M.V. Isle of Mull & Morvern from Duart Point, Isle of Mull, Scotland

The east coast of Mull sees a lot of boat traffic even today and, given how much easier it was to go by sea in the days before good roads, it probably has been like that for hundreds if not thousands of years. Caledonian MacBrayne do run quite a few ferries round here, and it is not just the Oban to Craignure sailings that are to be seen though they probably pass Duart Point more often than the others. What you see above is just such a crossing with the hills of Morvern behind the appropriately named M.V. Isle of Mull, which itself was built in 1988.

Others that come the same way are sailings between Oban and such places as Castlebay on Barra, Lochboisdale on South Uist, Arinagour on Coll and Scarinish on Tiree. In fact, the only service apart from the Oban to Craignure one that I have used that came this way was a direct Saturday sailing from Loichboisdale to Oban. Sadly, weather like what you see above did not dignify the voyage, but the sun did try to make its appearance from time to time. What kept me philosophical about this was how much I had got from a week spent exploring Skye, Harris, North Uist, Benbecula and South Uist when many other places simply got heavy rain and consequent flooding. Other services that tempt me include Fishnish to Lochaline and Tobermory to Kilchoan for they are fairly regular too.

Along with ferry and freight shipping, pleasure craft also are to be seen and these include sailing boats, so calm seas would be best for the lot though the Sound of Mull may have its share of share from the tumult of the Atlantic Ocean and looked a picture of placidity a sunny day in August. Still, those appearances fail to convince me, so I am not planning on standing over the preceding sentiments until they are confirmed for me.