 563, there are various landmarks, like the ruins of the 13th century nunnery, St Oran’s chapel (below) and the Abbey. John Smith, the former Labour leader is buried in the churchyard.
Iona is a relatively small island – 1.5 miles wide by 3 miles long. The main attractions are fairly close to the ferry slipway and beyond that there are longer walks and beautiful white beaches. There’s an interesting mix of locals, tourists and pilgrims floating about. Lots of international accents in this remote corner of Scotland.
Iona is often described as a “thin place” where the gap between heaven and earth is closer than usual, like Holy Island and Holy Isle. I didn’t feel that (I’m not religious), but it was extraordinarily beautiful. I’ve never seen a colour palette like it, with the blue sea and the salmon-coloured rocks offset against the rugged yellows and browns of the hills.
I understand what people mean now, about it being a place that stays with you.
Ardalanish Weavers is on Mull, and is worth a detour off the main road to Fionnphort near Bunessan. This is a long-standing family weaving business (similar to the Islay Woollen Mill) where not only can you buy woollen products, but you can see them being made too.
Ardalanish’s speciality is naturally-dyed wools. This yellow yarn gets its colour from daffodils, and the orange one is from madder. If you want to get into natural dyes, Snapdragon Life is very educational on how to do this and get great results. The hues and gradients are really beautiful.
The weaving room is full of old industrial looms (in good working order) and paraphernalia like bobbins and empty yarn cones.
The looms were quiet when we visited, all the better to nose around. We had an enthusiastic guide, and the Ardalanish website also has a great explanation of the weaving process. It’s always good to see old machines being looked after and making something wonderful.
The shop sells blankets and jumpers, and some food products from the farm. I bought some wool dyed with madder to knit a scarf I saw in a film – a project for the winter!
I had a little break in Mull, and went the long way round to get there. When you can explore new bits of Scotland and ride on new ferries, why not take a bit longer.
The trip from Glasgow, along the banks of Loch Lomond and through Glencoe was beautiful. Everything looked rugged and dramatic at this time of year, still with its winter coat on.
Instead of going to Oban and getting the ‘big’ ferry to Craignure, we got the smaller Corran Ferry that links the main part of the mainland to Morvern, Ardnamurchan and beyond. This is a tireless little car and passenger ferry run by Highland Council. Set up for speed and convenience it runs fairly constantly for most of the day, taking about 5 minutes to cross. Impressive.
The road to Ardnamurchan point was quiet and scenic, with some beautiful views over the water. Ardnamurchan Distillery is worth a look. Its dancing Scotsman mascot comes from an old Punch cartoon.
At the end of the road, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse sits on a headland, looking over the westernmost point of the British mainland. The Egyptian-style lighthouse is a real beauty, eclipsed from some angles by its fabulous bright red foghorn. There is a great book called The Foghorn’s Lament by Jennifer Lucy Allen that explains why foghorns are disappearing – it was a treat to see one in such magnificent condition.
Last leg of the journey was the ferry from Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan to the Isle of Mull. This takes 35 minutes and delivers you right into the centre of Tobermory, the main town. It’s a ‘turn up and go’ service that can’t be booked. We got lucky and turned up just in time to catch the last one.
Holy Isle is a small island in the Firth of Clyde, off the Isle of Arran – not to be confused with Holy Island in Northumberland. I have looked at it so many times from Lamlash and was determined to get there, even though it’s an epic journey by public transport of two trains, two ferries and a bus each way from Glasgow. In the end, it took almost a year for weather and tide times to align and I just caught the last sailing of the year.
The ferry is a small boat operated by Lamlash Cruises. Check their site for sailing times, these vary according to tides and other factors. The journey from Lamlash takes around 15 minutes and the view of Arran from the boat is worth the trip alone. Grant, the skipper, is very knowledgeable and gives visitors a good introduction to the island on arrival.
The whole island is owned by the same Buddhist community as Samye Ling. The main building is a monastery which is open for retreats but closed to day visitors, apart from the garden. There are only really two paths to take – a walk to the other end of the island either easily along the shore, or more strenuously over the top. It’s about 2 miles end-to-end and there’s a lot to take in along the way.
Getting around is simple as there are no roads and barely any people. There are some Christian sites like the cave of St Molaise, sitting alongside brightly painted rocks featuring Buddhist deities, and populations of wild Eriskay ponies, Saanen goats and Soay sheep. It took me around 3 hours to amble to the lighthouse and back. It’s not far but there’s a lot to look at.
There are also two lighthouses on the island. The Inner lighthouse is on a private part of the island, and the Outer or Pillar Rock Lighthouse is at the end of the public path where you can sit and enjoy a good view of the Firth of Clyde.
How to get to Holy Isle on public transport
Train from Glasgow Central to Ardrossan (Scotrail)
Claire from Lussa Gin gave us a tip-off about the Islay Woollen Mill, which is just off the main road to Port Askaig.
Started in 1883 and still going strong, the mill supplies high-end tailors in Savile Row and further afield.
It is most famous for weaving the tweed used in Braveheart and other big name Hollywood productions. Their fabrics are produced on two traditional Dobcross looms and shipped all over the world.
The vibe inside is distinctly down-to-earth – an old building with lots of character filled with old looms, yarn cones, rolls of fabric and weaving paraphernalia, all higgledy-piggledy.
Lucky visitors can get an impromptu tour from the owners and try out the big scissors.
This is Eas Mor Library on the isle of Arran. It’s a little log cabin in a forest beside a waterfall.
The library is filled with books and messages left by visitors over the years.
There are drawings, messages and all kinds of wisdom, from inspirational quotes to ‘We saw a jellyfish’.
It was created by Eas Mor Ecology who are working hard to enhance the beautiful area around the Eas Mor waterfall.
It’s a steep (but fairly short) hike to the top on well-kept paths. There’s a circular route, which is also a steep hike down in places, depending on which route you take.
Eas Mor is 1-2 miles from Kildonan in the south of Arran. There is a car park and a bus stop near the entrance just off the A841. A cafe is planned for the summer.
