Late July 2019 – Oban and Tobermory, Isle of Mull

17th July – Wednesday – Corpach (Caledonian Canal) to Oban

We took a slight risk today as there were gusts of 22 in the forecast.  The forecast for the next few days was much worse, so we went for it.  We left the Sealock at Corpach at 08.00 with another four boats.  Two interlopers took the Starboard side and we (me) had to move everything around quickly to accommodate a the Port side mooring.  That wakes you up.

Loch Linnie was beautiful, even in the mist.  I don’t think anyone see’s the whole canal in sunshine.  We had heavy rain as we approached the Corran narrows, on the loch.  After that the weather got progressively worse.  The 22 knots gusts were 28 knots and the fog came down too.  We have not been to Oban before and there are many small islands and ferries to negotiate.  We arrived in Oban Marina on the Isle of Kerrera (Opposite Oban Town) at 3.30.  We were wet through.  7 and a half hours to complete 30 miles.  We parked on the fuel pontoon to start with as the wind was strong and the berths we had been directed to were full.  Obviously we could not stay on the fuel berth, but stayed two hours until the wind subsided.  I, almost jokingly, shouted ‘I Divorce Thee’ three times, once we were tied but.  But I don’t think it’s legal here!

18th July – Thursday

Swamped it down, as forecast.  Did washing.

19th July – Friday

There is a free ferry across to Oban Town.  It has to be booked with the office along with a return time.  After a misty morning the weather cleared and we caught the 12noon ferry.

Kerrera Ferry.

Fish and Chips for lunch at the Oban Fish and Chip restaurant, as recommended by Rick Stein (in 2002).  Excellent.  Lidl shopping, beer in Wetherspoons waiting for the ferry back.  Good Day.

Oban

Little did we know the day was about to get so much better.  A phone call from Mick’s Daughter Laura and Son-in-Law Damien to say that their daughter, Evie Egan, entered the world safely at 3.50 in the afternoon.  Grandad Bond and I are over the moon and we can’t wait to see her, she is soooo beautiful.

20th July - Saturday

A wedding party arrived in ferry boats this morning to have their wedding ceremony on the shore near the marina.

The bride and her dad.

We went for a walk around Kerrera in the afternoon.  The views are amazing.

Overlooking the Sound of Mull

Not a bad place to be a sheep.

We did 6 miles and 14k steps and still only managed to do half of the island.  There is a great need for signage.

21st July – Sunday

Ferry to town.  Wetherspoons Traditional Scottish Breakfast and coffees £10.50 for two, bargain and really good.  Tesco and Lidl, then a lazy newspaper day.

Sailors Port Info – Oban Marina

Located across Oban Sound this privately owned marina is a good place to stay a few days.  The Transit Marina in town has a 3 day stay limit, more of which later.

£31.50 per night plus £1 showers.  One return ferry ride per person per day is included in the price.  There is fuel available to paying guests only.  Washer £4, dryer £1.  Wifi Poor.  Restaurant is open every night.

The facilities are newly refurbished.  The owners and staff were very pleasant but ask them to check if there are spaces before you try to dock, as there is a sunken ship near the entrance which is off putting.

23rd July – Tuesday – Oban to Tobermory, Isle of Mull

When we used to keep Fleur in Largs, the only place I wanted to visit was Tobermory.  We only ever had two weeks holidays and the weather was never kind enough to allow it.  We were so near in Oban that it would have been a shame not to go.

We left Kerrera at 07.30 with a dark mist and black clouds.

Lady Rock Lighthouse at the narrows at the south end of the Sound of Mull.

The small lighthouse is on a spit which emerges directly from the large lighthouse.

Here the water converges and there are overfalls to deal with.  We did not have any problems with the overfalls, in either direction, even though they tossed us around a bit.  The navigators tide times have to be spot on as we were doing 7.8 knots with the tide, passing the lighthouses.

A beautiful break in the cloud.

The wind varied from 10 to 22 knots and was flukie all the way, the Genoa did not know whether it was coming or going.  Not since Windermere days have we experienced such sudden changes.

The navy training ship TS Royalist.  £4.8 million, two years old, goes around the country training navy cadets.  She turned up in Tobermory later.

Our first glimpse of Tobermory.

We arrived at 12.15pm after 25 miles.  We secured a mooring on the first-come-first-served pontoons half an hour before the Dutch, 21 boat flotilla arrived.  They are on a 9 week Round Britain Adventure Cruise with an organisation called Ocean People.  Our neighbours on Jack in a Box, were very friendly and we had some good chats. 

The Dutch Armada

The Dutch pontoon party.  They only had one, so that was ok.

24th July – Wednesday

A good jobs day, cleaning, gas, diesel, then I went for a mooch around the pretty shops.

In the afternoon I persuaded Mick out for a walk with the promise of an Ice Cream.  Isle of Mull Ice Creams in a small pink kiosk on the harbourside.  The imaginative flavours change every day.  Four days, 8 different flavours tried!  We also bought new Fixed Focus binoculars (7.5 x 50), we both wear glasses and have to change the focus each time we use our old ones, which Mick found in a skip years ago.  They are a massive improvement, so easy.

In my morning moochings I spotted a tiny sign at the end of the harbour saying Lighthouse 2kms.  Fueled by ice-cream we went up a slope and then onto a lovely enchanted path with trees touching above.

Views of the Sound of Mull and across to the Morvern Penninsula

Rubha nan Gall Lighthouse, at the end of the walk.

Our friends Steve and Ferne prescribed beers at the Mishnish pub, a good end to a good walk.

25th July – Thursday

Forecast to be the hottest day on record we decided against the 50 mile bus ride (each way), along single track roads to get to Fionnphort and the Ferry to Iona.  Well two buses to be precise and then returns.  We met a man on a bench whilst eating our ice creams, looking very frazzled.  He had just driven it and was in need of refreshment.   The other alternative was a Staffa Tours boat trip, at £65 each.  That is 6 sit-in chippy teas!  And they were full due to the holidays. 

We really think we will return here with the camper van, you need a vehicle to get around properly.

Only 23 degrees in Tobermory, compared to the heatwave further south.  We went to the small town museum, which passed an hour.   We also walked up above the town, where there is a nice gallery.

View from the Gallery.

26th July – Friday

We walked to Aros Park which is on the coast to west of the marina.  It is a circular walk interspersed with waterfalls.

The walk took around 2 hours, which was very pleasant in the sunshine.

My best picture, of many, of Tobermory.

We will be back here as there is much more to explore, hopefully with a vehicle.

Sailors Port Info: Tobermory Marina

The relatively new Marina Facilities and Aquarium.

View showing the marina pontoons and office.  There are numerous buoy moorings too, but don’t be scared, come for a closer look on arrival, as there are more pontoon moorings than you would think.  The approach angle is skewed and they are strangely ‘hidden’.

The whole marina suffers from wake-rattle-n-roll from the passing ferries and ships and a small yellow local boat which was a menace.

£28 per night.  Good facilities but Showers are £2, and use of the hairdryer 50p!  Most expensive so far, in 6 years!  Washer £3, Dryers £1.  Petrol Station next to Marina Office.  Very well stocked Co-op supermarket in town.  The wifi is poor and the phone signals are worse.  Makes for a relaxing visit.

Next stop, back to Oban for more Fish and Chips and a stock up before our next mission.