By Nigel Heath
An illusive sun put in a brief appearance on a blustery October morning as our Caledonian MacBrayne ferry was midway across the Firth of Lorne on her forty-five-minute crossing from Oban to the Hebridean island of Mull.
A Googled weather forecast displayed grey rain symbols every day for the whole week while back home in Monmouthshire a golden autumn sun was shining.
Reaching the top of the ferry ramp in the tiny port of Craigneur and with my wife Jenny at the wheel, we turned left.
And so began our thirty-five-mile single-track road journey to the small fishing village and port of Fionnphort on the shores of The Ross of Mull, which was to be our holiday base.
Dark clouds slowly drifting apart as we drove allowed shafts of watery light to come beaming down on the most stunning scenery.
Luckily there were plenty of passing places where we could not resist stopping to take pictures, as the contrast between light and dark and the ever-changing mood of the skies was breath-taking.
Two hours later, we arrived in Fionnphort to a warm welcome from our hosts, Janice and Chris Hall, at Staffa House, overlooking a beach with pink granite outcrops and across to the holy island of Iona.
Chris, a former restaurateur, and Janice, who worked in local government, opted for a complete change of lifestyle and, moving from Kent five years, earlier had never looked back.
More Atlantic storm clouds and rain blew in on high winds in late afternoon and the storm was set to last until lunchtime on Sunday.
But luckily, the lively Keel Row Inn, acquired by villagers and reopened after a two-year closure, was close by and we enjoyed an excellent supper of locally caught Sea Bream.
We awoke to another stormy morning, but luckily our boat trip out to land on the tiny island of Staffa and to visit the famous Fingal’s Cave, the inspiration for Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebridean Overture had already been postponed until the Tuesday.
We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the conservatory and a wide-ranging conversation with our hosts and a most interesting couple from Ottawa.
Then there was only one thing for it now, but to hunker down in our comfortable room with some good books and ride out the storm until lunch time when a break in the weather was forecast.
Sadly, the skies did not clear until teatime, but there was a culinary silver lining because we were booked in to sample a four-course tasting menu just across the way at The Ninth Wave restaurant run by local fisherman John Lamont and his wife Carla, whose book about food and love on Mull was also on sale.
Leaving Staffa House after breakfast, we drove seventeen miles back along the coast to reach The Pennyghale Stores.
Here we met Bryan Rains, who was to be our wildlife guide for the day, and three fellow travellers, and set out in his people carrier around nearby Loch Beg under clearer skies.
With years of experience, he knew just where to look and we were soon being held spellbound by an otter feasting on a fish amid the kelp and two magnificent White Tailed Sea Eagles resting on a rock.
But the highlight of the day was the sight of two Golden Eagles soaring high above Glen More.
Returning to Staffa House in the late afternoon, we learned that our boat trip had now been postponed until the Wednesday because of the high winds.
As The Keel Row was closed on a Monday, our hosts kindly offered to provide an evening dinner for us and our fellow Canadian guests and as they were closing for the season on Saturday, they joined us for a superb celebration meal prepared by Chris showcasing his culinary art.
Thankfully the wind abated overnight and we made the twenty-minute ferry crossing to Iona.
It was here that Saint Columba founded a small monastic community over 1400 years ago and its role in the Christian story has endured ever since, culminating in the founding of an ecumenical community in 1938.
It was only a short step from the pier to the magnificent abbey church, which is well worth a visit, but then a brisk walk brought us to a dazzling white sandy beach at the far end of the island where we lingered for a while before returning to Fionphortt.
Wednesday dawned grey and blustery and we joined a small group waiting on the quay for our trip out to Staffa, but when our sturdy boat run by Staffa Trips tied up, her skipper, Graham Tindall, jumped off with a weather warning
The Atlantic sea conditions were such that once we left the shelter of the sound, we would be in for a rough ride with no guarantee that we would be able to land on Staffa.
Then when he said that anyone not wanting to sail would be refunded, some ten people decided to stay ashore leaving Jenny and I and twenty others to board and don big yellow oilskins. Clearly a portend of what as to come!
It was certainly a white-capped rollercoaster of a ride, but we were landed and making our way carefully along the base of a towering cliff, while grabbing hold of a single hand rail, we made it safely to this stunning cave.
Just as we entered, a shaft of light beamed in from a now complicit sun making it the undoubted highlight of our Hebridean holiday.
Stopping off at Iona on the way back, we walked across to take in the views on the Atlantic side of the island before sailing back to Ffionport.
On our last day we walked to nearby Fidden and spent several hours wandering around its quiet bays with their dazzling white sands and golden rock formations.
Eagle- eyed Jenny found five tiny Cowri Shells which are good luck charms, but I reckoned that we had already been blessed with an abundance of luck on our Hebridean adventure.
Fact File
While staying with friends in Ardrossen, on our way up, we broke our return journey with stopovers at the luxurious Karma Lake of Menteith Hotel, near Stirling, and The comfortable Crown Hotel in Boroughbridge near York
