The online presence of Tim Collier. Photographer, course leader, lecturer and blogger.
Late October most of the boats stop for the winter season, but I was lucky enough to gat a place on one of the last ones out of Ellenabeich, hoping for some good views of the White-tailed eagles that inhabit this area of Scotland in fairly good numbers.
We were heading off the island today towards Ellenabeich and Easdale when just passing the front at Cullipool I spotted an otter fishing in the bay. Carefully parking up and stealthily moving to a good vantage point each time the otter dived, I ended up with a prime view of this elusive mammal, which frequents the coasts around much of north west Scotland. It’s unusual to get so close and to clearly be seen by an otter as we faced each other for a few seconds.
There’d been reports of a couple of Roseate Terns at Pembrey harbour on and off for a couple of weeks back in August, so Nick and I headed off early morning to catch the high tide with the hope that the terns would be pushed up a little closer to the pier than usual.
August 2023 was a good month for seeing new birds, or ‘lifers’ as they are known in the birding world. First there was the Forster’s Tern down at Arne in Dorset.
We were off Iona on the early ferry and not booked on the Craignure ferry till about 4.00pm, so giving us a few hours on Mull. If you only a few hours on Mull then best to had round to Loch na Keal for as good a chance of White-tailed Eagles as anywhere, as they tend to sit out on the skerries with a recent catch.
Our last full day on the island. Early morning saw us visit the Abbey and Abbey museum, before any of the boats arrived from the mainland. It was wonderful to have it all to ourselves and be able to savour the special atmosphere that pervades in and around the buildings. Later in the day it would become the tourist honey pot that it is, but for now we were the only people there.
The south of the island, like the Abbey, is intrinsically linked with St. Columba. A walk across the rougher part of the island past loch Staonaig, which at one time supplied Iona with its fresh water, will take you to Columba’s Bay.
Up to the north yet again in the afternoon and the rain got heavier and heavier. On the sands at Boundary Strand the Sanderling were back and two Knot appeared from somewhere over Calf Island. They were struggling against the increasing wind and now persistent rain.
The forecast was right! Early morning it was threatening and getting darker with the wind beginning to strengthen. I like these conditions even if it can make photography a little challenging.
With the weather still holding and a wet day forecast for the morning, I took the road out to the north of the island again in the afternoon. The white sands of Strand of the Seat were pulling me back, the waders had gone but the waves were turning beautifully on the sands.
Fingal’s Cave
The morning was all about a trip out to Staffa and Fingal’s cave. We’d rescheduled it as the weather on the following day did not look too promising. We got it right, although I do really prefer dramatic sea conditions but the boats simply won’t run on such days!
Perhaps the highlight of the day for me, although the landscape views across to Mull and beyond were very special, was coming across a small group of waders on Traigh-na-Criche (Boundary Strand) on the north of the island.
So the afternoon came with heavy showers before settling down to a fine day with a good breeze. It’s about a mile and a half from where we were staying to the north of the island, passing the ruins of the Nunnery and the iconic and atmospheric Abbey, which I would visit at length on another day.
On our first morning I was out before 7.00am to begin to get to know the island and walked over to the west coast and on to the machair, although not many wild flowers at this time of the year! The machair also forms the golf course and hosts the annual Iona Open at the end of August, but I only saw two people on it all week! The Bay at the Back of the Ocean holds a mix of sand and pebbles and is also home to ‘The Spouting Cave’. The best ‘blows’ are seen on a mid tide with a good sea running. We had the mid tide and even with a less than angry sea, it was still an impressive sight.
