Scotland - a lot bigger than it looks!

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We spent 2 days in Tobermory, soaking up the pleasures of civilisation and restocking our stores.

Tobermory pontoons, seen from the coastal path

It was nice to be able to step ashore and have a shower, do some washing and eat-out.

After we had completed our chores, we had a walk to Aros Park, along the coastal path that runs from the marina.

The path to Aros Park through woods along the waterside

The waterfall - somewhere in the background :)

Then on Thursday 21st July, we filled up our diesel tank and set off down the Sound of Mull towards our next destination of Kerrera Island near Oban, where we will pick up crew: son Dan and daughter in law, Andrea.

Sailing down the Sound of Mull

We were lucky to have a very favourable wind of NNW F3 and, with our headsail poled out, we had a  gentle passage along this sometimes stormy slice of water between Mull and the mainland to the north of us.

The land to each side rose to mountainous heights, making it appear nearer than it was and often surprising us with how hard it was to judge distance.  We keep saying that Scotland is a lot bigger than we're used to!

Our first view of the route north towards the Caledonian Canal

As we passed south of Lismore Island, we could look up Loch Linnhe, which would soon be taking us north to the mouth of the Caledonian Canal.

We moored in the lovely marina at Kerrera Island, which is directly opposite Oban.

Doug, preparing to repair the sacrificial cover strip on our rolling headsail

The first thing we did at Kerrera was to book into their great Waypoint restaurant and enjoy a supper of their famous "fish boil" stuffed with local lobster, prawns, langoustines and all manner of shellfish.

Then, next day we got down to the serious work of mending some split seams on our furling headsail, attending to the small leak in a saloon window, doing more food shopping in Oban for things not available elsewhere and generally getting the boat extra clean and tidy to welcome our new crew, Dan and Andrea.

Finally, we took ourselves for a walk across this end of Kerrera Island.

Wild flowers and wild land on Kerrera 

View south with the threat of rain

The forecast rain never materialised, we were glad to find, as we got slightly lost looking for the fabled "new road across Kerrera" that everyone had been telling us about.

Somehow, our path seemed to disappear into the undergrowth

Until it became the undergrowth!

We trekked down the edge of a steep hillside by hanging on to tall fronds of bracken as we slithered down to the new road that was at last in view below.

Oban, as seen from our lofty position on Kerrera, looking for the path

We were rather glad to be able to plod back along the new road to the marina and a well earned rest!

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