We awoke this morning on the Lord of the Glens docked in the port of Oban. We took off into town towards one of Oban’s famous landmarks, McCaig’s Tower. Also known as McCaig’s Folly, it was built between 1897 and 1902. We took a great walk through town and enjoyed an incredible view of the town and port from the tower. We sailed through the beautiful waters of the Highlands on our way to the Caledonian Canal. The locks were under inspection, so we went into expedition mode and switched to a secondary plan. We docked in Tobermory. After dinner, musicians came aboard for an intimate concert of Scottish folk music. The couple, Hannah Fisher and Sorren Maclean, were amazing, and it was a once in a lifetime show for us.
8/29/2024
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Lord of the Glens
Mull, Iona, and Duart Castle
Morning found us traveling across the Isle of Mull by bus, headed towards the Isle of Iona, a small island with a significant place in Scottish history. In 563, Columba arrived on Iona from Ireland to establish a Christian community, spreading this faith across Scotland. On Iona, we had the chance to tour the sites and visit the 13th century Benedictine Abbey with a local guide. Some set off on other activities, either a hike to the western shore of Iona or a boat ride out to the fabulous Isle of Staffa. After lunch, we headed back across Mull, with a stop to admire the Highland cows. Before reaching the ship, we turned off the main road to visit Duart Castle, home to Clan MacLean. Our final destination of the day was Oban on the mainland, a bustling town of about 8,000 people. The day was capped off with a whisky tasting provided by the local Oban Distillery.