One sunny Saturday in May we packed the Polo with clothes for every season and left Irvine for the seaside town of Oban. The road took us beside Loch Lomond and up over the mountain pass called " Rest and be Thankful".
The last month has brought some brilliant changes to the countryside. From leafless branches everywhere to tiny green sprouts through to huge clusters of GREEN we've seen our surroundings change. So many different colours in the flowers too! The road that leads to our house in Irvine has changed almost weekly from white snow drops to yellow daffodils to blue bells. The road to Oban was no different. The seasons are definitely more obvious in this hemisphere.
We had a brief stop at Loch Fyne Oyster Bar for heavenly Oysters (although not as good as the ones we sampled near Port Lincoln, SA) and then drove on.
Oban put on the weather for us. It was a stunning day with views all the way out to the Isle of Mull. The Scottish Gaelic meaning for Oban is "Little Bay".
The island of Kerrera protects the bay and from here you can take the ferry to inner and outer Hebrides (islands off the West coast of Scotland).
Our B & B was right in the centre of town with a large beer garden out the front to sit in and admire the view.
We strolled through the shops, the French Market and art gallery, past literally hundreds of B & Bs, to McCaig's Tower. 
Built in the fashion of the Colosseum, the tower was the dream of John Stuart McCaig. He was a banker living the the late 1800s who wanted to build a monument to his family and provide work for the local stonemasons during the winter months. Unfortunately he died before the inside design of the tower was completed. Today McCraig's Tower forms the destinctive skyline of Oban and its a peaceful place to wander.
On Sunday we'd booked ourselves in for a day trip across to Mull and Iona. The ferry (capacity 800 passengers with 100 cars!) left at 9 o'clock in the bright sunshine. The trip to Craignure on Mull to 40 mins, passing some very isolated places. 
This is Duart Castle, home of the Clan MacLean.
A bus then took us 1.5 hours to the far South Western corner of Mull for a ferry to Iona. The driver was full of fascinating info about Mull. There are currently about 2,700 people living permanently on the island with a whole lot of wildlife! Over 250 species of birds call Mull home, including the white-tailed eagle, of which there are probably 12 pairs living here. The group was told to keep their eyes peeled for eagles in the sky, red deer on the green slopes of the hills, otters in the shallows or on the sand and Oyster Catchers (birds) nesting in the rocks! One Oyster Catcher had particularly funny taste for a home. Her nest was right beside the road for all the tourists to peer into from the bus window.
A small ferry then took us to Iona. St Columba founded a monestry here in AD 563. Columbus was one of the most important saints of the early Christian church. Some say he was the person who brought Christianity to Scotland by converting the Picts (the people that inhabited scotland at that time). The famous Book of Kells was written by the monks of Iona around 800. The Iona Abbey was built in the Middle Ages. At that time many of the early kings of Scotland were buired on the Island. In front of the Abbey stands the 9th century St Martin's Cross, one of the best-preserved Celtic crosses in the UK (seen on the right).
There was a Viking Massacre in 806 from which the Abbey recovered slowly, becoming a Benedictine establishment by the 13th century. Then, during the Protestant Reformation, all abbeys and monestries were shut down and the Abbey went to ruin. In 1938 Reverend Geoffrey MacLeod restored the buildings and formed the Iona Community which still functions today. People come from all over the world to retreats held here on Iona. The community is non-denominational with a strong focus on world justice and peace issues.
Despite the 140,000 visitors it has each year, Iona is a very peaceful place with a population of only 125. 
The last month has brought some brilliant changes to the countryside. From leafless branches everywhere to tiny green sprouts through to huge clusters of GREEN we've seen our surroundings change. So many different colours in the flowers too! The road that leads to our house in Irvine has changed almost weekly from white snow drops to yellow daffodils to blue bells. The road to Oban was no different. The seasons are definitely more obvious in this hemisphere.
We had a brief stop at Loch Fyne Oyster Bar for heavenly Oysters (although not as good as the ones we sampled near Port Lincoln, SA) and then drove on.Oban put on the weather for us. It was a stunning day with views all the way out to the Isle of Mull. The Scottish Gaelic meaning for Oban is "Little Bay".
The island of Kerrera protects the bay and from here you can take the ferry to inner and outer Hebrides (islands off the West coast of Scotland).Our B & B was right in the centre of town with a large beer garden out the front to sit in and admire the view.
We strolled through the shops, the French Market and art gallery, past literally hundreds of B & Bs, to McCaig's Tower. 
Built in the fashion of the Colosseum, the tower was the dream of John Stuart McCaig. He was a banker living the the late 1800s who wanted to build a monument to his family and provide work for the local stonemasons during the winter months. Unfortunately he died before the inside design of the tower was completed. Today McCraig's Tower forms the destinctive skyline of Oban and its a peaceful place to wander.
On Sunday we'd booked ourselves in for a day trip across to Mull and Iona. The ferry (capacity 800 passengers with 100 cars!) left at 9 o'clock in the bright sunshine. The trip to Craignure on Mull to 40 mins, passing some very isolated places. 
This is Duart Castle, home of the Clan MacLean.
A bus then took us 1.5 hours to the far South Western corner of Mull for a ferry to Iona. The driver was full of fascinating info about Mull. There are currently about 2,700 people living permanently on the island with a whole lot of wildlife! Over 250 species of birds call Mull home, including the white-tailed eagle, of which there are probably 12 pairs living here. The group was told to keep their eyes peeled for eagles in the sky, red deer on the green slopes of the hills, otters in the shallows or on the sand and Oyster Catchers (birds) nesting in the rocks! One Oyster Catcher had particularly funny taste for a home. Her nest was right beside the road for all the tourists to peer into from the bus window.
A small ferry then took us to Iona. St Columba founded a monestry here in AD 563. Columbus was one of the most important saints of the early Christian church. Some say he was the person who brought Christianity to Scotland by converting the Picts (the people that inhabited scotland at that time). The famous Book of Kells was written by the monks of Iona around 800. The Iona Abbey was built in the Middle Ages. At that time many of the early kings of Scotland were buired on the Island. In front of the Abbey stands the 9th century St Martin's Cross, one of the best-preserved Celtic crosses in the UK (seen on the right).
There was a Viking Massacre in 806 from which the Abbey recovered slowly, becoming a Benedictine establishment by the 13th century. Then, during the Protestant Reformation, all abbeys and monestries were shut down and the Abbey went to ruin. In 1938 Reverend Geoffrey MacLeod restored the buildings and formed the Iona Community which still functions today. People come from all over the world to retreats held here on Iona. The community is non-denominational with a strong focus on world justice and peace issues.
Despite the 140,000 visitors it has each year, Iona is a very peaceful place with a population of only 125. 
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