People often ask what a Mull winter is like! I usually suggest they come and see for themselves. It is always interesting to experience a place at different times of year and a Mull winter visit will be very different from a summer one. The island is so much quieter in winter. You can walk for hours and hours out in the hills and not see anyone, you can drive for miles and miles and not pass another car.
Mull winter weather can be really unpredictable. I had no idea when I left home this morning that I would be coming home through a dramatic hail storm with lightning! The road through Glen Bellart was a total white out and the noise of the hail on the roof of the car was deafening!
A walk along Calgary beach, grabbing the moment as the light was so beautiful. We (the dog and I) had the beach to ourselves. Golden light reflecting on the wet sands, a bitter breeze coming in off the sea. Oystercatchers and Curlew hunting for food in the field across the road, slightly sheltered and out of the wind.
Another question we are asked is what we do in the winter?! This question always makes me smile, as it seems even busier than the summer in many ways! What do we do in the winter? It is Thursday night and I am just in from a lovely evening out at Am Birlinn, we sat at a table of 24 neighbours from the Calgary area, enjoying a pre Christmas get together! But yes, Mull winter days are short, particularly approaching the winter solstice, and so the nature of our activities change. It is a busy time of year getting work done in the cottages – like in West Cottage for example, where we have put new floors in the alcove and bedroom, all insulted and cosy, as well as creating a beautifully insulated bathroom, both inside and out! For a farmer it means much work feeding our animals, and making sure they are all in good shape. It is the time of year where fencing might get repaired, and where the To Do list is tackled.
