22 September: Isle of Mull, Part Two

Brekkie at the Iona hostel. MacSween is the go-to brand for ready-made (veggie) haggis. Good stuff! And with an ample load of high-octane coffee, we were well-fueled to take the ferry back to Mull, and then across Mull to catch the ferry to Oban.  

After so much coffee we needed to go. But where????

We lunched again at our favorite lunch-box - aka the Loneliest Bus Stop - and continued east into the mountains. 

Mull is an incredibly pretty island. And this stretch felt very remote and wild. No power lines, no fences or walls, no roads, no houses. Long sweeping stretches of vast wilderness ... 

One ruined croft house was the only sign of civilization for miles...

Strangely, parts of this stretch reminded us of Wyoming, in the Teton National Park. 

We made Craignure in good time, and chilled out until the ferry came along. 

Now we're headed back to Oban. Bye, Mull! We hope to see you again.

Great view of the Duart Castle on the eastern coast of Mull from the ferry. 

Duart Castle again.

The lighthouse on Lismore. It's no longer inhabited, but these lighthouses used to be staffed full-time and keepers were required to check the lights every couple of hours through the the night. Many lighthouses were terrifically remote, and resupply was infrequent. A hard life for the keepers, but the lives of countless seamen depended on them. Nowadays they're automated, and run on low-maintenance lamps similar to car head lights. 

Coming back to Oban, we feel a bit more ... Experienced. We had some pretty wild adventures since we left Oban 2-1/2 weeks ago, and the place looked a bit different to us. 

We stocked up on groceries, then headed south. 

Here's our camp at Kilmore, south of Oban by about four miles. A good days ride. Time to sleep. 

Daily summary:

September 22 - Iona to Kilmore via ferry to Fionnphort, A849, ferry from Craignure to Oban, then to A816. Total miles 45.5 miles.