Lmst

All in all, it was a fantastic trip. There was a surprising amount of woodland compared to other islands, which made us happy, and it wasn't too busy either.

I loved following the book rather than having to research all the routes etc myself: really took the pressure off. The walks won’t suit serious hikers but we prefer to do many short walks on holidays than big ones so it was perfect for us. We ended up doing 8 out of 10 of the walks - and the 2 remaining ones give us an excuse to go back 😁

Finally, before our ferry on Sat afternoon, we did our 8th walk from the book, at Fishnish. Again, somewhere we probably wouldn’t have gone without the suggestion but I’m very glad we did: a lovely walk through the trees.

Rosey was fine on the return ferry - I think she was partly just glad of the chance to sit down! - then after a quick leg stretch for her in Oban, we headed south. The Highlands looked glorious in the fine weather and there was a fab sunset in Ayrshire: a beautiful day.

A glorious sunny spring day. Pine woods, a small bay and large hills rising in the distance. A rough track curves tightly out of shot in the foreground.

A small white and brown dog stands on a rocky shore, with a calm blue sea behind her. Two sailing boats cross the image and in the distance, there are wooded hills.

A small ferry terminal stretches out into a calm blue sea. Hazy hills are visible in the distance.

A sunset - golds and pink light staining the clouds purple - behind a shapely tree on the edge of a field. The silhouettes of more trees of different shapes are visible on the hill ridge in the distance.

Rosey was a little poorly overnight so we were too tired for Friday’s walk from the book (8km in Glen Aros). Instead, we walked at Aros Castle and taught Rosey how to play with seaweed & dig on the beach.

For our last evening on Mull, we indulged in a session in the (mobile) sauna on the old pier in Salen Bay - and dipped in the sea to cool off. So much seaweed fell out of my hair in the shower afterwards 🤣

The mouth of a shallow river as it reaches the sea. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom, even from a distance, and the rocky islands in the water, and the banks, are covered in spring-time trees.

A man - grey curly hair, blue jacket - standing with a small brown and white dog in front of the ruins of a castle. Vegetation has consumed much of the castle’s remaining wall.

The ruins of the same castle from the previous photo, but this time at more of a distance. The castle rests on a rocky outcrop, over a curved sandy-ish bay.

We finally made it to Tobermory on the Thursday: we had a nice breakfast at the gallery and did the Lighthouse walk in the morning, then we spent the afternoon at Aros Park. We very much enjoyed the walk there and met a 14 week old cocker spaniel: she and Rosey played for ages and it made us want another puppy 😍 (not really but 😍 ). Then we went back to Tobermory for an early dinner and I consumed a ridiculous amount of shellfish...

The waterfront at Tobermory, as viewed from across the bay, from two churches on the left of the image to the ferry terminal on the right. Many of the buildings are painted pretty colours so it looks rather cheerful, even on not the brightest day.

Palm trees from underneath, so only the tops of their trunks and their leaves against the deep blue sky. It looks tropical rather than Hebridean.

A large shellfish platter for one person at a restaurant. Three langoustines at the front draw the eye, but there are also oysters, squat lobster tails, large crab claws and a mountain of mussels. There was also a shell full of queen scallops and a whole velvet crab under the mussels.

Wednesday was our hottest day and reminded us that we were glad we weren’t experiencing the same mini-heatwave as England, especially since our van’s AC is broken.

We walked at Devraig (somewhere we probably wouldn’t have gone without the book) and tried to do the walk at Calgary too but got stopped by roadworks, boo. We walked at Loch Frisa instead and the dog cooled off in the water.

A view from a hill top overlooking a glen. A river widens into a small bay, with some houses on one side. The image though is mostly filled with green hills, fields and small wooded areas.

A curving rough track cuts a path through rocks and some young trees. A stepped hill rises in the distance.

Next up on the book’s to-do list was Ulva. Ulva was my “only if we have time” walk and boy, am I glad we did have time. It was possibly my favourite walk of the trip - a lovely island, with an amazing cafe at the dock. Probably the best meal of our holiday. Recommend!

I was also very tickled by the mix of old & new tech: to hail the on-demand ferry (a guy in his boat), you move the wooden shutter to show red - then when he arrives, you can pay for the trip on your phone 🤣

Signage on the side of the building, with three white wooden sliders that can move back and forth. The biggest one is for the ferry, and as explained on the panel below in English and Gaelic, “to summon the ferry, uncover the red panel. As the boat approaches, return board to white.” The two smaller sliders show whether businesses on the island are open or closed - both are open today. A larger sign next to the sliders explains the ferry runs Monday to Friday, 9am-5:30pm, and on Sundays in June, July and August, and that you can pay by contactless, Apple Pay, and Android Pay.

A young brown and white dog running towards the camera along a footpath in soon-to-wake-up moorland. A man lingers down the path behind her, a long orange lead trailing between them.

A man hanging off an “overhang” boulder. He’s got grey curly hair and has a purple backpack. He’s not far off the ground but has his legs curled up against the rock.

A small boat - the Ulva ferry - setting off from a dock. It is being operated by a man, who is standing, and there are two passengers. The landscape beyond is majestic mountains, hazy in the sun.

Next day, we went over to Iona: the walk took up to the north coast, past the nunnery & Abbey, then we had a lovely lunch at the Rookery, with a fitting corvid chorus! (Rosey was a little more wary on that ferry, probably because she could see what was happening, but was fine on the return.)

Then we drove back along the Ross of Mull and around to the Tiroran Community Forest, for the walk there - and to overnight at the aire. We were the only visitors that night and it was fab - so peaceful.

A young brown and white dog being held by a man in a blue jacket - though her face is in front of his, so you can’t really see him. They’re on a beach, with white sand, and the dog is looking out of shot, with a serious expression on her face.

Small lilac flowers growing in the spaces between the stones of an old wall - the ruins of the nunnery on Iona.

The same dog as previous stands on a footpath, looking over a bay in the distance. Fields of sheep run down to the water and equally green hills rise in the distance beyond.

A small black van on some hardstanding is dwarfed by the landscape around it - moorland hills and pine trees.

On Sunday, we finally started on @felicitymartin's walks! We drove clockwise from Craignure so the first one was from Lochbuie, along the coast to a mausoleum. It was the wettest day of our trip but it was still a pleasant walk: lots of tiny lambs, including some brand new ones. We had lunch at the cafe there too, which was great.

We overnighted at Fidden's Farm near Fionnphort, and enjoyed the best beach of our trip. (If I'd known it was going to be the best beach, I'd have stayed longer!)

A little lamb - white wool, black face - standing in front of its mother (white wool, white face). Both are looking to the right, as if there is something holding their attention (the dog, on a lead, at a distance). A grassy hill rises quickly behind them.

An ornate marble gravestone in a mausoleum. It has a coat of arms, supported by cute seals, at the top, and the details of the life of Murdoch Maclaine Esquire and his wife, Christian MacLean (sic). The words are ridiculously over the top, with Murdoch apparently “universally respected and beloved in society”.

A view over a grey sanded bay with hills rising on the far side. In the foreground, there is gorse, yellow in flower.

Another bay, this time with white sand and clear blue sky, despite the grey sky above. The beach is speckled with large rocks, and the rocks & sand are slick from the retreating tide.

Rosey, who is now 9 months old, has had a few test nights in the van in March but not a long trip - nor a properly long drive, and certainly not a boat! - but she was great.

We made sure to give her good walks (at Ecclefechan & Glen Orchy) on the way up; then around Pulpit Hill/the mast/Druim Mor at Oban before the ferry the following day. She didn't seem phased by the big ferry: she just settled on her blanket and chatted to the other dogs on board.

A young brown and white springer spaniel, standing on the top of a moorland hill. In the background below is a pleasant residential area, and beyond that, a flat sea and islands.

A row of trees planted next to a tarmac path. The trees are all bent away from the path, indicating the typical direction of the wind.

A slightly fish-eyed photo of the lounge area of a ferry - seats in rows facing forward, about half full of people. There are also four dogs with their humans, including the same young dog as before.

The same young dog as previous, now sitting on a grassy campsite pitch. She's sitting up, looking out of shot to the right. Behind here, there is the still water of the Sound of Mull, with the hills of the Ardmurchan peninsula in the far distance.

We've just got back from 10 days in Scotland and it was *just marvellous*. We always head up there in April but always organise it at the last minute. Last month, when I was starting to think where to go, @felicitymartin mentioned Ordnance Survey had just published her book of short walks on Mull & Iona: ten walks between 3-8km each. We hadn't been to Mull before & our walks are restricted at the moment because of the pup, so that sounded perfect = an instant itinerary!

(Long diary thread!)

A picture of the book mentioned in the post "Short Walks Made Easy: Mull & Iona", along with Ordnance Survey maps of Mull.

@popchicken looks great. I'd still be wearing it too!

@sarahijackson I hope one day to have the courage to take singing lessons- not because I want to improve per se but as a marker for progress at fighting that demon. Currently, I'm trying to get braver at singing along with my (trusted, safe) partner, who sings in a band, but even that's difficult and I usually can't sustain it for more than a few lines. What are you doing to work on it?

@sarahijackson stupid songs to my cats & dog, every day without fail. In public, absolutely never, not even Happy Birthday. Too many "jokes" as a child from people who didn't like others expressing creativity/joy 😐

louisa_ :) boosted:

Camping in our little camper van for a week in Scotland. I love it but I've noticed it really helps me appreciate how comfortable our house is!

Camping is house fasting.

#scotland #camping

@vwdasher It's infuriating. I understand that politically, it's better for them to introduce unpopular things now and then bribe the voters with tax cuts/extra spending closer to the next election - but jesus. I'm not sure they've done **anything** positive in the 10months since they were elected.

@vwdasher this often happens with local elections (the right wing minority parties do better when there is nominally left wing government). I think/hope at this point that it's more about right wing people still rejecting the Conservatives after their decade+ long shitshow, and people on the actual left possibly staying home rather than voting Labour out of frustration, but ugh, still depressing.

@clarissawam I wouldn't say I like the stings but there's something interesting about the sensation, and I almost miss it when I realise it's gone away.

louisa_ :) boosted:

Came across a lamb on the wrong side of a fence from its mum today, both sounded quite distressed. After a short low speed pursuit I was able to pick up the lamb and pop it over the fence to be reunited.

I've never held a lamb before, it was so cute! In other news I may now be vegetarian again and also I want to have a baby.

#scotland #lambing

@clarissawam très chic!

@clarissawam they are indeed the best cats. Along with all other cats.

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