Achadaphail

Alan Saunders Wildlife Photography

2012-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Alan Saunders, a superb wildlife photographer, has used Achadaphail as his base on Mull on previous occasions and we are delighted that he will returning to the Ross of Mull again in the late summer.

White-tailed Sea Eagle

Take a look at his website:

http://www.alansaunders-wildlifephotography.co.uk/

A good reason to blog on Achadaphail...

2012-01-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

Calum Alasdair is at least the 7th generation of our family to be connected with Achadaphail. Here, first of all is an explanation in Gaelic which is an easier way to explain though not so easy to understand (English explanation to follow)! Calum Alasdair mac Chaluim 'Ic Ciorstaidh ni'n Neacail 'Ic Mina Bheag ni'n Mina Mhor ni'n Iain Ghreum.

Calum Alasdair is my son (Malcolm), my mother is Christine, Nicol Campbell's daughter, who was the son of Mina MacLean (Mina Bheag) daughter of Mina MacLean (Mina Mhor) who was daughter of John Graham.

The reason for no blogging...!

2012-01-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

Calum Alasdair Munro arrived in to this world in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, on Friday 10th September 2010.

23 - 25th April 2010

2010-05-01T00:43:00.000-07:00

Leaving Glen Urquhart and travelling via the 10.30pm sailing from Oban and arriving in Achadaphail at midnight. We intended to cut the grass and spend the day in the garden on Saturday but the weather on Friday was not at all promising with heavy showers and quite a strong wind. Saturday turned out to be a great day with sun and a breeze so the Factor 40 was necessary. This couldn't last though and we woke to heavyish rain for most of Sunday morning which became more intermittent as the day went on.
A dash for Fishnish and the 3.10pm crossing to Lochaline proved to be 2 minutes too late and so it was the 4.25pm ferry which took us back to the mainland.

March Trip 3

2010-05-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Back again. This is the last push as our first guests arrive the following Saturday so when we leave on Sunday afternoon the house is ready and looking well.

March Trip 2

2010-05-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

A late night crossing from Oban and a busy weekend finishing the floor and beginning the skirting boards.

March Trip 1

2010-05-01T00:35:00.000-07:00

I took a Thursday and Friday off work to travel on Thursday morning, from Glen Urquhart, via Inverness and Kentallen Farm near Salen then finally reaching the Ross of Mull about 4pm. AN helped me lay the new Caithness slab for the hearth and that was about all I managed for Thursday. Frantic laying of floor boards ensued all Friday and Saturday and I returned north again on Sunday.

February Weekend

2010-05-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

We removed the carpet and hearth in the living room and began preparing for the new floor and stove. We made a new concrete plinth for the hearth stone and laid the first new boards for the floor.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-08T07:16:00.001-08:00

Our last trip of the year, 28th-29th December, was primarily to check over the house in the midst of the cold winter weather and to deliver some larch flooring which we intend to put down. Packing the van in Glen Urquhart on the Monday morning it was -16C but luckily Mull never experiences temperatures like that.
We stayed Monday night and took the long road back to Skye on Tuesday leaving at 3pm and arriving home about 10.10pm through some pretty wintery conditions, a 480 mile round trip in all. The drive at Achadaphail was like a skating rink, see below, but glad to say the pipes in the house were fine.

Ben More, Tuesday 29th December 2009.

3rd and 10th October 2009

2010-01-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

The 3rd of October would have been my parents 40th wedding anniversary (married Bunessan and then reception in The Clansman, now Pennygael Hotel) so it was slightly poignant to be down on the Ross of Mull on this date.
We left from Glen Urquhart in the morning and by Spean Bridge we were asking ourselves were we wise, a very stormy morning with wind and heavy rain made it a pretty horrible drive down. We persevered as I didn't expect to be able to get across on any other weekend. This led to a new pastime called 'Extreme Lawnmowing', whizzing around the lawns at Achadaphail whilst dealing with a force 7 or 8 gale (see the pictures of Burg below).
Made it home safely that evening to Glen Urquhart via the take-away in Inverlochy.

The 10th October was another milestone as it was Catherine's mother's first ever visit to Mull. We stayed the Friday night in the Distillery Guesthouse in Fort William (an excellent guesthouse and our first visit there). The next morning Catherine and Mary headed off early to Achadaphail (this was Isle of Mull Rally weekend too) and did the changeover on the house, before heading home to Hungladder. (I didn't go over this weekend as I was playing at a wedding with the band and the last thing I wanted was to turn up late for a wedding booking).

15th August O9

2009-09-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

Another day trip through miserable weather until the sun broke through at Kinloch, roughly 10 miles from Achadaphail. Some heavy showers whilst we were there but we still enjoyed our busy day.

Saturday 25th July

2009-07-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another day trip to Achadaphail to change over the house (just back to Glen Urquhart 2 1/2 hours ago). What a beautiful day it turned out to be; just thinking back on the morning light as we arrived at 10am having left Glen Urquhart at 6.20am. I think the morning is the best time to get a view of Tiree and today was glass calm, high tide and the weather opened out with just a few clouds quite low but the the almost certain promise of a dry day.

View from croft to Staffa, July 25th 2009.

Loch na Làthcha, Bun Easain, An Iuchar 2009

McCheyne's Garden

2009-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Our good friends the McCheyne family from Inverness came to Achadaphail and professed to have enjoyed a great holiday in Mull from 4-11 July but Catherine and I had our suspicions when we arrived today. This was no holiday - we believe, on the evidence of the tidied, manicured garden we found today (Sat. 25 July) that the whole family spent the week working in the garden cutting grass and trimming hedges. See for yourselves...

15th May 2009

2009-05-30T12:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday 5.40am on the road. 10pm home. 415 miles. House changed over and grass cut. Never again - until the next time!

29th April 2009

2009-05-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

Easter 2009

2009-05-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

13 - 15 February 2009

2009-02-28T01:26:00.001-08:00

Our first trip to the Ross of Mull in 2009 and we were very fortunate with the weather. It was the weekend of the Snowman Rally in Inverness-shire and Ross-shire and a rally with the greatest snow fall for the participants to deal with in years so we were quite happy to be travelling south-west into Argyll.

The old shed/byre was flattened by a January gale.

Òran Ùr do Mhuile

2009-02-28T01:25:00.000-08:00

This was one of the most enjoyable events of 2008.

The best of the rest

2009-02-28T01:23:00.000-08:00

I took several other trips during 2008 but with our move to Skye we had no phone and therefore no internet access from July 2008 until the end of November.

Going back through my files from 2008 I couldn't find any interesting pictures and as far as I remember the trips in September and October 2008 were ones where the weather was unremarkable. So I don't seem to have any pictures except this one of the porch and dining area which I repainted.

Camping at Achadaphail

2009-02-28T01:22:00.000-08:00

A flying visit in midweek during the summer holidays and we camped in the field at Achadaphail.

Meet our Canadian Cousins

2009-02-28T01:21:00.000-08:00

In June 2008 Barry and Linda Campbell finally reached Barry's ancestral district and we spent 3 nights in Achadaphail.

7-10th May 2008

2008-05-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

A trip in the middle of the great May weather we've been having with a new sofa and cooker for the house as well as a wooden bench for the front door to sit on and look out to Staffa.

Lochaline, Wednesday (7th May) afternoon - remind me never to take a 6.4m van on a Calmac ferry again!!

Glen More (where I attempted to photograph an eagle, but am too embarrased to post the result).

The duck's nest I nearly stood on trying to get a photo of the bridge.

Bith-bheinn and Corra-bheinn, Wednesday about 5pm.

The old and the new - the bridges at Kinloch.

The centre of the universe (unproven), the centre of Mull (more likely).

Uisgen, Thursay 8th May around 3pm.

Bunessan looking east to Ben More on Thursday afternoon.

Achadaphail on departure, Saturday 10th May, 2pm.

17 - 19th March 2008

2008-05-26T22:54:00.000-07:00

Our first guests of the year were coming in on Saturday, from Yorkshire.

End of evening Monday 17th March 2008.

12th - 14th March

2008-03-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

First trip of the year to Achadaphail. The Wednesday was 4 seasons in one day. I left home at 11am and arrived about 4pm, travelling via Lochaline.

Old pier, Craignure, around 3.15pm, Wednesday 12th March.

A shower approaching from the north, Wednesday, c. 5pm.

Five minutes later. The door at Achadphail.

Last night (Thursday) as I opened the door around 9pm to get another log for the fire I startled a group of stags who were up on the hill around the clothes line. It was dark but from what I could make out (there was a little light from the moon, and it was relatively clear) there were at least 4 or 5 stags which, turned around, took flight and headed to the back of the house, over the wall and out the back.

Arrived back home about 3pm on Friday.

Achadaphail in the 1950s

2008-02-02T03:57:00.000-08:00

This picture was probably taken in the late 1950s, looking north from the hill behind the byre. One haystack is already complete and another one is being built beside it in the stackyard.

Another picture, presumably from around this time, with Great-granny in the stackyard. The OTA tractor is in front of the barn which looks relatively newly built.

3rd - 5th December

2007-12-06T00:40:00.000-08:00

A trip where the wind blew from start to finish with wintry showers, especially on Monday and Wednesday. I took the 12.45pm crossing from Lochaline and returned on the 11.10am from Fishnish on Wednesday morning, finally reaching home at 3pm.

Beinn Talaidh with a sprinkling of snow, taken from the A849 heading west, early afternoon Monday 3rd December.

Bunessan pier (Port a' Chladaich) Tuesday afternoon.

Iona ferry crossing the Sound of Iona in strong south-westerly about 4.10pm on Tuesday.

View of the Ishriff lochs, taken while leaving Mull on Wednesday 5th December.

1st September 2007

2007-09-05T05:40:00.000-07:00

Coisir Ceann an Tuirc (Argyll's male voice choir) met in Lochgilphead on Friday night, so I stayed in 'Roinebhal' Guest House in Connell. A 9.30am ferry from Oban followed by a very slow journey down to the Ross of Mull. A good day for working outside and the place was looking fine.

Returned on the 5.00pm ferry from Craignure, picking up a very interesting passenger who was hitchhiking; a chartered yacht captain, writer and photographer who was heading for Skye, so I took him to the Glengarry turn-off via Sammie's fish and chips in Caol.

A silage crop was taken off Achadaphail in the
last week or two.

9th - 10th August 2007

2007-08-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

A brief visit via Lochaline-Fishnish, a good day travelling down and allowing me to cut the grass (with the new mower) before the rain came. Heavy rain all night and then a dry day again on the Friday. Getting the 4.25pm ferry back then possibly the best haddock and chips available in Scotland from Sammie's in Caol, Lochaber.

11th - 15th July

2007-08-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

A trip complete with trailer and new ladder. We white-washed part of the gable end of the house until my fear of heights made me call it a day (the rain came too).

Mainly great weather for all our visit, leaving via Lochaline on the Sunday afternoon.

Looking east from behind Fionnphort over Loch Poit-I and Creich.

Evening sky from the door at Achadphail.

22nd - 23rd June 2007

2007-08-19T11:27:00.001-07:00

Another 10.30pm crossing from Oban for a funeral in Bunessan on Saturday, at midday. Returning on Saturday evening by Oban too.

8th - 10th June 2007

2007-08-01T02:59:00.000-07:00

10.30pm evening ferry from Oban to Craignure, a beautiful evening, and a Saturday of great weather with this lovely sunset (below).

A stop in Glen More to take this picture, around 11.30pm, Friday night.

Saturday evening, 9th June, around 9.30pm, walking across Eilean nan Damh.

Sunsetting after 10pm, Saturday evening, from the rocks on the shore almost at sea level from Eilean nan Damh.

Easter 2007 (Àm na Càisge)

2007-07-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

I was in Achadaphail for a few days working on the house and garden. Excellent weather. Here are some photos.

Neighbour's pony looking north-west to Staffa and Lunga.

Bunessan, 12th April, late in the afternoon.

Ben More, leaving Mull on 13th April.

9th - 11th March 2007

2007-06-29T03:58:00.000-07:00

Our first visit to the house in 2007. I met a stag in the stackyard at around midnight as I went down the garden to turn on the water. I didn't get a picture of him though!

Achadaphail from Achadh na h-Àirde above Harbour on Saturday afternoon.

Looking east down Loch Scridain past Ardchrishnish.

Daffodils in the garden.