The Sound of Mull can be a little like the M6 with lots of boats heading north or south depending on the tide, wind and size of their boat. On this passage there seemed to be an exceptional variety.
Oban is a busy transit port so it wasn't surprising to see the two converted fishing boats, now cruise ships who were moored near us in Oban, heading north.
They were followed by one of the ubiquitous Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferries. Whenever I see one of these vessels, which is frequently, I turn into a very proud mum knowing my eldest son was probably instrumental in the training the officers on board.
However, my "proud mum" reverie quickly changed when we realised how fast and close the ferry was to us! The wake was significant: sitting down and holding on was the only option. EB was sent rolling, coffee flying, water container plummeting and grill pan skidding. My first encounter of a large wake of this direction, proximity and broadsides - interesting! I'm happy to report, no casualties, human or otherwise.
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| Glen Etive: a converted fishing boat now cruising around Mull |
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| CalMac Ferries come in all shapes & sizes |
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| Lismore Lighthouse |
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| Saga: Spirit of Discovery |
Something more of a surprise was the cruise liner, Spirit of Discovery. This could well be a regular route for them but I did wonder if using UK waters was a business response to Covid restrictions.
We watched fascinated by the yacht which appeared to be heading straight for it. After our experience with the ferry's wake, sitting down and holding on must have been critical on board. The yacht was thrown about like a ping pong ball but carried on sailing.
"Covid seems miles away from here. We are required to wear face coverings, sit outside at pubs & cafes but generally the pandemic feels somewhere else. No news, living in relative isolation on the boat and limited contact on shore all helps." [from sketchbook]
We followed the Saga cruise liner north and watched it turn west heading out into the Atlantic either to go north again to the Small Isles and Skye or south towards Staffa and Iona. Either way, its passengers were in for a treat. Meanwhile, we headed east and into Loch Na Droma Bruidhe (say, Loch Drumbuie).
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| Spirit of Discover on the horizon: Mull to its left and Ardnamurchan Penisula on its right |
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| entering Loch Na Droma Bruidhe - starboard side |
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| entering Loch Na Droma Bruidhe - port side |
This quiet, pretty loch is the perfect counterpoint for bustling Tobermory, which we visit later. Loch Na Droma Bruidhe is anchoring only. This is where the clever, self-righting anchors come into their own. We don't have one of those so anchoring can be interesting. In this instance it was more straightforward than interesting, which is good. Two nights in this peaceful haven was splendid. We lazed, read, drew and fiddled with the boat (guess who that was). The sunsets were beautiful.
One morning, we were hailed by a yacht leaving the loch. One of the women on board, who I now know was Isobel Park, had taken images of the sunset too and guess what was in the direct line of her view - EB. As requested, I shouted over my email address and a few days later her lovely images pinged into my messages. My thanks again to Isobel for sharing her photos which follow below.
If you look carefully at the first one, you may spot a seagull sitting on our dinghy. Without knowing, Isobel had caught it in her image. I took a photo of it. I guess it just liked our dinghy. You will probably notice, behind the seagull in my image are the two cruise boats. Their relatively quiet passengers enjoyed the loch too.
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EB: photo by Isobel Park |
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| EB: photo by Isobel Park |
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| sea mist in the adjacent loch visible over the land separating us |
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| cruise boats leaving before us |
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| The entrance to the loch, feet and a new hammock. |
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| leaving Loch Na Droma Bruidhe |
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| Tobermory |
Tobermory is a picture perfect, quintessential, Scottish fishing harbour that has learnt to accommodate a plethora of visitors. The distinctive orange and blue of the RNLI lifeboat is the welcome, leading to the brightly coloured shops and businesses of the seafront.
More about Tobermory soon.
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