Dolphins sighted between Lismore Lighthouse and north end of Kerrera

On our way back from the Mull Mòd on the 7pm ferry we were delighted to see many young bottlenose dolphins cavorting in the bow waves. There was quite a strong tiderace in the narrow passage between Mull and Lismore, which must have attracted these predators for a feast on disoriented fish.
I'm saying "young" dolphins because they looked quite small. How many? Hard to say because we couldn't see under water, of course. But I'd guess at least six, maybe a dozen, maybe even more. At any one time, three, four, five of them would jump out of the otherwise very calm sea.
A fantastic end to a great day.

A great day -- felt like real summer

Hiya again
Today felt like a real summer's day. It was warm, with a lovely breeze, very sunny. People were out of doors, enjoying their gardens, the sea, the sun – perfect. Everyone agreed that we live in the most beautiful part of the world.
My day started early, seeing a friend off on the 8:11 train to Glasgow. The harbour was shrouded in fog. But by the time she had gone, the sun had nearly lapped it all up.
Housework included laundry and some garden work while the washing machine was churning upstairs. Lovely surprises today, one of which was this multiple tulip, tiny yellow plant – lovely!
This was Day Two of the first ever Marine Science Festival, organised by the Scottish Academy for Marine Science – SAMS. Lots of fascinating, fantastic events are on the programme, among them Open Days at the Lighthouse Boat, at the Lifeboat and at Oban Sailing Club.
So, when my chores were done, I cycled over to the Sailing Club and managed to catch a taster sail in Kerrera Sound, which was simply brilliant, with a good breeze and an expert skipper and crew. I also very much enjoyed the company of four wonderful kids with their dad (and I'm quite sure mum enjoyed a quiet afternoon).After a quick shower and change, a friend and I drove down to Ellenabeich on the Isle of Seil to enjoy a session of Songs of the Sea with geopoet Norrie Bissell, Mod Gold Medalist Mairi Mcinness, who sang songs both in Gaelic and English, and composer/pianist Mark Sheridan.
They presented the Atlantic Islands Suite, a Hebridean journey of self discovery in poems and music, which premiered last year on Luing and at the Belladrum Festival, and extracts from The Flight of the Arctic
Tern, which features an epic emigrant journey from Scotland to Australia by sailing ship.
It was a lovely event, a wonderful combination of poems, music and song – much too short, really. *)
This was the view when we arrived just after 7pm – the sun still quite high in the sky but already shrouded in a mist.
And this was the view that greeted us during the intermission: thick fog, and a much chillier air.
*) Norrie, Mairi and Mark will be playing again on Sunday, 23 May, at the Argyllshire Gathering Halls in Oban. Well worth it!

Oban, Argyll, in Winter - Xmas impressions

My kind of Xmas tree...
Frost art.
Snowy peaks on the Isle of Mull from Ganavan Sands, 5 miles north-west of Oban.
Ganavan Sands – winter detail.
Ancient tree in winter sunlight.
Roses in the Snow.
View from the top – Oban Bay and Kerrera dusted with snow

Oban in November

Cloud reflecting the still-strong sun above Oban Esplanade.

Hi there
I'm cheating a bit. This post is being composed on 16th January 2010 (it would have been my paternal grandmother's birthday today, her 110th at least). But I took the photos on a beautiful November afternoon in 2009, so that's when the post is going in.
In these parts, things often get more dramatic just after sunset.

Kerrera to Oban Sponsored Swim

Hiya

Nearly thirty swimmers braved the chilly waters in the Kerrera Sound for yesterday's Kerrera to Oban Sponsored Swim. The last few swimmers waiting to be taken across to Kerrera.And off they go!They're in the water, accompanied by a kayak, a couple of dinghies and under the watchful eyes of several lifeguards.
One of my friends' daughter came in second -- she's a very strong swimmer. Another friend of mine came in about sixth or seventh, ten minutes faster than last year.
Well done, you, Abigail and Ylva! And everyone else, of course. Maybe next year I'll take part, but only if I can find a wetsuit that fits me because the waters near the shore were infested with sizeable jellyfish -- beautiful, but nasty.

Kerrera

The jetty at Gallanach, with passengers embarking on the Kerrera ferry; the ferryman standing in wait for us.

Hiya
Fantastic day out on Kerrera -- left home just after 9am and got back just after 5pm. Walking all the time, except for maybe 40 minutes waiting for the ferry to and from the island, and about an hour sitting down for lunch at the gorgeous Tea Garden.

Most appropriately, a camellia shrub at the Kerrera Tea Garden. It's already almost past its glory.

A live hedge near Kerrera Tea Garden - part of their organic garden. A little further on, the rhubarb was already huge and in bloom!

The sun was in our faces much of the time; the skylarks were up in the sky; the waters were crystal clear; the horizon was hazy, yet we just managed to see Jura beyond Scarba and Seil.
As for wildlife, we saw a gannet coasting, rising and falling on the thermals up the western shore; we saw some of the famous wild goats of Kerrera; ...
... we saw one rabbit and lambs galore, some very shy, others not so shy...

As on Iona a couple of weeks ago, some of the lambs are so young, they have yet to grow into their skins. They're leggy!

We saw black Highland cattle, and numerous shaggy ponies and sturdy, yet elegant horses; we even saw some spectacular parrots!

Flowers and trees are far advanced, yet there were still some daffodils and narcissi; ...

Narcissi by the old school/chapel.

... wild cherries and blackthorn in swathes of white everywhere ...

By the Tea Garden, a cherry-tree in bloom vies for prominence against some golden-flowering, spiky shrub.

... and celandines like sun-coins scattered all over the patches of machair and dry bracken; ...
... elsewhere daisies, and light-purple violets; palest pink wood anemones; white wood sorrel blossoms with their purple veins; oh, and pink and pale blue forget-me-nots in a garden.
The pace is leisurely on Kerrera: we were overtaken by a few adults and kids on bicycles, and by one landrover ferrying a small boy and an elderly couple up to a farmstead.

Looking across the sea to Mull.

On the bouldery beach west of the beautifully restored ruin of Gylen Castle, seven sea kayakers had spread out their -- presumably -- damp gear. We were coming down from the castle when four of them had just finished packing up and were putting out again. Very colourful, very peaceful.
It made me want to learn use a kayak even more than I have so far! What a great way of getting around these islands and complicated shores! About an hour later, as we made our way back to the ferry from Gylen and the Tea Garden, we saw the four kayakers pushing hard up Kerrera Sound, against a stiff breeze blowing from the north.

Gylen Castle and the bay. On the horizon, the islands of Seil and Scarba.

The north face of Gylen Castle.

Gylen Castle has a natural archway. The ground tells me these days it's mostly sheep that seek shelter in there.

Gylen Castle is virtually untakeable. If memory serves from the excellent information panels, it was actually used as a residence for not even 75 years, and burnt out after a siege. The fire destroyed everything wooden inside, including the rafters that held up the roof.

Several previously abandoned crofts are being refurbished and are now occupied. It's good to see new windows put in and smoke rising from chimneys.

A traditional way of constructing a window (wind-eye) in a bothy.

The only thing that is in dire need of refurbishment is the old school/chapel only a little distance uphill from the ferry's jetty. The building is in a dismal state and the old piano seems to have had a narrow escape from part of the ceiling caving in. The toilets are unspeakable and the whole place just screams out for a bit of TLC and money. One millionth of the funds sent down the drain by our brilliant bankers would be plenty!
It makes me so angry to see the governments of the G20 throwing good money after bad. The things we could do if they had just decided to give each one of us a proportionate slice of that gigantic cake! We could all be debt-free, or with money in -- I almost wrote "the bank", but maybe a stocking under the mattress might be a safer place...

Cloudscape above Kerrera Sound from the ferry as we returned to the Mainland.

But I want to end on a positive note. The walk back to our homes took us up the old drover's track and into Oban via Pulpit Hill. Some spectacular flora there:Cheerioh, and come back soon!

To trust or not to trust what you find on VisitScotland

Hiya

It's a beautiful day up here in Oban today, and tomorrow is set to be even better. So, one of these days, I'm headed across Kerrera Sound for a good, long walk on the rugged, secluded island of Kerrera. Going with a friend and already looking forward to a great, simple lunch at the lovely Kerrera Tea Garden!

In preparation, I've been checking timetables for the ferry (a pdf download can be found here) and, just for curiosity's sake, I also looked up VisitScotland's "how to get there" sites. But boy do they ever point to the wrong locations! [[Amendment added the next day: the errors were corrected almost immediately; the maps are now correct. Elision marks below indicate where I had originally posted critical content that is no longer appropriate.]]
I've sent an e-mail to VisitScotland [...] here are the two links [...]:
• the [...] map for the Kerrera Ferry [...]
To get to the Kerrera Ferry from the big ferry terminal at Oban, it's about 1.5 miles south along the Gallanach Road. Contrary to information on various websites, the return fare has gone up and is now £5.00/person. For a current timetable, click here (pdf download).
• the [...] map for the Kerrera Tea Garden [...]
Another map for the Kerrera Tea Garden can be found here.
Two good descriptions of the island of Kerrera can be found here and here.

Oban Harbour on a fine day in September

Hiya!

Earlier this week we had a couple of fantastic days. I don't always cycle with my camera on a lanyard around my neck but I did capture this one on September 23, 2008:The two humps of Kerrera island frame Ben Mhor on the island of Mull.