Isle of Mull & Oban
A beautiful dawn broke over the Sound of Mull as the Lord of the Glens lay at berth at Craignure on the Isle on Mull, highlighting the sloping hills of the Morven Peninsula to the north, and of the Island of Lismore to the east. Alas, this was soon followed by a front from Ireland bringing steady rain which lasted for most of our visit to Torosay Castle. However, such was the charm of the house and gardens, and the warmth of the welcome of its owner, that our spirits were not in the least dampened.
Torosay Castle was built in 1858 as a family home for a branch of the Campbell family, designed by David Bryce, one of the leading Scottish architects of the day. It has an imposing exterior in a setting of formal gardens and terraces which are the centrepiece of a twelve-acre garden. These in turn lie at the centre of a 12,000 acre estate. It has changed hands over the generations, and is now in the ownership of Chris James, who showed us around the rooms of the mansion, and its surrounding gardens, in person, delighting us all with his wit, and an abundance of stories about his predecessors and relatives, whose portraits hang in the elegant rooms.
During lunch we made the short sea crossing from the Isle of Mull to Oban on the mainland, accompanied for part of the way by a group of dolphins. On our approach into the sheltered harbour, there were stunning views of the ancient ruins of Dunollie Castle on the one side, and the green island of Kerrera on the other. Oban is a busy, bustling coastal town, and our first port of call there was for a tour of the Oban Distillery, and an obligatory tasting of the golden nectar produced there. The rest of the day was devoted to exploring the town, culminating in a walk uphill to McCaig’s Tower, a landmark that dominates the town, with local guide Euan Mackintosh, who rounded off our visit with nothing less than a haunting rendition of ‘The Dark Island’ on the bagpipes.
A beautiful dawn broke over the Sound of Mull as the Lord of the Glens lay at berth at Craignure on the Isle on Mull, highlighting the sloping hills of the Morven Peninsula to the north, and of the Island of Lismore to the east. Alas, this was soon followed by a front from Ireland bringing steady rain which lasted for most of our visit to Torosay Castle. However, such was the charm of the house and gardens, and the warmth of the welcome of its owner, that our spirits were not in the least dampened.
Torosay Castle was built in 1858 as a family home for a branch of the Campbell family, designed by David Bryce, one of the leading Scottish architects of the day. It has an imposing exterior in a setting of formal gardens and terraces which are the centrepiece of a twelve-acre garden. These in turn lie at the centre of a 12,000 acre estate. It has changed hands over the generations, and is now in the ownership of Chris James, who showed us around the rooms of the mansion, and its surrounding gardens, in person, delighting us all with his wit, and an abundance of stories about his predecessors and relatives, whose portraits hang in the elegant rooms.
During lunch we made the short sea crossing from the Isle of Mull to Oban on the mainland, accompanied for part of the way by a group of dolphins. On our approach into the sheltered harbour, there were stunning views of the ancient ruins of Dunollie Castle on the one side, and the green island of Kerrera on the other. Oban is a busy, bustling coastal town, and our first port of call there was for a tour of the Oban Distillery, and an obligatory tasting of the golden nectar produced there. The rest of the day was devoted to exploring the town, culminating in a walk uphill to McCaig’s Tower, a landmark that dominates the town, with local guide Euan Mackintosh, who rounded off our visit with nothing less than a haunting rendition of ‘The Dark Island’ on the bagpipes.
