Scotland 3: Oban and Inner Hebrides

Oban: our B&B is a Victorian house on a hill overlooking the Bay

Oban: a short stroll down to the harbor for a quick bite before going up to see the sunset. Fish and chips (haddock and cod), heavily battered but fresh and tasty.

Oban: with a number of attractive B&Bs dotting the hill with great views like this one, why would any one stay at a boring hotel lower down? 

McCaig's Tower, Oban: this Roman Colosseum-like structure was built only during winter months in order to provide jobs for local stonemasons. Towering over Oban, it's a great place to see the sunset. Some noisy local teenagers seem to think so, too.

Oban: a view of the harbor from McCaig's Tower, as the sun goes down 

Oban: the sun sets to the right of Isle of Mull, our destination the following morning

Oban: McCaig's Tower at sunset

Oban from our room window: Morning has broken! The song made famous by Cat Stevens is based on a Scottish tune called Bunessan, a town in Mull we will be passing through today.

Oban: the full Scottish breakfast formula is clear by now - potato scone, mushrooms, tomato, ham, sausage, over-easy, and today black pudding also thrown in. Need a hearty meal for a long day ahead visiting three islands.

Sighting of snow-capped Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in UK, on a ferry to Island of Mull. Today's three-island tour to Mull, Staffa and Iona is like this: ferry to Mull - bus across Mull - ferry to Staffa - ferry to Iona - ferry to Mull - bus across Mull - ferry to Oban!

Isle of Mull: traversing the island from Craignure (East) to Fionphort (West) on a single track road flanked by gorse flowers and occasional blue bells.
This might be a good time to mull over the meaning of life, but the excellent running commentary provided by the bus driver keeps you engaged.

Mull: this snapshot of highland cattle from the moving bus is not of high quality but it is just as well, as the driver quips, "these are the only evidence of Donald Trump's Scottish heritage." Well done, lady!

Mull: waiting for a boat to Staffa

Staffa: here we are! First close encounter with this island that's been on my bucket list!

Staffa: 360 degrees of pristine and otherworldly landscape (or islandscape).

Staffa: hexagon after hexagon of basalt formation. 

Staffa: no problem with footing on a walk toward Fingal's Cave. Lucky with the dry weather.

Staffa: Fingal's Cave! Trying to imagine Felix Mendelssohn's impressions right here which led to his famous Hebrides Overture. But there are no crashing waves today!

Staffa: looking back out to the mouth of Fingal's Cave. The waters are so calm that it fits "Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage" more than Fingal's Cave among the Mendelssohn overtures. Part of the natural forces that may have inspired the evocative Hebrides Overture will have to remain in my imagination.

Staffa: walking back out of the Fingal's Cave area on basalt pillars which are like secondary pulmonary lobules!

Staffa: I would have to say this is the most spectacular uninhabited island I have ever seen.

Staffa: on the wind-swept summit, looking down on the shore on the other side from the ferry dock

Staffa: phantasmagorical details 

Staffa: time to descend a bit and look for puffins starting to come ashore in early May

Staffa: close encounters with puffins on cliffs, which are out in large numbers

Staffa: these puffins are afraid of seagulls but not humans. Little do they know...

Staffa: I could spend hours taking a thousand shots of these adorable creatures. Wish we had a wee bit more time. Some people are rushing back to the boat huffin' and puffin'.

Staffa: good bye, hexagons.

Isle of Iona: first some nourishment. A Scotch pie and a hot toddy.

Iona: small (200 residents) and peaceful

Iona: looking toward Mull, only a short boat ride away

Iona: fleeing from Irleland, St Columba settled on this island in the 6th century, thus making this spot a birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. St Martin's cross in front of a medieval abby.

Back on Mull, Three Sisters

Back to Oban: we return at 8pm and it's still light. What a great day trip this was to the three islands. Oban is one of those names easy to pronounce by anyone in the world, like Moab, UT, and serves as a great jump-off point for trips to great landscape.