Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
head of the loch; to visit the castle, you can approach by foot from the A85 to the east.
he castle is essentially a shell, but its watery setting and imposing outlines make it well
worth a detour.
Cruachan Power Station
A85, 19 miles east of Oban • Easter-Oct: daily 9.30am-4.45pm; Nov-March: Mon-Fri 10am-3.45pm • Tours £6.50 •
T
01866 822618,
W
visitcruachan.co.uk
he main attraction on the shores of Loch Awe is none too picturesque.
Cruachan
Power Station
is actually constructed inside mighty Ben Cruachan (3693ft), which
looms over the head of Loch Awe; it was built in 1965 as part of the hydroelectric
network that generates around ten percent of Scotland's electricity. hirty-minute
guided tours set off every half-hour from the
visitor centre
by the loch, taking you to a
viewing platform above the generating room deep inside the “hollow mountain”, a
91m-long cavern big enough to contain the Tower of London. he whole experience
of visiting an industrial complex hidden within a mountain is very James Bond, and it
certainly pulls in the tour coaches. Even if you don't partake in a tour, the visitor
centre offers some thoroughgoing and interesting explanations of the workings of the
power station and renewable energy projects, while the adjoining café has marvellous
loch views.
6
Isle of Mull and around
he second largest of the Inner Hebrides,
MULL
is by far the most accessible: just forty
minutes from Oban by ferry. As so often, first impressions largely depend on the
weather - it is the wettest of the Hebrides (and that's saying something) - for without
the sun the large tracts of moorland, particularly around the island's highest peak, Ben
More (3169ft), can appear bleak and unwelcoming. here are, however, areas of more
gentle pastoral scenery around
Dervaig
in the north, and the indented west coast varies
from the sandy beaches around
Calgary
to the cliffs of Loch na Keal. he most
common mistake is to try and “do” the island in a day or two: flogging up the main
road to the picturesque capital of
Tobermory
, then covering the fifty-odd miles between
there and Fionnphort, in order to visit
Iona
. Mull is a place that will grow on you only
if you have the time and patience to explore.
Historically, crofting, whisky distilling and fishing supported the islanders
(
Muileachs
), but the population - which peaked at 10,000 - decreased dramatically
in the late nineteenth century due to the Clearances and the 1846 potato famine.
On Mull, it is a trend that has been reversed, mostly owing to the large influx of
settlers from elsewhere in the country, which has brought the current population
up to more than 2500. One of the main reasons for this resurgence is, of course,
tourism - more than half a million visitors come here each year. As good a reason
as any to visit Mull, and one of the main reasons why many do so, is to view the
abundant
wildlife
, with whale-watching the highlight for most visitors, though
there's fantastic birdlife here too.
Mull also makes particular efforts to draw visitors to
special events
through the year:
these annual events include the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival in July, which
commemorates the composer's visit here in 1829, the Mull Highland Games, also in
July, and a rally car event around the island's winding roads in October.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
ISLE OF MULL AND AROUND
By ferry
Craignure is the main ferry terminal, with a
frequent daily car ferry link to Oban, though booking ahead
on this route is strongly advised. A smaller and less
expensive car ferry crosses daily from Lochaline on the
Morvern peninsula (see p.440) to Fishnish, six miles
northwest of Craignure. Another even smaller car ferry
connects Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula (see
p.441) with Tobermory, the island's capital.
