Author Archives: Don

Or ‘old clothes and porridge’ – I can still hear my mother saying it in her Aberdeenshire dialect when I had returned from doing something out of the ordinary that had no doubt cost more than was sensible. She meant I would be living frugally until there was cash back in the kitty.

Luckily my lovely and lively new wife get’s as much pleasure from the simple things in life as she does from the expensive —

Hence her undisguised joy to be back home on Luing yesterday afternoon while we walked in our wellies on the shore by the old slate quarry at Cullipool.

And Humph the horse from Calachally House has just messaged me to let me know why accommodation was in such short supply for our visit to the Isle of Mull —

It would appear that Clan McLean were holding a family gathering with bloody McLeans from all over the world attending. They had virtually Block Booked the whole of the Island of Mull.

Auld claes n parrich or not – It’s nice to be home 🙂

 

Helen and I are newly-weds – legally married – something I never expected to be again in my life! Off on our honeymoon – not on a Cunard liner but something more down to earth – a Calmac ferry bound for the Isle of Mull.

OK – so this is not the actual boat – ours is even smaller – but it sets the scene.

We had tried to book a mid-summer hotel room on Mull back in January only to find the island was virtually fully booked – then Ian from the Calachally House called us back. We could have the ‘end room for one night on the 21st with a bathroom down the hall all to ourselves’.

Wonderful – that would be great!

About a forty minute drive from the Mull ferry terminal – we eventually found Calachally House hidden away under some massive beech trees.

Maybe not much to look at from outside but the interior is a once-in-a-lifetime experience – and a good one at that —

Book lined walls – even for an avid reader like me it would take the rest of my life to read but a fraction of them – and what books! Being an old Colonial family the books go well back in time and cover most parts of the world – as an old Africa hand they are right up my street – even the hallway to our room was lined with them —

 

Driving back from a nearby pub in the evening gloaming we spotted a red deer stag in the neighbouring parkland who slowly turned his massive head our way and watched our progress.

A little further on we were entertained by two beautiful horses having a ‘before bedtime’ canter around their paddock —

Did someone mention bedtime? ‘Step this way please’ said the spider to the fly —

Having a room with windows in three walls the morning was always going dawn bright and clear – but some thoughtful soul must have had their doubts as to the ability of two ancient honeymooners to make it through the night and had obviously called the coastguard —

Luckily there was no need for their assistance this time and they were soon on their way to more important issues —

By mid-morning we were also on our way- to tour the northern part of the island on it’s single-track – mainly coastal road.

A kindly photographer with a massive lens pointed out a pair of golden eagles huddling in a treetop in a roadside forest. We would never have spotted them without his help – so well hidden were they,

No photographs are available of the eagles who never stirred from their huddle —

but we did spot a resting buzzard posing by a roadside waterfall —

Next stop was at the famous Calgary Bay —

where the mahair has been nibbled almost out of existance by the local landowner’s sheep.

‘Bloody freezing’ considering it was midsummer’s day —

And it took a few cups of strong tea to bring Helen back to smiling life —

Or it may have been a coffee or two —

 

Next stop was Tobermory where we would catch an afternoon ferry to Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan.

I found us a comfy bed by the harbour while waiting for the boat —

We had a quiet crossing to the mainland made interesting by watching a small helicopter making numerous short trips while unloading supplies from a large vessel anchored offshore. It appeared to be a dangerous game carried out at ‘Bondstyle high speed but there were no mishaps. At least none while we were watching.

Bye bye Mull – for now – as Arnie says – ‘we will be back’.

We were soon on Ardnamurchan and heading down another twisting – undulating single track following the northern shores of Loch Sunart past Glenborrodale Castle and Salen Hotel on our way to Corran Ferry. A road I’ve driven and ridden many times in the past.

A chance meeting with my younger brother John and his partner Sandra over a cuppa at Strontian broke the journey.

They were on their way to their home near Glenborrodale in Ardnamurchan from our wedding the previous day and looked rather worse for wear having spent a lively evening in Oban with my son James and partner Diane. We did well to bail out of that one.

A brief crossing at Corran Ferry and a short drive to Appin had us in our lovely water’s edge room at the Pierhouse Hotel by 1800hrs giving us time to restup before dinner – and what a dinner! Having had very little to eat since the wedding lunch the previous day we went for it!

H settled for the ‘big’ salmon steak with dauphinoise potatoes. Probably doesn’t sound too adventurous but remember – we were in the recently crowned – ‘Best Seafood Restauraunt in Scotland’ and Helen described this meal as the best she has ever had – some accolade!

Against my better judgement I tackled the ‘Pierhouse Platter’.

There were no holds barred and last to go was the oyster —

Well a man needs all of his strength on his honeymoon 🙂

Bye for now ::-)

 

 

‘Call the Coastguard’ – a strange title for wedded bliss – but – let’s see where we’re going with this.

We have to start somewhere – so how about we start with a bit of trepidation in the Oban Perle hotel room where the bride-to-be has been conducting her final preparations with the ‘help’ of daughter Lauren – matchmaker Wendy and best friend Tracey under the watchful eye of Diane – hairdresser extra-ordinaire.

Trepidation in spades —

No worries – with a hop and a skip Helen was soon at the Registrars office where Callum – her personal piper piped her in (try saying that round a hot choriso sandwich) —

There after a touching ceremony conducted by the Assistant Registrar Fiona she signed the register with her customary flourish —

With 135 years of life and over 60 years previous experience of marriage between us some may say we must be gluttons for punishment but love is love whether you are sixteen or sixty and we would be fools to let it pass us by.

Formalities over it was time to hit the street where we posed with piper Callum —

He had just experienced his own brush with officialdom when a young embarrassed police constable was sent from the Sherrif Court across the street with a message from the magistrate conducting a case there to ‘stop that bloody row!’ Apparently we were ‘infringing the accused’s ‘uman right’s’ as he couldn’t hear what was being said during the procceedings.

After ignoring the first missive a second request was carried to us in the form of a ‘Court Order’ so it was time for a few more photos on the steps —

Jaxson wasn’t impressed and he has probably gone off the polis for life. Time to go before we were all put in a cell for the night.

Callum had a good head of steam by this time – no doubt brought on by the unexpected intrusion of the law and set off down the street blowing fit to burst. We followed the skirling pipes acknowledging the surprised greetings of passer’s by with smiles and stately bows —

In no time at all Callum had us at the local fish and chip shop where we were to have our celebration lunch —

But not before a blushing piper got his just reward —

Ok – time for food and to meet the rest of our guests—

Orders taken – cuffs and ties undone —

Kirsty – one of our guests from the island had brought her guitar and sang our choice of song beautifully —

If you know the words of ‘Always a Woman to Me’ by Billy Joel you will know that it gave our Wedding Song some added flavour.

Main courses out of the way – flowers and favours admired —

it was time for the wedding cake which had been carefully baked and beautifully presented by our friend Mary in the Hat —

The flowers were nicked on the Isle of Luing from Jane MacLachlan’s garden – and believe it or not – they matched the stripes in my ‘Guard’s tie —

Cake cutting ceremony was accomplished with no blood being spilled —

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

coffee n cake duly demolished –

it was time to say our goodbyes and nip round the corner to the harbour for the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry to the Isle of Mull for our short honeymoon.

Magic! 🙂

 

Thanks to Commons/Wilkipedia for the use of the Calmac ferry photo.