Wednesday 14 August 2019

Summer Holiday





It's been a little while, but its all good. I've been on my holidays!
I love to get away at this time of year but the idea of dealing with busy airports and the stress of travelling in peak summer holiday time  is something I prefer to avoid (at least while Lily is so young). Having enjoyed such a wonderful time on the Isle of Arran a couple of years ago now, I thought it would be fun to discover what it would be like on Mull.

The Isle of Mull lies a little way off the west coast of Scotland and is a short ferry ride from the mainland port of Oban. Following a looong drive and a quick dash around the supermarket for the week's supplies and to fill the car up, we were able to sit back with a coffee and enjoy the beautiful scenery during our forty minute ferry journey. It was a lovely, clear day and a very pleasant crossing.
Our arrival at the cottage was reassuring, with everything even better than expected. Lily was delighted with her bedroom, especially the beach hut pictures on her duvet cover, and there were plenty of toys supplied, so there was no need to unpack any of her own. Unexpected treats were the view from the back of the cottage, which looked over towards the Islands of Rum, Muck and Eigg and, most memorably, the Tunnock's teacakes in the welcome pack!














We had such a relaxing week and there was so much on the island to enjoy, although mainly we would spend our days quite simply. Lunch would be a picnic, which meant we could stop wherever we were and take in the beautiful scenery. The rest of the day would be spent exploring, with dinner back at the cottage in an evening, the one exception being when we indulged in some delicious fish and chips from the pier in Tobermory.

For us, the main highlight had to be the beaches. Stretches of white sand lapped by crystal clear waters. Shells to collect, sandcastles to make and rockpools to explore. Unsurprisingly, much of our time was spent barefoot. Most evenings were spent walking by the shore at Calgary Bay, Lily in a desperate hurry to run into the sea. 

























We went walking through the forests, saw some stunning waterfalls and a sculpture trail. We sat and watched seals down near the harbour by the cottage. We visited a cheese farm and met some gorgeous newborn calves, some pigs and goats. 



Another highlight of our time on Mull was meeting The Tobermory Cat. Which one, I'm not quite sure, but he certainly lived up to his reputation. 🐱🐱🐱

We had a wonderful time on Mull. All the sea air and time outdoors meant we slept really well and returned home feeling relaxed, wishing to return, and just a little bit shocked at how the weather has suddenly turned so much cooler! I'm also trying not think about the amount of sand I have yet to vacuum from the car.

J. X


70 comments:

  1. It sounds like a perfect holiday and your photos are wonderful. Thank you for sharing them

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. We had a great time. X

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  2. OHHH your photos are really absolutely stunning! What a gorgeous week you had! We really, really must get back up to Scotland, it's been to long since we were last there. Lily must've been the happiest little girl in the world!! Love and best, Jane x

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    1. Thank you, Jane. We had a great week and were so fortunate with the weather. Lily loves this type of holiday, so it was perfect for us. X

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  3. Your photos should come with a danger to health warning....lol.....my jaw dropped so low I think I bruised it on the desk.
    What an absolutely amazing place. It looks very peaceful and relaxing.
    I'm glad you had such a great time.
    Hugs-x-

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    1. The Isle of Mull is such a beautiful place and I wouldn't hesitate to go back. X

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  4. Wonderfully stunning - or maybe I mean stunningly wonderful. Thanks for sharing them.
    xx

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    1. I think either description is fine. It is beautiful there. X

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  5. Fabulous photos. It looks like a wonderful holiday, with some really good weather. It can be quite hard to get away from the crowds at this time of year but you seem to have managed it.

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    1. Thank you, Jo. I saw no crowds on Mull, unless you count the sheep on the roads. X

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  6. It looks absolutely amazing. You photographs are lovely and certainly sell the place. I would love to do something like that, once I have a new travel companion, a dog.

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    1. It was lovey there Jo. I would definitely recommend it, especially with a four pawed companion. There were many dogs on board the ferry, going on holiday with their owners. X

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  7. Looks absolutely amazing Jules, glad you had such a wonderful holiday, we have travelled all over the place but I have never been to Scotland, so I hope it will be possible in the future and Ireland is another place I would so love to visit. xx

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    1. Thank you, Marlene. I think Scotland is a beautiful part of the world, whether travelling to a remote island or on a city visit. Ireland is another place on my wish list too. X

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  8. Idyllic! Simply idyllic!

    What a wonderful, wonderful place to spend a holiday!

    ✨🍑✨

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    1. Thank you, WoW. We had such a good time there. X

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  9. Would you please consider... Making your print size larger? Your photos are a lovely size. But your words are very hard to read.

    I am older, but in discussion of print size, younger than I, prefer larger too. thing is, they just don't "say" anything. ,-)

    Please don't be upset with me though...

    ✨🍑✨

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    1. If you're on a computer, hold down the control key and press + (and control minus makes it smaller again). The pictures remind me that it's somewhere I've always wanted to go.

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    2. I've made it a size bigger and a shade darker. I hope it helps, although using the above method (Thank you, TD) you can adjust it even more to suit your needs. X

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  10. Beautiful. But do consider the east coast ! Different but just as beautiful.

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    1. It's on the (long) list of areas to visit. As long as you promise to put the kettle on. 😉

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  11. Your photos are utterly gorgeous! It's hard to believe that you were in Scotland rather than the Med with those big blue skies, white sandy beaches and crystal clear water. With cats and cheese in the mix I'd love to visit Mull! xxx

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    1. Thank you, Vix. Yes, it did feel like we were somewhere tropical at times, except for the sheep! X

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  12. So beyond beautiful! What a wonderful place to vacation in perfect weather, too. These photos make my heart sing.

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    1. We were very fortunate with the weather. It enabled us to really make the most of our week. X

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  13. It looks and reads like a wonderful holiday, and you were really lucky with your weather. I am envious. If only it didn't take so long to get there from Shropshire! x

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    1. It was quite a long journey, although it was very straightforward and wonderfully scenic, especially around Loch Lomond. X

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  14. A mesmerizing place! Love the cat, the white sheep and the twig sculptures. I wonder if the sand with the tiny pieces of shell didn't cut the feet. Ohh my goodness the cheeeese!! I really like cheese! Love it!! A paradise!

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    1. The beaches are so white because they are made up of crushed shells yet they are so soft to walk on. The cheese is delicious, especially the Ledaig Whisky flavoured variety! X

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  15. What a wonderful holiday. It looks a perfect place to visit especially if you can see mermaids :) I'm not a lover of airports any more myself but we're looking for somewhere to visit next year to mark a special occasion and I've mentioned Scotland. I need to mark this post to remind me what a lovely place Isle of Mull looks. xx

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    1. The mermaid was a rare sighting as she never remained on dry land for very long!
      I have no problem with airports, but at this time of year they can be busy, stressful places when you have little ones, and I prefer a more relaxed start to my holiday. No doubt that will change as Lily gets older.
      A special occasion sounds exciting and you'll have lots of fun planning a trip. X

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  16. Stunning photos; you have an eye for the right angle.
    We have visited the Western Isles three times Inclyding Skye for a week a few years ago. Such amazing scenery.

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    1. Thank you, Eloise. It's a beautiful part of the world isn't it. X

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  17. Such a gorgeous place and your photos are wonderful. Definitely on my wish list of places to go. Glad you had a wonderful holiday. B x

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    1. It really is lovely there. I don't know about you but my wish list of places to visit just keeps getting longer and longer! X

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  18. Oh WOW!
    What a truly wonderful time you had on Mull... your photographs are amazing.

    I can remember returning from holiday with the children and having to vacuum out the car, the sand goes everywhere doesn't it!

    A lovely post :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. There is so much sand in the car, although I'm just as guilty as Lily for making it such a mess. It's all part of the holiday experience. X

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  19. Wow! Those photos are stunning. It looks like you had an incredible time. What a special place. The goats look so healthy and well fed.

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    1. Thanks Stephenie. I love goats. They are so cheeky. X

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  20. Oh my, what a beautiful place to visit. I would imagine that the holiday was not long enough.

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    1. I would go back in a heartbeat. It was beautiful there. X

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  21. What stunning scenery and fabulous photos, it's hard to pick a favourite but if any it's the third one. It looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time with weather to match, and Lily will have some lovely memories. It's six years since I was up on the Scottish coast - a lovely little camp site right by the beach with stunning views over to Eigg, Muck and Rum - and your photos are making me want to go back :)

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    1. It's a beautiful part of the world and we really enjoyed our time there. There is an allocated wild camp area right next to Calgary beach which you might like. X

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  22. is that "Balamory'"?! I would have spent my time singing the song!
    I started reading this yesterday, but was called away to help Violet colour her hair purple. Just don't ask!!!
    I love Scotland. We went to celebrate my 30th bd, and it was the perfect place to go. We were in the highlands, and stayed in Plockton. Ate a lot of Plockton prawns!
    Really have to go back sometime, and your photos make me yearn for it.

    Jules, your photos are perfect as usual. And you are one of the rare bloggers who shows genuine appreciation for their surroundings in their posts. A joy to read. xx

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    1. Yes, it is 'Balamory' and the song did go through my head many, many times while we were there :)
      Purple? That is an interesting colour and would have matched my hands yesterday, as I went picking blackberries.
      I love Scotland and have enjoyed a wonderful time whenever I have been there - the scenery is stunning. What a fab place to celebrate your birthday. I hope you get the opportunity to visit again soon. X

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    2. P.S. Thank you. That's a really lovely thing to say. X

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  23. It sounds like you had a wonderful, relaxing holiday! I would love to visit Scotland someday - it's on my list!

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    1. We had a great time, Julia. I hope you get to visit one day. X

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  24. Thank you for those photos. I shall definitely have to go to Mull.
    Bev

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  25. Oh I love Mull, such a gorgeous place. Your photos are amazing, makes me want to go back I haven't been for years. Hope you got all the sand out the car!

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    1. It's so lovely to read your comment, and that you're starting to blog again. I've missed your posts but you've understandably had a lot on your plate. I'll have a proper catch up later.
      (Whispers) I've yet to vacuum the car :)

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  26. Ah yes, Mull. Such a beautiful place, it has a special place in my heart. I visited when I was pregnant with my oldest, now nearly 19! Isle of Mull cheddar is my favourite cheddar ever... I hope you to sample it while you visited. The beaches are stunning, aren't they? Thanks for sharing your lovely holiday.

    P.S. I don't seem to get your blog updates in my blog roll, will look into this.

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    1. It's beautiful there and I've so much of the island still to see. The cheese is delicious. We brought some back home with us :)
      I hope you manage to get the updates sorted. X

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  27. That looks like a wonderful place for a holiday and it sounds like you had a lovely time. Thank you for sharing your lovely photos. You now have me humming an old Cliff Richards song, "Summer Holiday" - there was a movie, too!

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    1. We had a great time, thank you Bless. It was a perfect way to spend our holiday. X

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  28. It sounds like the perfect kind of holiday. I don't like crowded, noisy places either and Mull looks so beautiful. Love the mermaid tail! xx Susan

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    1. I'm not a fan of busy or crowded, so it was the perfect place to visit. You would never have guessed it was peak holiday time.
      The mermaid tail was my bit of fun. I was just amazed Lily managed to sit still for long enough. X

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  29. The scenery is absolutely stunning, Jules! Your skill in capturing what is around you is wonderful. I've always wanted to go to Scotland and I will get there. It's just such a long way from us and I don't fly (I haven't done for 25yrs!) I'm so glad you had such a lovely time :)

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    1. Thank you, Ann. I hope you get to visit some time. It really is a beautiful part of the world. X

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  30. I very much enjoyed your holiday vicariously. Thank you. I'm ashamed to say that, although I've lived in the Outer Hebrides for nearly 45 years and the major part of my life, I have never been to Mull or most of the Inner Hebrides. You seem to have been very fortunate with the weather too. We've had some beautiful days but also many pretty horrible ones.

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    1. I'm very happy you enjoyed it! I'm looking forward to visiting more of the Scottish Islands in the future. X

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  31. Thank you!

    "Under the weather"
    ✨🍑✨

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    1. I hope you're feeing brighter soon. Take things easy for while. X

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  32. Hi Jules I changed my blog name and blog address, I am here now.
    Marlene xx

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  33. Unless I start inventing words {don't laugh, can be arranged!!}, then all the appropriate superlatives have already been said.

    Stunning, absolutely stunning. Must be on mine & Millie's list for the future . . .

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    1. It would be a great place for you to visit, Jayne. It's very dog friendly. X

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