We pulled out of Tobermory early in the morning and sailed down the Sound of Mull. It did not take us long to reach our first stop of the day Duart Castle. We all bordered the tender
and headed toward a small stone pier.
Were the scaffolding removed, it would have an even more Gothic feel to it. We started walking up the hill and along the way I was delighted to look at the wildflowers.
It was a fair distance from the Sound to the castle. I suppose the MacLeans wanted some time to see incoming enemies and to put them at a disadvantage when they attacked.
Still, the cannons outside the castle are a purely decorative touch from a much later period.
Duart Castle and the MacLeans have a checkered history owing to their unflagging loyalty to the House of Stuart. They prospered during the the reigns of James I and Charles I. They lost the castle and their lands during Cromwell's military government, but regained them with the Restoration. However, the MacLeans, like many Scots, refused to acknowledge William and Mary or the Hanoverians as their rightful rulers and were active in the Jacobite uprisings beginning in 1689 and ending in 1745 at Culloden. At that point, the MacLeans lost most of their ancestral lands for good and Duart Castle fell into ruin.
In 1910, Sir Fitzroy MacLean, the clan having apparently finally made its peace with the monarchy, bought the castle and began to refurbish it into a residence.
A few of the ancient features of the castle were kept, largely, I hope for amusing guests. At least that is why I think they still have the dungeon here. Right now, have some models of the Spanish sailors who were imprisoned here after bad weather ruined the Armada's chance of success.
The living quarters on the second and third floors seem rather modest, despite the size of the building. There is a large living room
and a some not-all-that-grand bedrooms.
Despite the six-foot stone walls, I much preferred our room at the Hotel du Vin. As you might expect, there are portraits everywhere of the different leaders of the MacLeans.
The family has many ties to Lord Baden-Powell and the Boy Scout movement, so perhaps it is not a surprise that so many of these portraits have an outdoors theme to them.
It was cold and windy on the roof of the castle, but it gave a great view of the area and passing ferries.
Back at the boat, Iggy gave us a suitable lunch for this trip, a Scotch Egg.
Ted moved the ship a little further down the coast and we moored on the other side of the Sound, that is, just off the mainland, in a very peaceful cove. This is our last night on the boat, and we will be heading back to Oban tomorrow. But we had one last excursion.
In the tender, Ted took us out to see some wildlife.
The hike was over three miles and it included a fairly big hill. John was a little nervous about this, but he did an amazing job. Even though he is still struggling with his up and down blood pressure, he has made good recovery from his heart surgery.
The walk was pleasant, other than the ubiquitous midgies, though there was nothing particularly noticeable about the scenery. We saw lots of gurgling streams and rivers
and a few of the famous Highland Cattle.
Back at the ship, we had a lovely final supper together and started getting packed up to go. Most of our friends aboard will be returning home. John and I will start our driving tour of the Highlands. I hope I remember to drive on the left!
