Kanga And Wombats Adventures

We were pretty determined to get on that ferry this morning. So was everyone else staying at the Lochaline Pub. It was a bit like our 2016 exit from Stratford Upon Avon (remember Jen and Grahame?). We had to be strategic over breakfast and time our exit.

We needn’t have worried. We ended up 6th in the ferry queue, plenty of room for everyone!

The actual crossing took only 18 minutes, but it was 18 minutes of sheer joy. We were finally on Mull!

We had the whole day to circumnavigate the Isle, so started by driving north to the largest town, Tobermory. Picture postcard perfect Tobermory!

A walk along the ‘front’ revealed some expensive crafty type shops, a great distillery and there, right at the end was the sad Loch Lihne, the broken down ferry we were supposed to catch from Kilchoan.

It seems the locals were pretty peeved about the quality of their ferry service too!

We ventured into the quirky town museum, and, quite by accident, found out Australia has a significant link with Mull (more later).

The wild north coast of Mull beckoned, and the navigation of single lane roads was taken to a whole new level. With the road hugging the cliff face, there were very few passing places. We just held our breath!

The white sands of Calgary Beach deserve a mention as Mulls biggest sandy beach. How lucky are we to have what we have back home!

The coast was desolate and wild, punctuated here and there by waterfalls, whitewashed cottages, and an owl or two.

We continued our drive, aiming for the tiny settlement of Gruline, to learn more about that special Australian connection.

Back in the museum, we’d noticed a picture of what was called The Macquarie Mausoleum, and were astonished to read that it was, in fact, the final resting place of our very own Lachlan Macquarie, the 5th Governor of NSW and whom they call over here, ‘The Father of Australia’!

It seems Lachlan was born not far from here, and although he died in London, his remains and that of his wife Elizabeth, daughter Jane and son Lachlan, are all interred in the Mausoleum at Gruline.

We were on a mission to find this tiny patch of Mull so intertwined with Australian history. A 500m walk off the road and up a tiny laneway brought us to this most beautiful clearing in the forest, revealing the tiny Mausoleum encircled by a stone fence. What a gorgeous spot.

The Mausoleum is actually cared for by the Australian National Trust. Now, wouldn’t that be a great job to put your hand up for? And had we not gone into the museum, we would never have known about it!

Our destination for the night was Fionnphort on the most southwestern tip of Mull. The coast here is a beautiful blend of pink and reddish coloured granite rocks, small patches of white sand, and very clear water. Fionnphort is also where you catch the ferry to Iona. So we did.

Idyllic Iona, holy island, and burial ground of kings (Macbeth reputedly, among others), is where St Columba landed after sailing from Ireland in 563, establishing a monastic community with the aim of Christianising Scotland.

We spent a few hours exploring the Abbey, Graveyard Chapel and nearby Nunnery. Fascinating and dominating, yet simple and pretty rustic.

As we waited for the ferry back to Fionnphort, these two gorgeous young things appeared from along the beach. From Ohio, they’d just gotten married! With both having Scottish roots, they thought this was the perfect place to tie the knot. Just the two of them here, how very perfect indeed!

As light was fading fast, we headed back across the short water channel to the pub, the Keel Row, for dinner and refreshments.

Mull Day 1- tick!