We caught the early sailing to Tobermory this morning. The Community Council had heard at its last meeting that, due to ongoing problems with various ferries, CalMac might have to leave the much smaller Raasay on all summer - which would be totally inadequate - but the Loch Linnhe was back earlier this week and the crew seemed fairly certain that, unless there's a further problem, we'll have her all summer.
Seeing the various parts of the village from the sea gives them a completely different perspective. The houses in Pier Road, which are strung out along the road, seem compacted into a neat little community, with their wind turbines behind them.
The houses at the western end of Kilchoan are also compacted, with those down Glebe Hill looking almost on top of those close to the waterfront. Seeming to loom over them all is the hill called Beinn na h-Imeilte, which is some distance away, half way across the peninsula.
This picture looks across Kilchoan Bay to the houses in Ormsaigbeg which are grouped on either side of the village shop, the Ferry Stores.
Further west, the houses of Ormsaigbeg are hemmed between the sea and the hill. The peak rising above them is Beinn na Seilg, but look closely and there is a ridge between the sea and the beinn, Druim na Gearr Leacainn.
It was a beautiful morning, the sea calm under a gentle southeaster. As we passed the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall, a small boat, probably servicing the Bloody Bay fish farm, passed in the opposite direction.
We went across to visit the dentist and were back on the 11.00am sailing, but Tobermory's going to be busy this weekend - it's the Mull Music Festival. There were only the two of us coming back, but a good crowd were waiting for the return journey.
I also read the Life at the End of the Road blog, and I gather the Linnhe was on the Raasay crossing while their usual boat, the Hallaig, was on Mallaig-Armadale to cover for the Coruisk which had to go for repair ... but now the Coruisk is back in service it's "all change" back to usual and hopefully nothing else will go wrong !!
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