What’s the story………

Well, being in the home of the TV programme Balamory, we had to use that cheesy line at least once. The story was the normal Scottish blend of summer sun and rain. When it rained, it meant it too. So we had a half day aboard swinging around our mooring buoy quite happily waiting for it to dry up a bit. Then the sun came out and we enjoyed a good walk around the town including a stop in the Tobermory Chocolate company (bit of a trend here after Oban) where we sampled a rather excellent carrot cake. Not quite as good as the all-time great from St Ives but well up there. Our cake leader board is getting very busy now. Maybe we will have to revisit some and make a top 5 listing during the winter.  Suitably fuelled we hit the hills above the town and enjoyed some lovely views across the moorings and Calve Island which offers some shelter from the NE and easterly winds.

What was the story in the town? Well the yacht chandlers had an amazing selection of proper stuff (not just clothes and the kind of junk that Nauticalia stock) and the cheapest 24v halogen bulb we’ve ever seen (£1). However, the Hydro board shop (for the non Scots that is the local electricity supply company and they still have shops selling electrical equipment) was shut owing to staff vacations:

A little further down the harbour, the post office was closed too, for the same reason:

The locals were up in arms – 2 places shut and the local GP surgery opting out of giving out of hours cover seemed to be stirring their passions (or at least those of two older gentlemen chatting in the Co-op shop). So much unrest in such a lovely spot:

We were less upset by this news of course and just bobbed about in the wash of passing ferries and the typical RIB hooligans. We also got run into again! Less dramatic this time but clearly 2014 is the year for us to be a target. Dad and two kids were drifting about in a little fishing dinghy and somehow managed to drift into our bow, not noticing until they heard the clunk. Dad sheepishly started the outboard engine, studiously avoided our somewhat hacked off gaze and motored away as one kid asked him “did they drift into us or did we drift into them." Look at the big rope, buoy and make your own mind up:

The background is worth a glance or two as well......