The Mule on Mull :-)

Been kinda distracted of late, think I got waylaid by another late one on Saturday or if I didn’t then I certainly felt like it on Sunday. Whatever I spent most of the Sabbath doing chores about the house and getting ready for phase 2 of my ‘holiday’ This will be the part where I actually go away so much time was spent getting my caravan, Land Rover and tools ready for the trip.

The tools being required for my holiday and not for fixing the Land Rover or caravan (fingers crossed). The annual trip to Lochaline with MV Hallaig being cancelled indefinitely by our local MP Kate Forbes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Forbes This will hopefully stop the lunacy of taking a ferry from a ‘lifeline’ service to cover the drydocking of a ferry that serves an island that already has four or five ferries. This is great and long overdue news for Raasay but I do miss my wee trip down there with the caravan and CalMac paying my expenses

Anyway on Sunday I checked my lights, Changed the rear number plate, made my bed and filled my new toilet cistern pump. I’d had to free it off before going to Lochaline 12 months ago so just got a new one rather than fix it yet again.

Three ferries

Heading off at 8:00 on yet another glorious spring morning

 

we stopped in Broadford to fill up with diesel and stores at the Co-op before meandering towards a good dug walking spot just outside Kyle.

 

It’s just past the 30MPH end about half a mile on the right at a place called Scalpaidh Bay and there a great path through the woods and up to Scalpaidh loch.

 

There are loads of old ruins and judging by the two old oaks growing out of the middle of one they must be REALLY old

Our next stop was at Loch Oich

 

on the Caledonian Canal where I bought a mocha and cake at the café there  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g2549626-d7811042-Reviews-Well_of_the_Seven_Heads_coffee_takeaway-Laggan_Scottish_Highlands_Scotland.html Both were excellent with Molly and Bonzo enjoying their complimentary sausages too, yup the owner asked me how many dogs I had then gave me a sausage each for them  

 

Then it was on through Fort William without even stopping at Lidl and straight aboard the ferry at the Corran Narrows.

We stopped for another bite to eat and walk on the Morvern peninsula  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morvern shortly before turning onto the single track A884 to Lochaline.

 

This year the third hybrid sister the MV Catriona is relieving for MV Lochinvar’s annual docking.

 

The short crossing across the Sound of Mull took us to Fishnish and not long after we arrived at Tobermory Campsite  https://www.tobermory-campsite.co.uk/ and my old friend the owner, Angus Williams came out to meet me I used to stay here in the late seventies and early eighties and it has certainly changed

 

Free Wi-Fi, nice clean facilities with great showers and just a ten minute walk into Tobermory.

After getting myself sorted out and realising that I had once more forgotten to bring a saucepan I made dinner in one that Angus loaned me. A much better option than what I did last year at Lochaline, which was to boil my pasta in the frying pan Anyway, after dinner I went up to look at the Mule with Cameron in preparation for today.

The Mule being at http://www.isleofmullcheese.co.uk/ Sgriob-ruadh Farm where along with the 150 cattle they keep pigs

  

I need to get some more pigs

The Kawasaki 4010 diesel Mule

This morning I had a somewhat late start but had the pleasure of a nice clean smooth floor to work on and my Landy for company

I could even set my laptop up on a nice sturdy bench next to the engine to which I was fitting a new piston.

 

After a couple of hours I walked back to the caravan for lunch with the dugs as it’s only five minutes over the hill from the site.

With Cameron’s help after lunch we got the engine back in and transmission belt fitted before ‘knocking it on the head’ and calling it a day

A day of rest!

It’s 7:30AM, not the clear blue sky that was forecast but another lovely spring morn none the less,

 

with the rising sun’s rays escaping the veil of cloud to the north. Illuminating the hills behind Staffin who’s Gaelic names I’m not even going to try and spell but methinks the one on the right is the Table

   

To the south there’s a herd of hinds grazing on the first tender shoots of spring and to the west on a flat calm sea an early fisherman.

The Portree creel boat Mhari Bhan BRD 650 just about to set a fleet of heavy looking creels for an early lobster

Me, I’m just sat at the kitchen table watching the day unfold with the firm intention of doing nothing today Well I’m pretty sore, tired and I am on holiday after all and it’s been ‘full on’ to say the least.

Thursday

Methinks the first job was heading over to the Schoolhouse with two sides of Marmalade then going to drag up the long lengths of pipe Donnie the fisherman had towed uo north for us.

   

The hundred or so meters of 90mm MDPE pipe would save me having to join much shorter lengths together.

  

Once that was tucked up out of the way we set about cutting up the six sides of pig we’d killed on Wednesday.

  

Under Gavin’s expert instruction and the dug’s envious gaze

  

Well, Molly and Bonzo certainly got their fill, made the dog biscuits they got for dinner seem pretty boring

Friday

After yet another excellent meal, red wine and late night I arose early to catch the post and walk the dugs before more butchery.

 

It was not the ‘wall to wall’ sunshine the forecast had promised, not only was it raining lightly but the sky was blocked out by a thick combination of mist and smoke The pyromaniacs had been out on Skye.

 

Images taken by David Carslaw on Thursday night from the Raasay village hall and the old ferry terminal. https://www.whfp.com/2022/03/25/fire-crews-continue-to-tackle-skye-blaze/ https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/4095497/public-warned-to-avoid-a87-on-isle-of-skye-after-firefighters-battle-wildfire/

 

Yup, it was pretty thick but by the time I’d got back home the drizzle had dried up and the smoke never reached the north end.

 

A couple of hours of chopping up back fat for salami was followed by an abortive attempt at sailing

The tide just never came in enough to launch my Mate’s boat So I left them to more salami and sausage making and turned my attention to putting the fence back up that I’d taken down to lower my wind turbine. Putting the gin pole away and tightening the 46mm nuts at the base. After that I headed over to the Schoolhouse apologised for my absence at the cutting table chopped off a length of pork loin had an early (alcohol free) night