View from Oban, the 'Gateway to the Isles'

We got back late from our dinner with family a few miles up the coast last night, so we had a good lie-in before a leisurely breakfast. I looked out of the bedroom window over the beach to the loch still forlornly hoping to see the pair of otters who graced our last visit here, and which was such a treat for me. Helena's mum has assured us that it was a rare event but I live in hope.

We are keen to visit the Isle of Mull before we leave, but the weather forecast is not especially good, and today was no exception. Overcast thick cloud cover predominates and there was only a chink or two of sunlight penetrating to the ground. We drove the few miles to Oban, where the ferries leave for the western islands, and got some brochures with timetables for ferries and buses on Mull, as you have to be very organised to maximise the time ashore. Last time we went there, we took an organised trip to look for the white-tailed sea eagles, which was an absolutely stunning experience for me. I'm not sure we can afford it this year.

On the way home we went up to McCaigs Tower, a Victorian folly in the shape of an amphitheatre on the top of the hill above the town. From there I hoped to get views across the harbour to the small islands and channels between Oban and Mull.

This small island, Kerrera, is only a few hundred yards away from the harbourside and behind it on the left is the very large Isle of Mull, stretching into the distance. The Sound of Mull separates it from the remote Morvern peninsular of the mainland, on the right hand side, where I haven't yet been.

When we got back from the town, Helena's brother R. and his wife S. with their three sons, arrived from Edinburgh, where they saw the Tattoo last night. They have left their last home in Botswana, and in September will be moving to the Netherlands, where S. has got a new job, it being her homeland. We haven't seen them for some years so it will be great to catch up.