) of Glühwein, but I must stress that none of us were wearing lederhosen at the time. Several bottles of mulled wine later, a plan had been hatched 
Our plan was to do the Isle of Mull, plus the Mull of Galloway and the Mull of Kintyre – plus a few other places we’d forgotten on other tours, this enabled us to string a good itinerary together....
It was with some trepidation that we set off on this tour, bearing in mind the bucket-loads of snow that had only recently been deposited on the south-west corner of Caledonia. Ah well, Easter Day and the start of British Summer Time. So we’ve lost an hour already and our 7am start is, in reality, a 6am start
Cumbria
Is this the latest boil-in-the-bag lamb, but cutting out the middle-man?
Silecroft, Cumbria
Murthwaite Green Trekking Centre in the Lake District National Park. What better way for Muzette to start her holiday
Egremont castle, Cumbria
Egremont castle, Cumbria
Egremont castle, Cumbria
Bowness-on-Solway, the end of Hadrian’s Wall, a fitting bookend to our New Year tour which included Wallsend, details HERE.
Standing here 1,900 years ago and without the aid of Google Maps, I can’t imagine saying “You know what, I’m going to build a wall 80 miles that way.....”
Heading west through Kirkcudbrightshire
Carminnows bridge over Kendoon Loch, Kirkcudbrightshire.
Don’t they do proper bridges here?
Kendoon suspension footbridge, Kirkcudbrightshire
Loch Ken viaduct, from the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway which closed in 1965
Thanks to Furydav for the idea for this part of the tour
Big Water of Fleet viaduct from the same dismantled railway, used in the film The 39 Steps.
Sadly, the viaduct over the Little Water of Fleet was blown up by the army in a training exercise
Seems an ideal place to crack open some UmBongo (they drink it in the Congo)....
....and pitch camp for the night
Quality breakfast in progress....
....while Muzette plays in the snow in a t-shirt
Castle Kennedy, Wigtownshire
Lochinch castle, Wigtownshire, viewed over the White Loch, built as a replacement for the derelict one above instead of rebuilding it
Crossing the canal between the White and Black Lochs, Castle Kennedy, Wigtownshire
Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Balzieland Tower, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Eucalyptus trees, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Eucalyptus bark, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Moss on tree, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Filo pastry bark, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Camelia, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Slate urn, Logan Botanic Garden, Port Logan, Wigtownshire
Due to the recent severe blizzards that have hit this area over the last week or so, many thanks to “Our Lady in Wigtownshire”, a fellow Bongonaught who was able to assist in the finer details of this section of the tour and also offer accurate updates of the local snow-clearing efforts
Mull of Logan folly, Wigtownshire
Mull of Galloway lighthouse, Wigtownshire
Mull of Galloway foghorn, Wigtownshire
Ireland from Mull of Galloway, Wigtownshire
Gallie Craig Coffee House, Mull of Galloway
Gallie Craig Coffee House, Mull of Galloway
Local speciality - Haggis & cheese panini, Gallie Craig Coffee House, Mull of Galloway
Gallie Craig Coffee House, Mull of Galloway
Wild-camp, East Tarbet, Mull of Galloway, Wigtownshire
Wild-camp, East Tarbet, Mull of Galloway, Wigtownshire
Castle of St John or Stranraer castle, Wigtownshire
Cobbler John Davidson’s cottage, Souter Johnnie immortalised in Robert Burns’ poem Tam o’ Shanter
Souter Johnnnie’s Inn, only recently burned out
Kirkoswald Old Church, built by monks founding Crossraguel Abbey just up the road.
Tam o’Shanter’s grave, Kirkoswald Old Church, South Ayrshire
Souter Johnnie’s grave, Kirkoswald Old Church, South Ayrshire
Gravestone, Kirkoswald Old Church, South Ayrshire
Crossraguel Abbey, South Ayrshire
Crossraguel Abbey, South Ayrshire
Crossraguel Abbey, South Ayrshire
Stonemason training, Crossraguel Abbey, South Ayrshire
Baltersan castle, South Ayrshire
Brig o’ Doon, South Ayrshire, more understandably the Bridge over the river Doon in Tam o’ Shanter
Robert Burns statue at Irvine, North Ayrshire
Eiders, Ardrossan, North Ayrshire. Eider that or something else
MV Caledonian Isles, Ardrossan – Brodick. First of just the 20 ferries this time.
We’re taking the short-cut to Kintyre, going via Arran knocks about 120 miles off the A83 route
MV Caledonian Isles, Ardrossan – Brodick
Crossing the Firth of Clyde
RFA Fort Austin heading south down the Firth of Clyde
North Sannox, Isle of Arran
Don’t mind if I do
Nice ‘n’ toasty!
North Sannox, Isle of Arran
North Sannox, Isle of Arran
North Sannox, Isle of Arran
Perfect breakfast, North Sannox, Isle of Arran
Heron, North Sannox, Isle of Arran
Wildlife spotters, North Sannox, Isle of Arran
Arran cheese, Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Go into Creelers smokehouse....
....and come out with crabs
Seal, Isle of Arran
Brodick Bay, Isle of Arran
Seal, Isle of Arran
Brodick castle, Isle of Arran
Brodick castle, Isle of Arran
No photography inside the castle
Impressive array of stag’s heads - Brodick castle, Isle of Arran
Brodick castle, Isle of Arran - I think they were using a machine gun
Muzette playing the Bechstein grand piano in the Drawing Room, Brodick castle, Isle of Arran. Oh yeah, no photography
Brodick castle garden, Isle of Arran
Heland coo, Isle of Arran
Isle of Arran
Glen Chalmadale, Isle of Arran
Lochranza castle, Isle of Arran
Lochranza, Isle of Arran
MV Loch Tarbert, Lochranza – Claonaig
MV Loch Tarbert, Lochranza – Claonaig
MV Loch Tarbert, Lochranza – Claonaig
Arran from Kintyre
Arran from Kintyre
St. Columba’s Chapel, Kintyre
St. Columba’s footprints, Kintyre, one of which is believed to be genuine as St. Columba first landed in Scotland here, before moving further north to Iona.
St. Columba’s well, Kintyre
Keil caves, Kintyre
Mull of Kintyre – Only one mile to go to the lighthouse
Mull of Kintyre lighthouse
Site of the 1994 Chinook crash where all 29 on board were killed, the worst peacetime RAF disaster as it headed from Belfast to Inverness, a veritable own-goal to the IRA.
Ireland from the Mull of Kintyre
Whose idea was this then?
Classy tea – with added horse
Perfect spot to stop for the night, Machrihanish, Kintyre
Machrihanish, Kintyre
Machrihanish, Kintyre
Oystercatcher, Machrihanish, Kintyre
Oystercatchers, Machrihanish, Kintyre
Machrihanish, Kintyre
Lorne sausage, haggis, beans & tattie scones
Machrihanish VHF Omnidirectional Range – a standard bit of aircraft navigational kit
Machrihanish is also one of the weather reporting stations if you’re sad enough to listen to the shipping forecast on Radio 4, but you have to be doubly sad and listen to the 0048hrs broadcast for the smaller stations 
Foal, Kintyre
Foal, Kintyre
Seal, Kintyre
Glenbarr Abbey, Kintyre
West Loch Tarbert, Kintyre
Tarbert castle, Argyll
MV Isle of Cumbrae, Tarbert - Portavadie
MV Isle of Cumbrae, Tarbert - Portavadie
MV Isle of Cumbrae, Tarbert - Portavadie
Sound of Bute
Portavadie, Cowal
Pollphail village, built in the 1970s to house workers building concrete oil platforms but never quite took off.
On to the A8003 over the Cowal peninsula, according to The Scotsman the best scenic drive in Scotland
originally built to connect Kames and Tighnabruaich with the rest of civilisation without having to go around the B8000 and the south side of Loch Fyne
Tighnabruaich viewpoint overlooking Loch Riddon and the Kyles of Bute. Cowal peninsula to the left, Isle of Bute to the right, Burnt Islands in the middle and the Isle of Bute ferry in the distance
Kilmodan Church, Clachan of Glendaruel, Cowal
Kilmodan Church, Clachan of Glendaruel, Cowal
Kilmodan stones, Clachan of Glendaruel, Cowal
Kilmodan Church, Clachan of Glendaruel, Cowal
Glendaruel House gates on the Cowal Way, the house itself was burned down in 1970
Tourist, Cowal
Dunans castle, Cowal
Dunans castle, Cowal
Minard castle, Argyll from across Loch Fyne
Inveraray castle, Argyll from across Loch Fyne
Loch Goil tree-house....
....how cool is this
Carrick castle, Argyll
Carrick castle, Argyll
Heron, Argyll
Heland coo, Argyll
“Rest & be Thankful”, the words inscribed on a stone near the junction of the A83 and the B828….
….placed there by soldiers who built the original military road in 1753, tradition has it that’s exactly what you’d do having made the long climb out of Glen Croe as you pass through the Arrochar Alps.
We took the short-cut to Campbeltown
Rest & be Thankful, Argyll
Rest & be Thankful, Argyll
Rest & be Thankful, Argyll
Spanish red – from Manchester
Rice & Bockwürsts, Argyll
Rice & Bockwürsts, Argyll
Now I’m not saying it was cold….
Lorne sausage, eggs & beans, Argyll
Rested. And very thankful
Loch Fyne smokehouse, Argyll
Loch Fyne, Argyll
Loch Fyne Oysters, Argyll
Inveraray, Argyll
Kilchurn castle, Argyll
Kilchurn castle, Argyll
Loch Awe, Argyll
Loch Awe, Argyll
Loch Awe, Argyll
Heron, Loch Etive, Argyll
Connel bridge across Loch Etive, a former railway bridge converted for road use
Swan, Loch Etive, Argyll
Dunstaffnage Bay, Argyll
Dunstaffnage castle, Argyll
Dunstaffnage castle, Argyll
McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Argyll
McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Argyll
Isle of Mull from McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Argyll
McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Argyll
Oban from McCaig’s Tower, Oban, Argyll
Photo taken in 1990 of St Columba's Cathedral & Corran Esplanade Church, we parked here in our 1962 Land-Rover
Here again 23 years later
St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles.
….might as well partake of some quality seafood while we await our next ferry at Ee-Usk, Oban, Argyll
Oysters
This is a first for all of us
Hmm, not too bad
Ditto
¡delicioso!
Mussels & chips, Ee-Usk
Oban, Argyll
MV Eigg, Oban – Achnacroish
MV Eigg, Oban – Achnacroish
MV Eigg, Oban – Achnacroish
From the Lismore ferry
From the Lismore ferry
St Moluag's Cathedral, Clachan, Isle of Lismore….
….now a Church of Scotland parish church but in the Middle Ages….
….this was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Argyll and the Isles
Castle Coeffin, Isle of Lismore
Isle of Lismore
Tirefour broch, Isle of Lismore
Point, Isle of Lismore
The Lismore, Point – Port Appin
The PierHouse, Port Appin, Argyll
Inn Island from Port Appin, Argyll
Port Appin - The old acetylene-powered lighthouse from Yellow Skerry
Vintage Lismore
Balanced diet? I’m not sure this is what the doctor had in mind, a large Chardonnay and a 21-year-old Lismore single malt
Argyll
The new lighthouse
Port Appin, Argyll
Awaiting the return ferry
View from Port Appin to Lismore
The Lismore, Port Appin - Point
Sailean, Isle of Lismore
Sailean, Isle of Lismore
Sailean, Isle of Lismore
Sailean, Isle of Lismore
Morning campsite, Lismore
View from the top on Lismore
Achnacroish, Isle of Lismore
MV Eigg, Achnacroish - Oban
MV Eigg, Achnacroish - Oban
MV Eigg, Achnacroish - Oban
Looking east from Lismore
FPV Minna with Dunolly castle in the background.
The Minna is keeping an eye on....
....a lost sperm whale in Oban Bay....
....making sure it doesn’t get hit by a ferry
Oban Bay, Argyll
From Pulpit Hill over Oban, Argyll
Looking west from Pulpit Hill viewpoint, Oban, Argyll
Oban from Pulpit Hill, Argyll
St Columba’s Cathedral from Pulpit Hill, Argyll
Lorne sausage, haggis, black pudding, fruit pudding & tattie scones, the Breakfast of Champions
Waiting for yet another ferry
MV Isle of Mull, Oban – Craignure
MV Isle of Mull, Oban – Craignure
MV Isle of Mull, Oban – Craignure
MV Isle of Mull, Oban – Craignure
From the Mull ferry
Duart castle
Ardnamurchan across Sound of Mull
Over Sound of Mull & Ardnamurchan Peninsula
