On the trip from Islay the weather turned and we had mist and fog on the way to Jura. Jura has some mountains called the Paps, (meaning boobs in Old Norse), which we saw from a distance, before the fog desended. The way into Loch Tarbet is very narrow and a tricky with leading marks on the hillside to guide you in. However, it was so murky we could barely see them, but as was low tide the rocks were scarily clear enough! Jura is very remote and rugged and is supposed to be very beautful. However we did not really see it as it was shrouded in cloud for the time we were there.
On the journey to Oransay we saw a whale! Very exciting for us but really all you could see was the back of it a couple of times.
Next was the Isle of Mull. The journey there was grey, but dry. Mull is a hugely impressive sight, with green cliffs rising out of the sea. The fact that they seemed to suddenly appear out of the cloud and fog probably added to their grandeur.
We anchored in Loch Spelve which has a larger mussle farm. We were able to procure 2kg of fresh mussles in exchange for a bulb of garlic. The actual price was £2.50 but our neighbours had picked them up for us, and neither of us had change, so we moved to the barter economy. After cleaning them up, scraping off the barnicles I cooked them with garlic, chilli and coconut milk, and served with a bagette. Totally delicious!
The next morning we went for a walk and saw lots of wild life. The highlight was the stag that was stood motionless in the stream. They are huge and magnificent creatures. I don't understand how anyone sees one and thinks shooting it would be a good idea. We also saw a field full of peacocks, all displaying their tails and shaking their bottoms at each other. Well, it is summer after all! There was a golden eagle, and we just missed an otter, which some other people had just seen and were hoping it would return. Sadly not, but maybe next time.
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