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.
