The Isle of Mull. Terry Marsh
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Название: The Isle of Mull

Автор: Terry Marsh

Издательство: Ingram

Жанр: Книги о Путешествиях

Серия:

isbn: 9781783625604

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СКАЧАТЬ be spotted around the waterline along the rocky shores or playing in the water a little further out; they even frequent the harbour at Tobermory. Patience usually brings its own rewards, although a number of businesses have developed to take visitors to favoured locations.

      Golden eagles, sea eagles and buzzards are the island’s most stunning birds of prey, but there are hen harrier, too, kestrel, merlin, short-eared owl, peregrine falcon and osprey. On the lochs, great northern divers often appear in winter, along with Slavonian grebe, barnacle and white-fronted geese, while the breeding season sees numbers of guillemot, puffin and gannet on and around the offshore islands.

      Mull is an island you can visit at any time of the year, and the walking is just as agreeable in winter as in summer, as long as you are appropriately skilled and experienced in venturing into the high mountains in winter.

      For many, visitors and residents alike, Scotland’s least appealing feature is the wee beastie known as the midge, which have been known to drive grown men to tears. These are out-and-about from June to September. So if you are susceptible to insect bites, it is wise to avoid these times, or take suitable precautions. They are at their worst in still, warm conditions. So any kind of breeze is to be welcomed!

      Oban is the main approach to Mull from the Scottish mainland and where the trains from Glasgow terminate.

      By car and bus

      The most popular route from Glasgow to Oban is 160km (100 miles) by Loch Lomond to Crianlarich, and then via Tyndrum, where the road to Oban (A85) branches left to Connel and then Oban. The route up the A82 beside Loch Lomond, however, is popular and busy, and some stretches await ‘improvement’, which many hope will never come.

      There is an alternative approach for those with time to make a leisurely route, and this involves continuing along the M8 from Glasgow to Gourock and taking the half-hourly ferry (taking 20 minutes) across the Firth of Clyde to Dunoon. Then take the road around Loch Fyne to Inveraray and then north to Stronmilchan, there turning west to Oban. This route is 170km (105 miles).

      For up-to-date driving information in the Highlands, call 0900 3401 363 (Highland Roadline), or 0900 3444 900 (The AA Roadline). For road-based journey planning, have a look at the AA or RAC Route Planners online.

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      Calmac ferry

      Bus services to Oban are operated by Scottish Citylink Coaches Ltd. (Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont Street, Glasgow G2 3NW; tel: 0871 266 3333; email: [email protected]; website: www.citylink.co.uk), or ring Traveline Scotland (24-hour), tel: 0871 200 2233.

      Travelling by car from the north, there are two ways to Mull, either via Oban, or by taking the Corran ferry (south of Fort William) over Loch Linnhe and across Morvern to Lochaline, from where ferries cross to Fishnish. Of use only to those already exploring the Ardnamurchan peninsula, or those simply exploring, there is a ferry from Kilchoan to Tobermory.

      By rail

      Virgin Trains operate from London and stations in between to Glasgow via the West Coast line – see www.virgintrains.co.uk for more information.

      The railway from Glasgow follows much of the same route as that used by cars and buses, although the early stages on leaving Glasgow differ until you reach Tarbert.

      For National Rail Enquiries, call 08457 48 49 50 (24 hours, seven days a week). See also www.thetrainline.com.

      By ferry

      Caledonian MacBrayne operates all the ferry services running to Mull (The Ferry Terminal, Gourock PA19 1QP; tel: 01475 650100; fax: 01475 637607; booking hotline: 08000 66 5000. You can book online at www.calmac.co.uk.

      Although there is an adequate bus service across the island, exploring Mull is best accomplished on foot, on a bike, or by car. But it is important to realise that most of the roads on Mull are single track roads with passing places. There are no urban motorways here, no high-speed roads on which it is safe to drive at high speeds, and the only dual carriageway is brief and single track, just south of Salen.

      One of the continuing delights of Mull is that you can achieve quite significant circuits on its limited road network but the limitations of the roads make journeys longer than might be expected. From Craignure to Tobermory it is about 33km (21 miles), but it is a journey that will take around 45 minutes; the road is good as far as Salen, but then becomes single track. Craignure to Fionnphort is 56km (35 miles), a beautiful drive, but one that will take at least an hour.

      Cars are not permitted on Iona, Ulva or Gometra. These islands are for pedestrians, and getting there is easy.

      Getting to Iona

      Caledonian MacBrayne operates a frequent service between Fionnphort and Iona (tel: 01681 700559 or 01680 812343; website: www.calmac.co.uk).

      Getting to Ulva and Gometra

      Ulva is reached by a two-minute crossing on demand – signal at the pier. The ferry operates from Easter to the end of September, Mon–Fri (and Sun, June to August only), 9am–5pm, and from the end of September to Easter, Mon–Fri for the post and the school run only (call the boathouse (01688 500241) or the ferryman (01688 500226 or 07919 902407) the day before to confirm times).

      Gometra can be reached by a bridge from Ulva, or by a direct, small, fast or semi-fast ferry on Loch Tuath (tel: 01688 500221 in the evening, or enquire at the tourist information office in Craignure).

      Driving on Mull

      Passing places are identified by either a white diamond or a black-and-white pole. These spaces serve two purposes: the first is to allow oncoming traffic to proceed; the other, often ignored, is to allow following vehicles to overtake. If a vehicle is following closely behind you must allow it to pass – it is an offence not to do so. But, always stop on the left when using passing places. If the passing place is on your right, wait opposite it to allow traffic to pass. You must not cross to the right; keep left. Following cars may be local tradesman going about their business; it is a courtesy to allow them to get on.

      Driving slowly is not an issue, in any case there are few places where you can safely put your foot down. No-one minds how slowly you drive, as long as you let others pass; in fact, the slower you drive, the greater the likelihood of spotting something interesting. Do not park in passing places, not even briefly; they are not viewpoints. Bear in mind, too, that the nature of the roads on Mull means that you will be doing a lot of slowing down and starting off again. This means increased wear and tear on brakes and tyres, as well as increased fuel consumption.

      Tobermory is the main town, and offers a range of accommodation from hotels to guest houses, B&Bs and a youth hostel. Elsewhere, and generally across the whole island group, there are guest houses and B&Bs in good number. Camping and caravan sites are few and far between – see Appendix C for details. All main facilities are available in Tobermory, including the island’s only static bank (the Royal Bank of Scotland has a mobile banking service). Elsewhere, the facilities СКАЧАТЬ