Emma's Safaris

I just apologise for the gap in time between my previous blog post and now. It seems this has been sitting in drafts for some time! I hope you can forgive me as I reminisce on the latter part of my trip to Mull…

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you do not go to Scotland for amazing weather.

Phil and I got engaged in October 2018 on the top of a wild Scottish hillside in Ballachulish. At the time the rain had been pouring and the tiny streams were now cascading rivers. The mud was deep but we didn’t care. We didn’t care because the moment was perfect and Scotland is undeniably beautiful in rain or shine.

That being said, we went to Scotland this year in June/July in the hope of at least a little sunshine. This however was not the case.

To be fair to Scotland the weather forecast had predicted almost certain rain all day every day and we did get a fair few breaks in this weather to permit some trips out. Our boat trip to Staffa was cancelled which was a shame but we managed to do everything else.

The reason why I set up this blog was to engage with people about nature, wildlife and photography. This is my passion so it felt fitting that I continued to have these adventures on my travels. I tend to wake up at stupid O clock in the morning so on a few occasions I would leave Phil resting and head out into Mull (and Oban on one day) and take a walk in nature.

What I hadn’t realised before heading out to this part of the UK is that it is home to one of the few fragments of temperate rainforest that remains. If this is of interest to you I recommend the Lost Rainforests of Britain site and map where you can see where these areas are.

According to the Woodland Trust only 1% of the planet has the correct climate conditions to form rainforest and temperate rainforest in particular is even more at threat than tropical rainforests.

So how is it created? Well, essentially by what Scotland does best which is to provide little temperate variation, high rainfall and high humidity in a coastal area.

The Tobermory Lighthouse was the first place I set out to find. The second you get into the woodland you are hit with the familiar smell of pine and find yourself walking through a plethora of species of plant including Ferns, Lichen, Hazel and many more. It truly is a unique walking experience and you find that you don’t even mind so much when it does rain as somehow it feels more authentic.

Phil has always said to me that when you really look closely at trees in this sort of place you notice just how much life is on it. Indeed, if you were to examine the moss covered stumps of trees you would see small ferns sprouting from the crevices, lichens growing where they can and moss that grows like a canopy of tiny trees.

As well as the lighthouse walk I had also taken a stroll up to Aros Park which was another large section of temperate rainforest.

This was particularly impressive as it was home to numerous waterfalls. They were particularly majestic due to all the rain water that was fueling them. Another positive of being somewhere so damp.

I genuinely love walking in places like this as there is always something to discover. Around every corner seemed to be a loch or a waterfall or even just a canopy of an amazing assortment of life. It is the perfect tonic to walk amongst this and just enjoy what nature offers.

Rainy day activities are always available in Scotland whether it is looking around a museum or just sitting somewhere quiet by a fire with a book. Phil and I decided to book a boat trip around the harbour on one particularly rainy day where our boat trip to Staffa had been called off.

I was not expecting too much from the trip as I had imagined we would barely leave the harbour but I am glad to say that I was very wrong.

As we got into the boat I am afraid to say that there was a bit of a dramatic twist as an older couple attempted to climb into the boat the wooden weathered handle the husband was dropping snapped off in his hand and he proceeded to fall backwards on top of his wife and ended up essentially wearing her like a living backpack for a good few seconds while laying there completely rigid.

By the time out brains had realised what was happening the couple had managed to right themselves..the reminents of the wooden handle on the base of the boat and two concerned members of staff looking pale faced and worried. Luckily once they had recovered I think the couple did see the funny side of it!

The boat trip actually went out fairly far to areas of Tobermory that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to get too. We saw seabirds like the Shag nesting on the rocky outcrops below Aros park. This was quite a sight as I have only previously seen Cormorants which look similar. The Shag is a much rarer sight but apparently fairly Numerous in Mull.

One of the animals I was keen to see is the seal. I absolutely love those chunky things. I love watching them, photographing them and learning about them. They are a really fascinating animal to learn about.

About 40% of the world’s population of seals making up Grey and Common seals can be found in the UK and 90% of these breed in Scotland. It seemed therefore very likely that I would get my seal fix at some point. I was not disappointed.

There were quite a few seals to be seen hauled out on the rocky outcrops around the area. Once you spotted one you tended to notice them everywhere.

Most were on the land but there were a few in the water too searching endlessly for food.

Seals have very sensitive whiskers called mystacial vibrissae which allow them to detect the movement of fish in poor visibility. They are very skilled hunters.

Have you ever seen a seal and heard them snort loudly before diving down ? It seems rather odd but seals actually breathe out before they dive

This will release excess air from the lungs and lakes them less buoyant as they dive. Not only this though but they have fewer but larger haemoglobin storing red blood cells to increase the storage of the oxygen that they do retain. These blood cells also carry higher levels of the compound myoglobin which is responsible for helping the seals to manage the build up of carbon dioxide they obtain as they descend. Seals truly are fascinating creatures.

I am pleased to say that this was not the only boat trip we went on this trip.

The other trip arranged by Sealife Mull was a whale watching trip. Unfortunately the only whale we did encounter was seen only by a small handful of people but I am told it was a Minke. He dove down when he saw the boat and didn’t resurface. I think he was perhaps a bit camera shy.

What we did see though was spectacular. An assortment of birds including Manx Shearwater, Storm Petrol, Puffins and Skewer were all out on the tide. I am sorry to say that I don’t really have any clear photos of these as the boat was very turbulent. It was hard enough standing up let alone holding a camera or taking clear shots! We did also see harbour porpoises but again they are very fast and I was not quick or steady enough to photograph them.

Perhaps the best highlight of the trip though was the encounter with another female White Tailed Eagle and her chick.

We saw the chick on the way out of the harbour. He is much smaller and more brown than the adult. Even barely brown he is still absolutely huge

On the way back in the mother had landed on a rock and was staring out at sea.

Completely out of the blue she opened her wings and took flight. For a moment I was completely spellbound. She was massive. She flew quickly from the rock then over the sea and in an astonishing twist, she dove down into the water and attempted to pluck a Shag from the sea! Luckily enough for the Shag he saw this coming and dove down enough to avoid the eagle and she flew dospondently to another rock

The absolute sheer size of these immense birds is a sight indeed. They are just absolutely vast, the flying barn doors of Scotland. Even this brief glimpse of this powerful bird is something I hope I will remember forever.

Mull was captivating, spellbinding and just absolutely glorious. We could have booked a trip somewhere with guaranteed sunshine , somewhere that we could bask in the glory of the mid day sub sipping mocktails on the beach. Sure, we could have done that.

But, even with the cascade of rain and strong prevailing wind Mull delighted us with every passing day. It’s beauty is not forced, it flows naturally like the waterfalls it is home too. It’s wildlife is abundant, it’s community friendly and the beauty and stunning serenity was a tonic that I didn’t know I needed.

Scottish Summer may not be the coast of Spain, but in my opinion what it offers is boundless.

Thank you for reading and have a beautiful day.