I was up at just before 2am and reflecting on our wonderful stay on Mull, it truly has been a great week. It is true I have struggled with the stairs and the shower over the bath but Jan has helped me with both and it has given me the confidence to look to the future, even thinking about another holiday next year!
Jan got up at 5.30am and then it was all stations go as we prepared toleave today. When I say all stations, that is not completely true as there is very little I can do; as usual it is Jan who is doing all the work. Eventually we are all showered by 7.30am and I go and sit in the conservatory while Jan finishes off the packing.
Mull has a few more surprises for us. Yesterday's weather was awful and according to the forecast, today's weather was to be just as bad if not worse. Looking out of the conservatory we were greeted by a serene, calm and dry scene, the wind and the rain were gone.
The small birds were back on the front wall making up for lost time and busily scoffing the last of our bird food. On the hill opposite the cottage I could see a Stag and 3 Red Deer Hinds enjoying breakfast. On the Loch I could see a Red Breasted Merganser diving for fish, a Heron standing absolutely motionless waiting for something to walk, crawl or swim within beak range and it was all accompanied by the magical calls of the Curlews which have been our soundtrack all week.
We said a sad farewell to the cottage at 8.15am and drove down to the Ferry Terminal at Craignure where we sat in line waiting for the arrival of the ferry. It arrived at 8.50 and we were on board and under steam by 9am, it was a very slick operation in unloading and re-loading the vehicles and passengers. We were sailing across the Sound of Mull towards Oban. We had breakfast on board while watching the Highlands disappear behind us looking out on a mainly cloudless and calm sky. How could the weather forecasters have got it so wrong.
After a 45 minute voyage we had disembarked at Oban and were on our way to Berwick Upon Tweed. There were still a few surprises ahead. As we approached Loch Lomond National Park we saw by the road what we first thought was a Buzzard on some roadkill. It was a small deer of some sort. It was only when passed it did we realise it wasn't a Buzzard at all it was a Golen Eagle! We agonised for the next half an hour whether we should go back and try to get some footage of it but we both knew that the minute we approached the Eagle and slowed down it would be off; we wouldn't have any footage and the Eagle would have been deprived of his/her food. It was, however, another Wow experience.
We continued on to Doune where took a detour to the Argaty Red Kite Feeding Station. Unfortunately they weren't feeding them for another couple of hours and Jan went to have a look at where the hide was and sadly it was too far for me to manage but Jan managed to see a couple of Red Kites soaring above the trees. On the way up to the site we saw a couple a Cock Pheasants who didn't have a white ring around their necks.
We made our way back to our route and continued our journey towards Berwick Upon Tweed. We had half planned to have to have a stop at The Scottish Seabird Centre but we were both tired and decided to give it a miss.
We arrived at the Travelodge at Berwick Upon Tweed just before 3pm.
I've been pulling Jan's leg this week by calling her Jan Clarkson, as in the Top Gear presenter. Here is a picture of a tired Clarkson resting after her dash down the M8/9.
Unlike Clarkson, keep your eyes peeled and good spotting.
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