Moving on after Storm Hector

Storm Hector blew through Tobermory and we all kept an eye on our mooring lines as the boats shuddered and rocked about in the F9 winds and drenching rain.  But we were snug with the land next to the marina blocking out the worst of the gusts.

Doug went back to the waterfall that we had visited yesterday to see how it had changed after so much rain.

Upper Falls before the Rain


After the Rain
The day after Storm Hector, we set off again, headed for the picturesque Loch Drambuie.  We had fresh winds to blow us there and it felt good to be at sea once more after 4 days in Tobermory.  We threaded our way through the narrow entrance and dropped anchor in the loch.

Loch Drambuie
The weather was alternately windy, wet and then the sun tried to show through.  This was nothing like the clear blue skies we had been used to for so long.
We busied ourselves with painting and reading - not very dynamic but we felt this section of our trip was nearing a close.  Soon we would be leaving the boat for a week in Oban while we headed home for a week so that Doug could sing in the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival.

The following day we set off early to catch the tide for Loch Aline, which is an attractive inlet at the SE end of the Sound of Mull and a short distance from Oban.

A Windy Sail Down the Sound of Mull
We found ourselves beating in the rain for 4 hours into strong winds gusting to F7.  This was quite exhilarating after the calm weather we had been having in Scotland especially as the seas here are so flat due to the protection from the nearby land.

We sailed through the narrow entrance into Loch Aline, avoiding the CalMac car ferry that was just leaving as we entered.  Then we picked up a mooring in the yacht harbour on the northern side of the loch.  Soon afterwards, the sun came out and the wind dropped and the wild weather out in the Sound seemed a distant memory.

View Towards the Mountains of Mull from Loch Aline
On a walk ashore, our path took us next to the Lochaline Quartz Sand mine (Lochaline is the name of the town in Loch Aline).

The Lochaline Sand Mine - rain protection cover for this special sand!
The sand from here is very white and is said to be one of the purest sources of silica in the world.  It is used to make high quality glass for photovoltaic (solar) power cells and for crystal glass.  During World War 2 the silica was used to make the lenses for submarine telescopes.  Oddly enough, this pure white sand is hidden below a layer of jet black basalt rock!

The Gates of Ardtornish House and Gardens
The next day we walked to the head of the Loch to visit the gardens at Ardtornish House.  These are lovely but many of the flowers were over as they bloom in springtime.  We also had to do our best to avoid the midges that seem to be flourishing in the damp weather of the past few days.

View Down the Loch from the Artornish Estate
The Ardtornish Estate is in a remote location but manages to keep itself in business by attracting tourists to the beautiful unspoilt natural environment and later in the year to the deer hunting and sea trout/salmon fishing in its rivers.

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