Road to the isles, July 2nd, travelling round the sea lochs

After the Staffa trip the weather started to lighten a bit. We left Fionnphort and picked up a hitch hiker along the way. He was a student waiting to start university in October and was working on an organic farm in the meantime. He was trying to get to Tobermory but we were cutting off the main road down to Uisken beach so could not carry him very far.
Uisken was very pretty with lots of small islands and rocks. I spent a little time taking pictures of the objects on the beach. There were a number of stranded jelly fish, but the lack of sun had helped preserve them.







A small patch of blue sky appeared and the sea became completely calm.




We had parked at the top of the beach in the company of a few sheep. Eventually we were joined by a remarkable couple who admired the van and said that he had worked for the diplomatic service and they had driven across the desert to Iran in a converted VW camper van with specially adapted wheels and suspension. They were accompanied by some other people in a Land Rover which kept breaking down but the VW had made it without problems. Our van is a Fiat so I wouldn't fancy it's chances. 


On returning to the main road we again saw our hitch hiker who had had no luck since we left him. This time we took him to the junction of the main road and the minor one we were continuing on - the B8035, where there was a bus stop and hopefully a bus for him to finish his journey.
On the way across by Pennyghael I took a picture of the promontory of Burgh, wreathed in clouds.



This small road passes by Ben More, the highest mountain on Mull at 967m. It can be seen from the road and surprisingly the top was bare of clouds.


The road is only single track and while driving from Kilfinichen to Balnahard I spotted a little waterfall by the road. There happened to be a very long passing place, big enough for two vehicles, almost next to the fall and we had not seen another car for 20 minutes. So Alan parked up and I took the camera and the tripod and started to make 'slow water shots' of the fall. When out of the corner of my eye I could see a police car had drawn up. I hastily took the camera off the tripod and went back to the car trying to look nonchalant. We weren't ticketed but just warned. Strangely the police lady had not parked in the bay behind us but had completely blocked the road! 


As you approach the top of the road by Gribun a fantastic view of Loch na Keal reveals itself in front of you. This was Alan's favourite place on the island, the ram was a little further down the road.




We eventually camped in a fairly rough camping site at Killichronan right next to the loch. I was hoping for a sunset, but got a rather magnificent cloud formation over Gribun on the opposite side of the loch.











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