We did a lot of driving about this day but did not see any special birds. I have recorded it here for the route which was supposed to be great for birds of prey!
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Jun 24 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 12 : 24th June Dunoon
Jun 23 2018
Scotland Holiday Day 11 : 23rd June 2018 Tobermory to Dunoon
On the day of our departure from Mull I thought I’d have one last look for an Iceland Gull that had been reported as loafing around the harbour. I had looked a couple of times before but a bit casually. We had left our fabulous cottage with enough time to spare to quickly park in the harbour and have a last look. When we got there, the tide was a fair way out and there was only a single gull on the rocks but it turned out to be the Juvenile Iceland Gull that had been reported. Because we were on our way home, I had my camera and long lens in the car so managed to get very clear pictures of the bird and subsequent research showed that this was definitely a juvenile Iceland Gull – my only life tick of the holiday!
Jun 22 2018
Scotland Holiday Day 10 : 22nd June 2018 Mull Day Off
We were a bit in need of doing our last bits of laundry and it was time to make sure that we cleaned the cottage up a bit in preparation for our departure the following morning so we had a casual day making a trip down to the harbour and eating at the Fishish Restaurant
Jun 21 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 9 : 21st June Glengorm and Loch na Keal
Today we fancied trying a trip north to Glengorm Castle. We thought that we would stand a good chance of getting some birds of prey on the cliffs there and also perhaps some woodland birds. We also thought – incorrectly – that the castle might be open for viewing or at least have a garden (as advertised) that Anne would like. Our day din’t exactly work out like that but it was still a good day.
Jun 20 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 8 : Loch na Keal 20th June 2018
Another of our pre-planned trips was a boat trip down Loch na Keal lookign for White-tailed Sea Eagles on the Mull Charters boat. We again had the drive down to Salen then across towards Gruline before turning off on the B7083 that runs along the north shore of Loch na Keal. We stopped off at various places on our way to the Ulva Ferry pier and got a good range of birds during the course of the day. The big action, however, had to be the boat trip.
Jun 19 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 8 : 19th June 2018 Mull and Iona
After a day on the water it was back to the roads but we did have a very short trip later in the day from Fionnphort to Iona. First though there was a long road trip and you don’t get anywhere fast on Mull! But what a grea day out lay ahead and one you can only have on Mull and Iona.
Jun 18 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 6 : 18th June 2018 Mull and Lunga
One of the most exciting visits to bird colonies must surely involve the visit to Lunga, one of the several islands that make up the Treshnish Islands. There can be no better birding site for views of Puffins from a foot or two away anywhere in Britain. It is not without it’s little difficulties however.
Jun 17 2018
Scotland Holiday Day 5 : 17th June 2018 Around Mull
Since my little accident at Gatehouse of Fleet on the first day of our holiday, my leg had been getting worse and worse. A big lump had appeared on my right knee and my right leg was black and blue and green and yellow all the way down to the ankle. We weren’t sure of what had caused it but it was getting worried. The 17th of June was a Sunday so there wasn’t any chance of getting a doctor so I was left with the option of phoning A&E at Craignure hospital. Not how I had hoped my first full day on Mull would be spent.
Jun 16 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 4 16th June 2018 Oban to Tobermory, Mull
This day was really a settling in day and we didn’t do any birding except to look from the ferry and keep an eye open for anything interesting as we drove from Craignure to Tobermory. We drove by our cottage, The Old Coastguards, to check it out even though we were a bit early and found Fi, the owner, cleaning it herself. We got into conversation and had a nice chat and she let us check in early. It was very impressive and I was glad I had had the forethought to pick a place that you could be comfortable in if it rained a lot because – it did ! They had had the three weeks of very hot weather the rest of the country had had but the poor weather we experienced in Galloway followed us and was to remain with us for the rest of the week.
We knew that it might be difficult getting somewhere to eat on our first night in Tobermory so we booked at the Galleon Grill where I had a great steak and Anne tucked into a huge Lobster
Jun 15 2018
Scotland Holiday 2018 Day 3 15th June 2018 Loch Lomond to Dunstaffnage
Our drive, this day, was quite a long one but very beautiful. We drove south back down to the end of Loch Lomond, drove along the bottom and then came up the other side. We drove the length of the western edge of Loch Lomond up to Tarbert and then on to Inveruglas and Crianlarich before headin west to Tyndrum and Dalmally.