I’m working backwards now, to early September, when niece Kathy and her fiance Josh joined me on a trip to Scotland. To Arnamurchan and (some of) the Inner Hebrides, to be more precise (see map). According to Wikipedia, The Inner Hebrides includes 35 inhabited islands and a further 44 uninhabited islands and the main commercial activities are tourism, crofting, fishing and whiskey distilling... well that’s a nice portfolio. The islands of the Inner Hebrides have a long history of habitation, with the Picts to the north and east, and the Gaels to the south and west (part of the ancient kingdom of Dalriada). Apparently they became part of Scotland in 1266, and then were decimated by the Highland Clearances in the 19th century (I should do a blog on that sometime; it’s a very sad story).
From Glencoe we drove west to the coast and then took a small ferry to the Ardnamurchan peninsula. After which Josh had a crash course (not literally, luckily) in driving on one-lane (“single track”) Scottish roads. Josh was driving because now that I have been in the UK for more than a year, I can no longer legally drive on a US license (no logic - just a rule). And I haven’t found time to go through the process of getting a license (I need to do both the written and practical tests... my goal for the winter). The road meandered along the southern edge of the peninsula, passing through (for all you geochemists out there) Strontian, a tiny town that advertises itself as being the type locality for the element strontium - apparently the mineral strontianite was discovered in a lead mine north of the town. We drove to the western tip of the peninsula, to the Salen hotel, which advertises itself as being the westernmost hotel on the mainland UK. It featured a comfortable late Victorian bar and dining area with a nice view of the ocean; we chose it for its proximity to a lovely beach, excellent rocks, and a Stevenson lighthouse.
Which leads to one theme of the trip: the “Lighthouse Stevensons”, the title of a book that my Mom discovered and loved (she loved lighthouses in general), and a book that Kathy had been given by my sister Pat when she was going through Mom’s books. Kathy had read the book recently, although before our Scotland trip was planned. Josh was reading the book during the trip. The original lighthouse Stevenson was Robert, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson (the writer). The Arnamurchan lighthouse was built by Alan, son of Robert and uncle of Robert Louis. The lighthouse was built in 1849 out of granite from the Isle of Mull (see below); it is 55m high and according to the lighthouse web site, is the only lighthouse in the world to be constructed in an “Egyptian” style. The light itself is now automated but is still maintained, and as a visitor you can climb all the way up and listen to an informative and entertaining overview by the current lighthouse keeper. He let us go outside to the (windy) viewing platform that circled the light, from which we had lovely views of the peninsula, and the islands.
Which leads to one theme of the trip: the “Lighthouse Stevensons”, the title of a book that my Mom discovered and loved (she loved lighthouses in general), and a book that Kathy had been given by my sister Pat when she was going through Mom’s books. Kathy had read the book recently, although before our Scotland trip was planned. Josh was reading the book during the trip. The original lighthouse Stevenson was Robert, the grandfather of Robert Louis Stevenson (the writer). The Arnamurchan lighthouse was built by Alan, son of Robert and uncle of Robert Louis. The lighthouse was built in 1849 out of granite from the Isle of Mull (see below); it is 55m high and according to the lighthouse web site, is the only lighthouse in the world to be constructed in an “Egyptian” style. The light itself is now automated but is still maintained, and as a visitor you can climb all the way up and listen to an informative and entertaining overview by the current lighthouse keeper. He let us go outside to the (windy) viewing platform that circled the light, from which we had lovely views of the peninsula, and the islands.
After lunch and the lighthouse tour we explored the geology near the ferry dock (looking at impressive cone sheets - a geological feature I had read of but had never seen), while dodging impressive squalls. Which leads to another theme of the trip - an ever-changing pastiche of sunny and stormy weather.
At the end of the day we took another ferry across to the Isle of Mull, the Inner Hebrides proper AND home to its own single malt whiskey. The whiskey is named for the biggest town - Tobermory. The original name for the town, Ledaig, apparently means ‘safe haven’, and Tobermory does boast a nicely protected harbor. The current name apparently derives from the gaelic for ‘well of Mary’.... not sure if that is why there is a distillery here, but it is over 200 years old. The town itself can only be described as picturesque, with colorful houses framing the snug harbor.
Our first day on Mull we headed south and then west, along the “Ross of Mull” peninsula. The plan for the day was geology first and a tourist visit to the island of Iona second. The former was stymied by a flat tire... well it wasn’t the flat tire but the realization that Europecar (part of National Car rental) no longer supplies rental cars with spare tires! I’ll leave out the endless details, but good ol’ Steve said that we should see Iona, so he volunteered to deal with the endless phone conversations required to, ultimately, call the garage down the road to provide a new tire. The rest of us took yet another ferry a short distance across from the western tip of the Ross of Mull to the (truly) magical (small) island of Iona. The island was settled originally in the 6th century by St. Columba, and formed a stepping stone from Ireland to Scotland in the old kingdom of Dál Riata (Dalriada). It also played a critical role in introducing Christianity to Scotland, and is the origin of the famous illuminated manuscript the Book of Kells (now in Dublin).
The current abbey derives from the Middle Ages, although the modern structure is a pentimento of the layers of historical modification that are so common in Europe. The history is reflected and refracted throughout the present site in celtic crosses outside, and a lovely little museum centered around the high crosses of St John, St Oran and St Matthew.
The current abbey derives from the Middle Ages, although the modern structure is a pentimento of the layers of historical modification that are so common in Europe. The history is reflected and refracted throughout the present site in celtic crosses outside, and a lovely little museum centered around the high crosses of St John, St Oran and St Matthew.
After spending a few hours wandering around (we all agreed that we would have liked to stay for a few days to truly explore), took the ferry back to Fionnphort, a small town perched on spectacular red Mull granite (as in the Arnamurchan lighthouse), where Steve was waiting for us with news of a newly tread car.
There was still time in the day for a scenic geology stop on the south coast, thanks to the still long days and lovely weather. A major benefit to doing geology is the excuse to wander off the beaten track, in this case to lovely little bays and beaches that line the southwest coast of the Ross of Mull. And then the drive back to Tobermory, with the wonderful high latitude light illuminating the landscape.
The next day we split up, with Kath and Josh deciding to climb Ben More, the highest peak on Mull, while the rest of us hiked up from Loch Ba to see some spectacular deposits that form a ring dike around an ancient caldera (formed at the time that the North Atlantic opened, in response to initiation of the Iceland plume). It was a lovely day for a hike, with sun and mostly clear skies providing lovely views of most of the island.
Our final day on Mull dawned gray and rather damp, but luckily the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy our last day in the islands, a day that revolved around a boat journey around the small islands just west of Mull. This is a trip that I had been wanting to do for quite awhile, because it included a trip to Staffa, and Fingal’s Cave. Like Giant’s Causeway, Staffa is formed from spectacular basalt columns; Fingal’s cave is not quite as touristy because of its remote location, but has featured in an orchestral piece by Mendelssohn (which, of course, every tour boat plays when circling the island). The name is from an 18th century poem about ancient Gaelic myths that tells of the hero Fingal (Fionn mac Connell) building a bridge from Giant's Causeway to Staffa. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Our final day on Mull dawned gray and rather damp, but luckily the rain held off long enough for us to enjoy our last day in the islands, a day that revolved around a boat journey around the small islands just west of Mull. This is a trip that I had been wanting to do for quite awhile, because it included a trip to Staffa, and Fingal’s Cave. Like Giant’s Causeway, Staffa is formed from spectacular basalt columns; Fingal’s cave is not quite as touristy because of its remote location, but has featured in an orchestral piece by Mendelssohn (which, of course, every tour boat plays when circling the island). The name is from an 18th century poem about ancient Gaelic myths that tells of the hero Fingal (Fionn mac Connell) building a bridge from Giant's Causeway to Staffa. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. 
After our day on the water, we drove back across Mull and hopped on yet another ferry, which transported us to the mainland town of Oban, home to another eponymous distillery. This is where Steve left us (his brother lives in Oban). The rest of decided to visit the distillery the next morning before heading back to Glasgow, but the morning tour was full. We did wander around the small museum, and purchased some whiskey (Steve had orchestrated a whiskey tasting one evening in Tobermory... we all decided that Oban was our favorite), before making our way south to Inveraray, home of Inveraray Castle. Which all you Downtown Abbey fans will recognize as the location of the final episode of Season 3, the trip to the highlands. It’s not an old castle (like the one I stayed at near Durham) but instead is an 18th [?] century mansion constructed in the form of a Sleeping Beauty style castle. Entertaining to look around, and had a nice little cafe that served (among other things) warm soup for lunch. And the grounds provided a nice setting for a stroll and a group photo...
