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29 March 2022

My visit to the Isle of Mull is coming to an end. I have clocked up 75,000 steps in two days exploring Iona and The Ross of Mull. I am tired and a little sore, but at the same time invigorated and refreshed by the many beaches I have had the pleasure to walk on over these two and a bit days in perfect sunshine. It’s early evening as I make my way back to my hotel in Craignure, but I want to finish my trip where I started – up on the north of this wonderful island. On my first evening, I had sped straight from the ferry to visit Calgary Bay and Black Bay, and I had a brief stopover in Tobermory (of course), but I still want to visit Langamull Beach. So I make the exhilarating 15-mile drive over winding single track roads to Dervaig and park up at the Langamull Woods car park. It’s a two-mile walk through what was once a thriving forest but it’s now a rather depressing deforested no-man’s land. The beach at the end, however, is where the beauty lies, with a few scattered coves and plenty of rock pools. There is much to offer here, but I wasn’t expecting to find a body lying face down on the white sand. My heart skips a beat as I approach the lifeless body. It’s definitely human. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot someone pop their head up from behind a rock on the far side of the beach. My God, I’ve walked into a crime scene. I’m actually a little nervous. But then I see the long lens camera and a twitch of a leg. It’s a birdwatcher, all in black (and not particularly camouflaged against the white sand) lying low to snap one of the many oystercatchers strolling across the beach. The other person is exploring the rock pools nearby. Relieved, I continue on my way, and that’s it, the end of my memory-filled short trip to the Isles of Mull and Iona. I’ll be back.