Duart Castle / Isle of Mull

Today we wanted to drive across the Isle of Mull. While the sun was shining bright as usual we firstly took an extensive breakfast with our beautiful view over the sea. I think this costal landscape is unforgettable and some artists are thinking the same. But this we saw later. The first highlight of the day was the visit of Duart Castle. The castle, located at the entrance to the Sound of Mull, had played an important roll in the 16th century but declined after 1692. Sir Fitzroy Maclean bought the Castle 1911 and rebuilt it as the home of the Clan Maclean. Inside the Castle is an interesting exhibition about the history of the clan (in difference to many other exhibitions this one also includes the inglorious parts). Very impressive is a story about the chiefs of the "clan-families" who caused to move their clan members to America trying to empty the acres and use the land for the more profitable sheep farming. Today the Clan is trying to get connections to the clan members scattered all over the world and great meetings are celebrated at the Castle.

The next station was the mausoleum of the Scot MacQuarrie. He was the governor of an Australian province and had wished to be buried in both of his home countries, Scotland and Australia. The result is a little exterritorial area in Scotland (situated by Gruline) which belongs to Australia.  

Then we followed the western coastal road which often gave free fantastic views over the sea, small bays, little rocks and islands. Very impressive were the "Eas Fors Waterfalls". Short after Dervaig while we traversed some mountains we came into a thunder-storm with a strange illumination of the landscape, with clouds as black as tar and bright thunderbolts. Then it started to rain and we had to pitch our tent at a very wet meadow in Tobermory.