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Nederlands (Dutch)Mull Spring 2018

In April and May 2018 Laura and I go on a holiday to Scotland, one week in a cottage on the Isle of Mull and one week travelling across the country. We hadn't visited Schotland since 2012, when we were on holiday on Skye.


Channel Tunnel

We decide this time to travel through the Channel Tunnel, that is with the car on a train. It's a strange experience to arrive in England without having seen the sea. This is the view from the train just before it goes into the tunnel. On the other track is a similar train.


donkey

We spend our first night in the northeast of the Cotswolds. There are two donkeys behind the George Inn.


Leadhills

The next night we are in Schotland, in the former mining village Leadhills. This is the view from our hotel room of the village. In the central lawn there is a wooden bell tower.


Oban

The boat to Mull leaves from Oban. This is a view of Oban from the boat.


Mull

Roads on Mull are almost exclusively single track roads with passing places. The area is more than twice that of the Isle of Wight but it has only two percent of the number of inhabitants of Wight, and most of them live in the largest village, Tobermory. The rest of the Island is empty, like on this photo, only a short way after the port (photo by Laura).


scenery on Mull

Scenery on Mull.


lamb

It's the end of April, which means there are many lambs.


Highland cattle

And there's Highland cattle of course. There aren't many fences or walls.


view

View from our house in the southwest of the island, with sheep grazing in our front yard.


view

And cows graze in the field next to our house (photo taken from our small balcony).


beach

The boat to the smaller islands of Iona and Staffa departs from Fionnphort, a village nearby with 50 inhabitants. Later, we will learn that Mull's inhabitants pronounce it as something like Finnefer. In this photo someone with a red umbrella walks a dog on the beach.


Fionnphort

Lobster nets and a tanker in the port of Fionnphort.


Laura

Laura on the road to the beach near Uisken.


beach

Beach near Uisken.


Laura

Laura on the beach.


beach

Beach.


beach

Someone walks a dog.


Laura

Laura.


view of the sea

View of the sea.


our cottage

Our cottage (which appears to be for sale).


deer

In the distance we see deer from our kitchen window.


view

View from our house.


view

Sunset, seen from our house.


Tobermory

View of Tobermory, the largest village on the island. We buy a pair of binoculars.


lunchroom

Lunchroom in a converted church.


scenery

We take the scenic route back to our house.


cattle

Cattle.


sheep

Sheep.


scenery

Coastal road.


cattle on the road

Cattle on the road.


Iona

Today we take the boat to Staffa. This is the monastery on the Isle of Iona, as seen from the boat.


view

View from the boat.


boat

Boat, with in the background Iona.


view

View from the boat to Staffa.


view

View from the boat to Staffa.


seals

Seals.


sea

It feels great to be back at sea.


Staffa

Staffa in the distance.


Staffa

Staffa's landscape was formed by several volcanic eruptions. The lava then shrank to the characteristic and bizarre basalt.


Staffa

Summit of Staffa, photographed from the boat. The island is more than 40 metres high and in the south rises perpendicularly from the sea.


Fingal's Cave

Fingal's Cave.


Staffa

If you look closely, you can see a path with a rope along the basalt, from the jetty to Fingal's Cave.


Staffa

View from the island towards the north.


scenery

In some places the land is very swampy.


Bac Mòr

View from Staffa to Bac Mòr in the distance, also known as The Dutchman's Cap, one of the Treshnish Isles.


Laura

Laura on Staffa.


scenery

Coastal area of Staffa.


scenery

Coastal area of Staffa.


scenery

Laura on the footpath to Fingal's Cave.


scenery

Laura on Staffa.


scenery

The south coast of Staffa.


Fingal's Cave

Fingal's Cave. The cave is circa 20 metres high.


Fingal's Cave

Me near the entrance to Fingal's Cave (photo by Laura).


Fingal's Cave

Laura near Fingal's Cave.


Fingal's Cave

Splashing foam.


sea

Waves in Fingal's Cave.


Laura

Laura next to basalt.


basalt

Looking up next to basalt.


scenery

An island or peninsula next to Staffa, comprised of many small basalt cliffs. On top is a seagull.


scenery

The basalt rocks sometimes form striking patterns.


scenery

Small island.


puffins

Puffins near Staffa.


scenery

Coastal area.


scenery

Coast of Staffa (I suspect these are Goat Cave and Clamshell Cave).


puffins

Puffins.


puffin

Puffin.


Fingal's Cave

View of Fingal's Cave from the boat on the way back.


Iona

We make a stopover on the island of Iona.


scenery

Iona.


scenery

Iona.


dog

Dog.


scenery

Iona.


sheep

Sheep.


scenery

Iona.


Highland cattle bull

Highland cattle bull.


dog

Playing with a ball while waiting for the boat from Iona to Mull.


werk

Discussion. It looks so photogenic that I stop the car and walk back to take this photo.


scenery

We take a walk along the south coast of Mull. It is not always clear where the path is.


deer

A deer that stands very still very near to us.


scenery

Mull.


deer

Deer in the distance.


seals

Seals.


goat

We come across a wild goat. He sees us but that does not bother him much. Hikers we meet a bit later tell us that it is an Ibex.


scenery

The coast in the south of Mull resembles Staffa a bit.


scenery

Coast.


scenery

Laura walks along the coast.


scenery

I walk towards a large cave (photo by Laura).


scenery

Laura at the coast, near a waterfall.


scenery

Coastal scenery.


scenery

Coast.


view

Once more the view from our living room.


lamb

And once more a lamb near our cottage.


scenery

Mull.


lam

Mull has no shortage of lambs.


scenery

Boat out of water.


mailboxes

It is clear that residents of Mull like to spend a lot of time on the appearance of their mailboxes. The mailboxes must of course be somewhat larger than regular mailboxes because the area is so sparsely populated.


deer

A deer in the field next to our cottage.


deer

The deer leaves by jumping over the fence.


Highland cattle

Highland cattle on the road (with a black calf).


European stonechat

European stonechat (male).


port

This is Craignure's port, where the ferry to and from the mainland moors (Oban).


lighthouse

Lighthouse.


scenery

Mountain Gearr Aonach, in Glen Coe (photo by Laura).


scenery

Scenery in Scotland, near Glen Coe.


LaMa

There are suddenly a lot of tourists in Glen Coe. A group asks us to take a photo of them and in return they take this photo of us.


hydroelectric power station

A hydroelectric power station.


view

View of Loch Tummel from our hotel.


scenery

Loch Tummel. We make a big detour home and first drive north through the Cairngorms.


Braemar Castle

Braemar Castle.


drinking bowl

This was probably not meant to scare away thirsty dogs.


scenery

Scenery between Braemar and Dunning.


scenery

A pass between Braemar and Dunning (photo by Laura).


pony

Pony.


scenery

We spend the night in a B&B near Dunning, where we take a walk in the area.


pheasant

A pheasant near a farm.


view

View on our walk.


scenery

Broom.


branches

Branches.


scenery

View of a river downwards from the path.


scenery

It is a somewhat narrow and difficult path.


view

View.


blossom

Blossom.


pod

We have our very own house to sleep in, a pod.


view

View from the pod.


rabbits

Our view is of a lawn with lots of rabbits.


witch

Scots have not always been so friendly.


scenery

An old petrol pump by the side of the road.


motorway

Rain on our way back in England.


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