A Grand Day Out in Argyll

Tobermory jetty

We started the day in the Morvern village of Lochaline on the Sound of Mull. It is in Highland, although in my opinion should be part of Argyll  After an early breakfast in the Manse, now an Airbnb run by a Glasgow herbalist, we caught the ferry to Fishnish on Mull. We were in Tobermory before 10 am to discover that all the ferries leaving Mull were full apart from the 1:30pm boat to Oban. It rather disrupted our plans to spend the day on the island. Apparently, campervans have inundated Mull this summer with the result that spontaneous travellers such as ourselves have been scared off. Much the same has happened in the rest of Scotland; a number of acquaintances have told me that they are giving up going north in summer because of the congested roads, slow traffic, full campsites, shortage of places to eat and general over-commercialisation of tourism. It is a sentiment that I share although the mountains are still largely ignored by the new wave of tourists in campervans, coaches and the self-drive visitors following the Scottish Tourist Board circuit boards. The STB have ruined the Highlands for regular outdoor enthusiasts.

In the two and a half hours left we decided to drive over to Calgary and then journey down the north-west coast of Mull and try to catch the 1:30 ferry. It was a spectacular drive in perfect conditions. We stopped at the excellent cafe in Calgary and spent half an hour walking the beach before setting out with just an hour to make the final 35miles to Craignure. The narrow single track road was slow and we were held up by tourist traffic but made Craignure as the last car to arrive and get on the ferry. Worries over, the sail down the Sound of Mull was beautiful in the warm summer breeze. It is the place where our eldest learned to walk on the deck of a Calmac ferry so it has happy memories for us.

Disembarking at Oban we decided to make for Loch Melfort, the place where we stayed in exactly the same week 36 years ago when the summer was similar to this year. Our two daughters of 3 months and 2 years spent most of the week in a paddling pool. We tried to learn how to windsurf on the loch whilst grandparents held the fort.

We continued the excursion by driving on to Arduaine Gardens on the other side of Loch Melfort. They are one of the National Trust treasures, with the Gulf Stream providing conditions for a vast array of trees and plants and enjoying spectacular views over to Jura and Mull. The journey back to Glasgow was via Loch Fyne, where we stopped for an ice cream at Inverary and met an old neighbour. Loch Lomondside was chock-a-block with traffic returning from a grand day in Argyll. After the rain at the weekend, Glasgow was back in its high summer mode with the pavements alive with al fresco drinking.

Leaving Lochaline

Tobermory waterfront

Calgary coffee house

Midsummer crowds on Calgary beach

Calgary beach cafe

Looking across Loch Na Keal to Ben More

Sound of Mull

Oban waterfront

Our holiday cottage of 1982 on Loch Melfort

Arduaine Gardens, Loch Melfort

Loch Melfort and Mull

Arduaine Gardens

Vital Spark at Inverary

Loch Melfort in 1982