John's Jottings.

Monday the 3rd of November.

Hello again.  What a difference a week makes?  After 10 days of wet and very windy weather, we've had a week of sunshine.  It's been cold, with a biting wind at times, but you only have to put on a decent jacket and you're away.  I went off to Lochbuie the other day and had an excellent afternoon, paddling in the sea and playing in the burns as I made my way to Glenbyre (an old farmhouse and outbuildings on the NW side of the loch).  I met only half a dozen folk, mostly going the other way and mostly at the beginning, so I had most of the time to myself, just taking pictures and enjoying the sun. I disturbed a flock of about a hundred fieldfares gorging on the berries - probably on holiday from Norway - and a great spotted woodpecker, as well as numerous wrens, hoodies, and gulls.  What was really nice was when I was taking pictures of the tide coming in - and trying not to get my feet too wet - that a cormorant surfaced almost within touching distance and just looked at me, before sailing off behind a nearby rock.  No fear, no panic, just going about his business.

The next day Ingrid and I went, just down the road, to Grasspoint and were mooching about the old pier when we spied a flotilla of cormorants. There must have been fifty and then a whole lot more came to join them.  The local otter also had his eye on them and very soon appeared over the horizon.  Then all the birds flew off - more or less at the same time - while the otter continued to paddle over towards us.  I caught a good glimpse of him at one point, but then he dived under the water and we didn't see him again. Brilliant.

May the sun shine upon your heads.  Enjoy your space.

.......  John

Thursday the 23rd of October.

We're back!  Had a fabulous time with plenty of sunshine and good birdwatching with vultures and lammergeirs - yes! - almost every day.  I took a few hundred photos, so a few of them might be worth showing, and Ingrid took a few hundred less.  What was the best?  Either the gite (self catering) at 1200m - higher than Ben More - or seeing a pair of lammergeirs at the same time.  These are the 'eagles' that eat bone marrow which they get by dropping bones from a great height onto the rocks below.  There are only 27 pairs in the French Pyrenees, so that's why we were so pleased to see them. Also we saw lots of griffon vultures which seem to be getting a problem there.  European health and safety regulations have 'cleaned up' some food dumps that the Spanish used to leave out for them.  So some of the Spanish vultures have come over the hills to look for alternative food.  The locals take their sheep, horses and cows up onto the mountain pastures in the summer, and they look just like lunch to the birds....  As usual man interferes and upsets the balance of nature....    The gite was excellent with some truly terrific views from the 'garden'.  Some of these will certainly appear on my photo website.  www.elusive-light.co.uk  Have a look for yourself.

Being home again is a little confusing, not least because of the foul weather we have been having.  Last Sunday was a - literal - washout and today is not much better.  Friday looks like being OK - especially the afternoon - but Saturday is expected to be wet and windy once again.  Buzzy is still around - we heard him yesterday when there were some bright spells - while I was on my hands and knees clearing out the drainage ditches.  Just about everything else is keeping its head down at the moment.  Even the little brown birdies are not at the feeders as the wind is too blustery.  The good thing about bad weather is that you get on with your paperwork - and computer work - so you may see some pictures earlier than I thought.

Until next time.   Be sure to get outside when you can.  We all need the sun!

Saturday the 27th of September.

Well, that's it! Our last guests for the year are leaving tomorrow early, and we shall be closed until next March! Many thanks to all our guests for the year, without whom we wouldn't be here. After rushing around for most of July and August it seems strange to be stopping, but the number of visitors staying on the island has dropped considerably this week, and we are shortly going on our own holiday - to the Pyrenees. I hope to bring back another set of beautiful photographs like the last one - see www.the-elusive-light.co.uk  Ingrid will bring back a case load of impressions that will help her create her creatures for next year - see www.birds-and-beasties.co.uk  Both of us should arrive home feeling rested and relaxed, although seeing our wish list makes me wonder.  By the time we return, Buzzy will be away, and Lizzy's brothers and sisters will be hibernating, or whatever they do in the winter.  The swallows and martins have already gone, and the blackberries are rotting on the plants. There have been so many this year that no-one - including us humans - seems to have made much of an impact on them. The evenings are getting darker, and we shall be spending more time indoors. We've stored a whole load of logs in the shed as well as around the fire place, so we shall be able to keep warm when we return.  I hope to be in touch from time to time but maybe not as regularly as through the summer. Until then, all the best, and may the sun shine upon you.

Saturday the 20th of September.

So it's nearly the equinox and we haven't had any storms yet.  There was a fairly strong wind on Thursday night but it didn't last long. In fact the winds have been very light and we have been plagued a little with mist that took a long time to clear. The very brief periods of sunshine have been very welcome - and we're just having one now!

Some nights have been quite cool, but not quite cold enough to start the deer rutting. Ingrid thought she heard a single roar a couple of nights ago, but it seems it was a false start.  It has been cold enough, however, to make the mice come into the poly tunnel - I found one which had managed to drown itself the other morning.  Buzzy seems to be getting about on his own now.  We hear him only occasionally, but still see him quite regularly.

There are a lot of fungi about - we had omelette aux chanterelles the other night.  It was excellent.  Most of them are little - sometimes large - brown, buff, fawn jobs, but today I found one that was very deep red - almost black - growing on a fallen birch bough.  There was also a very nice looking pinky red russula about four inches across nearby.  I left them both there!

Richard has been with us this week.  He's been out and about, finding otter within ten minutes of landing, as well as sea eagles galore and hen harriers a plenty.  So there's still plenty to see here on Mull.  He and our other guests are leaving tomorrow, and we are having an evening off.  What a treat.  It won't be long now before we close for the winter, and go looking for some sunshine to keep us going until next year.  Maybe we'll see you before then?

Saturday the 13th of September.

OK! OK! I give in.  It's raining, and has been all day despite what Heather said on the TV.  It seems that two cold fronts are battling it out, and neither wants to give in!  So it is 'dreich' today, with no wind to speak of to get rid of it.  What a shame - our guests have come all the way from Kent to experience Scotland.....

Yesterday, we went to Tobermory to collect a cheque for Ingrid's Birds and Beasties, and stopped off at Aros park for a walk.  Apparently there is to be a fungal foray there tomorrow, but we thought we would pre-empt it.  Well in circumnavigating the lochan there, we found at least a dozen types, including 'The Panther' - a deadly amanita.  We left it well alone, but took photographs of each different one we found. Needless to say I fell down, or should I say slid down, the bank after peering closely at one or two smaller fungi.  Nothing damaged - only a pair of trousers to wash.

On the wildlife front young buzzy is doing well - and quieting down.  He has been 'hovering' in the fresh winds this week, and nearly dropped on a vole or something in the garden while we watched.  His flying skills are excellent now.  The sparrowhawk narrowly missed colliding with our window yesterday after a tight turn designed to catch some chaffinches unaware.  Bad luck!  He didn't get any - this time. And this morning I had to deter a toad from entering the kitchen.  I didn't think that health and safety would have liked that, as I was about cooking breakfast at the time.

The Mull local Mod should be finishing off today, and another bunch of happy folk will be on their way home from Tobermory.  It was packed yesterday as we visited Kate Leney's gallery.  It's rather petite, but John Hodgson's wood turnings were excellent. Back home via the Spar at Salen to get tonight's dinner - a nice piece of steak to go with the bottle of Madiran that's waiting for us.....

I'm off to take some photographs of some wet leaves!  See you soon we hope..

Monday the 8th September.

Wow! It's September all ready. And the weather changes for the good with some excellent sunshine this last week.  You should have been here.  Where were you?

We've had a week of clearing up in the garden, of cleaning and painting window frames, and of finishing off pottery for the Dervaig producer's market yesterday. There was quite a good turnout, and Ingrid sold a nice hare.  I delivered some puffins to Calgary Farmhouse Hotel, who now have an excellent gallery at the entrance to their woodland walk.  The views across to Rum were amazing.  You could almost touch it!  And the hills of Harris in the Outer Isles were easily visible.

Buzzy is still around and occasionally shrieks, but he's getting really good at flying now and was showing off by going really high and then shouting! We also had a view of one of our 'local' eagles who have been away for their holiday as usual.  It's good to see her back. And I had a close up of the male sparrowhawk as he zoomed past and away to the oak trees next door.  Unfortunately 'Lizzy', the resident lizard in the poly tunnel went exploring and fell in a bucket of water.  What a shame, and it's my fault too for leaving the bucket in a silly place.  I hope he has brothers and sisters around to take his place.

Well it's a nice evening, and Ingrid has just come in and suggested a little stroll before supper, so I'll sign off now and hope to see you here this week - or soon anyway.  All the best,

Saturday the 30th August.

Well, the highlight of the week was a young sparrowhawk perched on a rock less than five metres from the dining room window!  He stayed there quite a time preening himself, and just looking around.  He was obviously after the finches on the feeder, but they had all flown off by then.  What a handsome bird, with an eye to transfix you. Ingrid managed a couple of photos through the window, but only one is sharp as he moves his head so quickly.

We still have lots of young birds at the feeders - quite late in the year really - and Buzzy did a flypast just as the man from Michelin was about to leave.  There are plenty of frogs around too - some quite small still so I guess it takes them more than a year to reach adulthood up here.

I was also up at Duart castle again -taking pictures of the tearoom ladies for a press release promoting a coffee morning for Macmillan Cancer support on the 26th of September.  It is due to go on all day, and no doubt there will be scrummy cakes on sale as well.... lets hope plenty of folk turn up as it is a very good cause.

Guests have been from Australia, America, Germany, Holland, Italy, Ireland and even England!  Quite a collection really, but numbers are dropping off now we are outside the school holidays.  It's always quieter just after the bank holiday.  Last year we put up the poly tunnel, so it must be its birthday.  Jolly good that means we can have wine tonight........

Saturday the 23rd August.

Hey! This has been a good week.  The weather here has been pretty good - well dry anyway - while other parts of Scotland and beyond have been very, very wet.  Coming back on the Isle of Mull ferry from Oban on Tuesday was terrific.  It was almost too hot!  The (rather good looking!) Italian girls sitting next to me agreed it was hot - but they did still have their fleeces on!!  There was fog/mist coming up from the sea, so that it gave the island a rather eerie look.  Very photogenic.

We seem to have had a continental week with our guests this week - three lots of Germans, one of Dutch, one Italian (who smoked in his room - aaarrgghh), three of English, and one Scots couple. One couple had been to the Edinburgh tattoo which they said was brilliant.  Others had been to Edinburgh Festival, while a third couple had been to the capital but not to the festival or the tattoo and had found it quite 'easy'.

This week's wildlife includes several frogs, and a lizard - hiding under a pot in the poly-tunnel, which went to 30C today, and then dropped to half that very quickly. Young buzzy is still shouting his head off.  Ingrid heard him shouting at his brother, and making a heck of a row. It's about time he went off on his own I think.

I'm just off to organise our holiday in October.  Be good...........

Saturday the 16th of August.

Oh dear! It's damp again today.  We advised our guests to leave Iona until tomorrow when it will be drier.  Thursday was wonderful.  Lots of sunshine while the rest of the known world got soaked!  Many people went to the Salen show (one of the two agricultural shows on the island) - while I went to Oban - and sunbathed on the deck of the ferry.  Brilliant. The rest of the week was good too - much better than in Edinburgh where they had flooding, poor things.

It seems to have been a hectic week here for some reason.  It's the time of year when our minds turn towards holidays, and what we'll do in the winter.  (Don't worry, we keep busy enough in between catching up on our sleep.)  We are hoping to go to France in October, so I'm scouring the internet for somewhere to go.  Our usual place in Erce in the Pyrenees is so good it is difficult to find a better one, so I think we'll go there.  I would not mind living out there, so if you fancy running a B and B on a beautiful island, then make me an offer I can't refuse!

The birds have been getting through our peanuts like mad this week.  (I must go and top them up when I have done this.)  There seems to be a new hatch of greenfinches - the third this season we reckon - and we've noticed a lot more coal tits than we've seen for a while.  Young Buzzy keeps eyeing up the slope below the house for wee furry beasties.  He's welcome to them.

Ah! The sun is coming out.  Good.  Speak to you soon.

Saturday the 9th of August.

OK, so it's wet today - very wet - but then so is half the country.  In any case all the Caledonian MacBrayne ferries are all full today coming from Oban.  All of a sudden Mull is the place to be, and accommodation is hard to get.  If you want to come to Mull book as far ahead as you can.  And who doesn't want to come to Mull?

On Tuesday, we had the Waratah and Thistle Pipes and Drums, from New South Wales in Oz, to play at Duart castle.  Excellent display, and plenty of people to watch.  Luckily it was the best day of the week being dry but a little overcast.  The morning was bright and sunny, but it was actually probably better in the afternoon - particularly for the photographs which I had to take for the press.  We sent stuff of the following day and we'll see what happens.

It has also been West Highland Yachting week this week.  I'm not sure how they got on, but a lot of the time here there was little or no wind!  They were in Tobermory on Wednesday and Thursday, and sailed back to Oban yesterday.  No doubt they had fun whatever the weather.

This morning I was down in the field below the house to try to take pictures of the grasses with water drops on them.  I got very wet, but it was fun.  I didn't see Buzzy, but he does keep diving into the grass and coming away with one of the many voles here.  Young Buzzy caught one in our garden yesterday.  Very dramatic.

Anyway there's still some spaces for next week, so we hope to see you here.  All the best.

Sunday 3rd August

Gosh its August already!  Yesterday we went to Tobermory to deliver some of Ingrid's animals to the Mull pottery shop. We had hares – which are proving very popular this year – eagles, puffins and gannets. They had also sold a large sheep and a large puffin so we collected a cheque for them at the same time. Great! It made the trip even better. We also had an excellent bowl of mushroom soup before we left.

There were good views on the way up – and down – but although we nearly melted out of our pants on Monday, the last two nights have been very wet, and the days have been misty and/or soggy – depending on where you were on the island. Two of our guests took a trip to Staffa and found a waterfall in Fingal's cave. Apparently this is very rare during the summer. And yesterday I was showing seven American food, drink, and travel journalists around Duart castle (don't ask – it's a long story) who were surprised at the waterfalls coming off the cliffs at Morvern. These are, of course, the seven witches whose 'hair' blows back when the winds blow from the south west in the winter. They enjoyed themselves. I was asked a trillion questions. How many clans are there?

Business is quiet this week, but it's West Highland yachting week and Tobermory is full, so maybe we'll get some late arrivals down here. Polish last night; English tonight; Canadians at the end of the week. It's never dull... Must away now to sort some photos. See you soon I hope.

Saturday 26th July.

It's been a strange day!  Everything has been really quiet...  Ok it's Saturday and there is a big change around with the self catering trade, but it has been exceptionally quiet. The young buzzard has been practicing his flying and shouting to his parents for food all the time - I can hear him now.  A little wren got itself temporarily stuck in the shed, and the young robin has been investigating every little nook and cranny.  I did see what I thought was an eagle veeerrry high up, but by the time I had the binoculars, it had gone. Only young buzzy circling and crying out.

The weather has been very warm and muggy - after being rather cool earlier in the week, with the wind coming from the North East.  I managed to do some strimming this afternoon.  I had waited until there were a few clouds and a bit of a breeze, but as soon as I started the sun came out and the breeze dropped away, so it was very hot!  I'll have to do the rest tomorrow I guess.

Everything is growing like mad with the toms and cukes pushing their way to the roof of the poly tunnel. I have to push my way past them all now. I am often tying them up and nipping out the extra shoots.  We still have to get some toms red! We could not get them germinating earlier - too big a difference between day and night temps we think. Norman was here yesterday saying how he had been eating his for three weeks now, and how he had a glut of courgettes.  Nasty man!!

Feta cheese salad with our new potatoes and wild raspberries for afters tonight.  Yummy!

Friday 18th July.

Here we are again, and another week gone.  The Hares have been glazed and fired, and they all have their ears on! Our birthday supper for Margaret went well - steak and chips with fresh peas, and rasps and/or strawbs to follow - all washed down with a glass of wine or so - excellent!

It's damp today - sometimes a little more damp than others, but not totally soaking damp.  This morning I had to go to Duart castle to show an Italian freelance journalist around.  Quite nice really.  I don't work there on a regular basis any more, but just do a few tours when asked.  The article should appear in a leading travel and culture magazine next spring, so we'll expect an Italian invasion next year.

Yesterday, after the shopping I met with a PR lady - Pauline from Pure Shores who gave me plenty to think about - if I can afford it!  We are working on a logo now - literally - based on leaves from the  birch trees we planted when we moved in.  It's amazing the detail you miss when you look at the whole tree rather than an individual leaf.  I was also 'told off' about the navigation on this site, so I'll have to see to that when I have a moment, and it is raining. (Otherwise its the garden every time)

Also yesterday I took several (more) pictures from the ferry.  On the way over it was raining to the North, leaving the small islands as dark silhouettes against the silver-grey background, and it was very misty/foggy/cloudy to the South, while the sun shone with the ferry.  Great!  By the time we were coming back, the rain had disappeared, it was mostly sunny, and there were super cloud formations over the paps of Jura (about twenty miles South).  I tried some pics, but the images may be too small.  We'll see.

Anyway, it's time to start thinking of laying the table for breakfast, and to start our supper, so I'll sign off and see you again next week.  All the best.

Friday 11th July.

Hello.  We just said goodbye to some very energetic folk from Germany - although at least two of them were Russian.  They 'did' Mackinnon's cave, and the Carsaig arches - although not in the same day.  The cave is a short  walk in but with a bit of scrambling, while the arches is a long slog.  They did see basking shark from the shore, and the odd seal of course. They also wanted to gather fungi, but we did not let on where we found chanterelles the other day!  Mmm! very tasty.

We have been forecast rain almost every day this week, but it has not materialised.  Yesterday the borders up to Glasgow got hit by torrential rain, and there was a big landslip on the Edinburgh side. I put fertiliser/weedkiller/moss killer on parts of the garden expecting this rain, but today I had to water it in as we are now not forecast any for the next three days.  Don't knock it.

Ingrid is making hares, and keeps saying "I'm off to check my hare", or "I'll just see if my ears have dropped off"!  Very confusing.  I am trying to keep up with the growth in the garden, and to keep a succession of salads going in the poly tunnel.  We had our first cucumber - well its actually a gherkin - yesterday with our salad, and the late planted toms are coming on well. I also have plenty of parsley, basil, and coriander on the go.

I'm off now to do some strimming, but will then have to pack up and prepare for a birthday supper for a friend.  Have a good week.

Saturday 5th July. 

It's a busy weekend, what with Wimbledon (we hope Nadal beats Federer as it was Nadal who knocked out Andy Murray!), the Grand Prix (maybe Lewis Hamilton will make it this time), and the start of the Tour de France.  We watch it every year if possible - for the views as much as anything.

At home, we have over 80 orchids out in the wild part of the garden. Wow!  This is the most we have had since we lived here - probably due to the warm weather early in the year.  Yesterday was suddenly quite warm and all the plants in the poly tunnel grew apace.  There are only a few strawberries left now, and we've eaten the redcurrants, as well as the gooseberries.  It will probably be blackcurrants for supper tonight.  What a difference it makes growing your own fruit and veg.  (I fixed the leak in the hydroponics last week without too much of a problem)

Not a lot to report on the garden bird front this week, but some friends who were staying had excellent view of golden eagles hunting - catching and then dropping a hare, as well as five hen harriers in one evening and the odd short eared owl.  The otters seem to have gone to ground - so to speak.

Fantastic cloud formations today - rather like a collage - but they do look like they may drop something on us, so I had better get out to the garden and clear up.  Until next time .........

Friday the 27th June.

Well, we did it!  We now have four stars - or at least we will have in a couple of weeks. Watch this space.... or at least the home page.  

We have a bit of rain today, but it should clear up for the wedding tomorrow at the rugby club at Garmony.  Our guests for the weekend are invited.  There are also nice forest walks near there, where you can see otters and eagles if you are lucky.

'Our' snipe seems to like it wet, as he was sitting on the corner fence post calling when we had coffee this morning.  I can hear him now as I write, but he's moved out of view.  Yesterday we had our first young greater spotted woodpecker of the year on the peanut feeder.....  and today a different one.  They both have the red head of the juvenile, but the patches are different for each bird.  We know the parents of one who has taught their young to catch the peanuts that might drop by pressing their chest against the wire.  Brilliant!   

I'm just off to the poly tunnel where I have a small leak in the hydroponics set up.  And then there's more to plant on and to tie up.  Plenty to do...  Have fun....

Monday the 23rd June.

Oh gosh it's Monday again!  Not that it makes much difference here.  Once we are in season its a 7 day a week job.  But today the advisor from VisitScotland is coming to talk with us about the possibility of upgrading to four stars.  We are so nearly there it is not true, so we are trying to find out what little tweaks we have to do to qualify. She was supposed to be here at 11.00, but has changed it to 3 ish.  We hope it goes OK.  Keep watching to find out.

It's sunny again today, after a dull but largely dry day yesterday.  No problem if you had your coat and hat with you.  Some of our guests went to Staffa on Friday and saw basking sharks and minke whale!!  Horrible people!  We've been trying to see basking sharks for a few years now, but without success.  We did manage a brief glimpse of a minke whale two years ago - thanks to Davy Kirkpatrick of Staffa Trips - but no sharks.  Kate Humble was raving about them on the tele the other night, and Gordon Buchanan - a real Muileach, unlike us - managed to film them for his last programme about Mull - by putting his camera in a plastic bag.  Brilliant!

Must go now to prepare for our visit.  Talk to you soon.

Saturday the 7th June.

Sunny again!  We've had hardly any rain since the beginning of April! The other night it poured - for a hour or so.

Yesterday we went to the Natural History Centre in Ardnamurchan.  They took some of Ingrid's blob birds for sale in their excellent shop, so that was good.  We stayed for lunch (very tasty), during which time it was almost dry, but for the return journey around Loch Sunart, via Salen and Lochaline, we were dribbled on for most of the trip.  A bit disappointing, but super scenery.  We were hoping for a white tailed eagle at the Forestry hide, but only managed a gaggle of herons. Stopped at the new plant centre and bought a few, and then home on the ferry - just in time to greet our new guests.

This morning dawned dry and sunny, and we had our coffee on the deck, only to be joined by the resident snipe from his perch on the corner fence post. Brilliant.  The wagtail family were about as well.  Mum doing incredible aerobatics trying to catch a butterfly - a fritillary I think. Luckily there is a good breeze which is keeping us cool. The poly tunnel is registering 40C plus, even with both fans going.  The strawberries are fruiting well.  We should have more for supper tonight....  I can't wait.

Wednesday the 28th May.

Rain..... This is the first day of rain we have had for well over a month.  The odd light shower or two - mostly at night - but nothing serious like this.  My garden can do with it, and I'm sure the farmers and their beasts will like it too.  The hill across the glen is shrouded in low cloud, but lower down the visibility is great.  This morning Ingrid saw a snipe landing in the field below and he has been calling ever since.  The grasshopper warbler has been giving it wellie most of the morning, and the woodpeckers are coming back to the feeders now - all of them in really smart plumage.  No sign of any eagles today, which is not surprising as they have abandoned the nest, having sat for over three weeks longer than they should have. Not sure what went wrong, but an overeager photographer got too close just after she started sitting and she was off the nest for too long we think.  We should be dry again tomorrow and sun again on Friday, so leave what you are doing and head for Mull.  It's the place to be at the moment......