The morning was blustery and gray, but many folks hopped off the ship before breakfast for a stroll around town or a hike to the nearby lighthouse. After breakfast, we explored the extremely photogenic town of Tobermory. This cute town was full of terrific photo ops for eager photographers and great shopping for those seeking souvenirs. The upper neighborhoods were especially appreciated for their scenic gardens overlooking the harbor. A variety of fishing boats were docked and some of us got to see prawn fishermen showing off their catch.
At lunch we departed for the Isle of Eigg, a fascinating island of great natural beauty and interesting recent history. The wind, however, posed a serious threat to this scheme and we ended up getting extremely close before turning tail. At least we had good views of the island and its volcanic peak and heard stories about the island's history. It is now owned by the occupants of the island—a recent twist on a long history of the island being owned by a series of landlords who could evict locals at will. This was one of the first buyouts of large estates in the country.
From Eigg, we cruised about a dozen miles to the community of Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula. Along the way, there were opportunities to see gannets and shearwaters. In Inverie we gratefully stretched our legs on a stroll up a small road and through the tiny community. This town is off the road system and claims to have the most remote pub in Scotland. During dinner, a local fiddle player came aboard to play a couple sets of traditional music. Afterward, many of us went back out for an evening stroll and visit to the local pub.
