Pink Granite of Kintra

Holiday Backblip - Day 2

A very misty start to the day, but we still managed to enjoy the antics of the horses opposite and the cows by the fence in the garden! Nice neighbours:-)

We decided to explore the area local to our cottage and this involved excursions up dirt track roads to admire the sheep (Hebridean and Jacob's) and cattle (Highland and Angus) often wandering along the road reluctant to move over for a mere vehicle. There was also plenty of the ubiquitous rusting old farm machinery which makes for interesting photos in the right light!

We visited a weaver's mill (Ardalanish Weavers) and were awe-struck at their skills and what they were able to produce on ancient, restored looms.

A quick recce of Fionnphort was next to find out where we could catch the ferry to Iona later in the week and where we enjoyed a snack of filled rolls and coffee from the small cafe by the ticket office. Iona Abbey was just visible in the mist and looked very tantalising.

I purchased a lovely photobook of Mull in Fionnphort (just in case the mists lasted all week!) and learned from it that there were pink cliffs nearby, so we headed off to Kintra to explore. A short walk brought us to the shore and these amazing pink granite rocks - the very same as the ones used to build Iona Abbey and many other buildings throughout Britain, before it became uneconomic to export it from the island.

By the time we got back to the cottage, the sun was setting and the mist had lifted quite a bit, so we had the most beautiful views of the sky over the loch from our front window. Who needs TV here?!! (Actually, I was glad we had SKY TV in the cottage as I was able to watch Downton Abbey later!)

We finished off the day with a fabulous meal at the Pennyghael Hotel, a few miles up the road from where we are staying. The fresh mussels for starters were the best I've ever tasted!