Iona to Oban

 This evening, I am reporting on yesterday's trip from the island of Iona to Oban on the Scottish mainland via Isle of Mull. These sites can all be found on the west coast of Scotland.

First we caught the regular ferry from Iona to Fionnphort on Mull. Journey time is about ten minutes.At Fionnphort we collected our car as visitors to Iona are usually banned from taking private cars.

Image below looks back on Iona and it's famous abbey. Small schooner is used for tourist boat trips.

 

The following images were taken from the thirty-five drive from Fionnphort to Craignure on the eastern side of Mull. The journey along the (single track) road took us about ninety minutes.This trip is just as impressive as the destination.

Note that Mull is constructed rather like a multi-tiered wedding cake. Thick layers of basalt lava sit on top of a complicated basement of much older rocks which peep out around the edges.

Mull displays a long and interesting history. The oldest rocks on Iona are about 2000 million years old.Mull's unique structures and rocks found nowhere else in the world (such as the Loch Ba Ring Dyke and felsite).

 

 Mull landscape looking north-west.

Mull landscape looking north

Mull landscape looking north

Highland Cow relaxing by the roadside.

At Craignure on Mull we connected with the return ferry to Oban, a journey which takes 46 minutes.

The images below illustrate views of Oban Harbour which includes various ferries plying between the islands.

Oban Harbour

 
 
Oban Harbour

Oban Harbour

After disembarking the ferry we returned to our base in Glasgow, a journey of 100 miles.

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