mcleanscotland  are local Scots who pride ourselves on showing you the nooks & crannies other tours companies pass on by.   We can show you those hidden gems even Scots do not know!  extra tour notes fpr the Clan Maclean Gathering tour of Scotland 2007 with mcleanscotland.  mcleanscotland Mull diary from February 2007 Paul and Colin

COLIN AND PAUL'S DIARY OF MULL AND IONA TRIP FEBRUARY 2007

Colin and myself took ourselves over to Mull and Iona for the final arrangements of the gathering tour in June.  For YOUR benefit we HAD to try out the pubs once again, the food and all other sundry items we have planned for you all this summer.  Anyhow this is my diary (Paul).

The photos above; top left Colin lingering outside the wee museum in Tobermory.  Would you buy a used car off this person?  Top right, there are one or two Maclean's on the isle!  Bottom left, the post office at Tobermory.  Right, the ferry sign at Fishnish.

We arrived on a damp morning to Oban where we caught our ferry to Craignure.  As usual the wee man knew almost all the crew and some passengers!  Well I suppose that's what happens when you have lived 9 years on Mull.  We drove up to Tob (Tobermory in local slang) and hung aboot, it was Sunday and most of the world here on Mull is closed.  We chanced it yapping to a few locals before heading back to Craignure.  On the way we stopped at Pennygowan graveyard, an old burial ground for Maclean's, in fact, there is a Chief and his missus buried there but outside the main chapel as there was witchcraft going on which explains it a wee bit!  See below some of the photos I took there.

We checked into the hotel; the Isle of Mull, where most of you are staying on Mull in June.  dropped bags and headed to the pub, just to see who was the remind!  Well we stayed a while yapping to the locals before going back to the hotel for a clean up.  Then back to the pub, well it is the only one open there.  More locals came in and we had a good yap to everyone, around 8 ish a gaggle of musicians were jamming so we stayed.  They were good and so were the drinks and conversation.  Of course wee man had to stay longer, I was driving next morning so I wandered back to the hotel before him.  Pitch dark and no road lights, so I followed the white line in the road to the hotel.  A great night, here are a few pix;

	wee group shot	banjo man!

NEXT DAY - MONDAY. We had a great breakfast and headed south west to wards Iona.  We were going to arrange the boat charter with the Grants of Iona, aye, you guessed it - Colin's friends yet again!  We waited for the ferry (see pix) and once again yapped to people Col knew at Fionnaphort.  Ferry came, off we went - he knew crew here also, at the other side (in the rain) we asked at the spar shop for pal's whereabouts.  We then were offered a lift from a local to Pal's parents house, there are only cars on Iona for locals.  Up we went, said hello, had tea and biscuits and did the deal for the boat for June.  Our trip to Ion lasted around an hour before catching the ferry back again to Mull.

Photos above row, left; himsel' standing at the ferry for Iona. right, road sign.  centre row left, a stag we spotted from the huge herd of deer we saw that day. Right, at Beaton's Cross. Bottom row left, wee man again, this time at Pulpit Rock and right,   half way to Craignure.

Almost at Craignure, we turned to Torosay Castle, we had had a drink last night with James the owner, at the pub and promised to call in.  While there we walked down to the waterside and took some pictures of Duart.

We then drove down to the Fishnish ferry again to check for our arrival in June.  This is a wee ferry and we were checking our coach run and timing from the hotel etc.  As you can see here, it cannot take many vehicles if there is a large one to board. We had a drink of coffee and tea here with a chip butty. Again he knew people, where does it all end?  anyhow we spent the rest of the day at the hotel firming plans, checking the two bars, lounges, restaurant etc.  we were both a wee bit tired so we just hung around the hotel tonight.  we were treated to a very nice hotel meal by Joan the Manager.  You will enjoy the hotel in June, every window (almost) overlooks Duart Castle!

TUESDAY WE CAUGHT THE FERRY BACK TO OBAN. Spent a wee bit of time in Oban before heading off to Loch Awe where we made another stop, St Conans Kirk, where the coach tour group will stop.  This is a spectacular and unique church as you will see.  Built not as long ago as it looks, all explained in June. From there back through Inveraray where I stopped to say hello to friends of mine at a hotel. Then down to Rest and Be Thankful, again coach tour members will enjoy this.  A fantastic mountain pass leading us to Loch Lomond.  Dropped himsel' off at Glasgow and came home.  looking forward to the coach tour in June, see you then.  Paul

Photographs; top left, St Conans Kirk loch side view, the actual original front door.  Right some of the stained glass inside the kirk, just one of many.  Lower right, rest and be thankfull from the top. that wee trickle is the road.

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