6 Go Wild on Mull
In late July 6 intrepid divers (and one spouse) from Mid Lancs Sub Aqua Club headed off to Mull for and expedition. We set off early on Saturday 20th and by late afternoon we were all settled in to the cottages we had rented and the boat (Little Mo) was sitting in the marina ready for the adventures to come.
Sunday 22nd
Sunday morning started far earlier than any Sunday should. The weather was the type of weather that Scotland does so well – grey and drizzling!
We headed off to dive Auliston point and then Calve Island. Both were great scenic dives and the wall on the North West corner of Calve Island was particularly impressive.
Upon arriving back we had a training session on blending and using the compressors, which meant it was a very long day, made somewhat better by the excellent fish and chip from the award winning van at the end of the pier!
Monday 23rd
Monday was always going to be ambitious. We planned to motor all the way over to Coll and dive the Tapti and the General Consul. These were both high on our list of priorities for the week as our research had shown them to be extremely highly recommended as dive site. We cast off at 7:30 and were soon motoring out of the Sound of Mull and across to Coll. The weather was definitely in our favour and the crossing took a lot less time than we had thought. We refuelled in the bay near the ferry slipway and then headed south to the Tapti.
The dive on the Tapti was where the word of the week became awesome! It is a great wreck, remarkably still very much in tact considering where it is and some of the storms that must batter that stretch of coast. There was a lot of marine life to see and all the time we were watched by the local seals. After our last buddy pair had surfaced and just before we set off north to the General Consul, a minke whale surfaced within 10 metres of Little Mo.
We motored up to the General Consul, spotting dolphins on the way. The wreck was far more fragmented than the Tapti with the boilers being the main part still remaining, but even they are obscured by all the kelp. The journey back to Tobermory was even smoother than the outward journey. We arrived back after a round trip of about 56 miles. This long range outing went so well, we are now thinking how much further we could actually go. Cylinders were filled and a great meal enjoyed before a well – deserved early night.
Tuesday 24th
Tuesday was to be a very different day. We planned to dive a wreck called the Aurania and then visit Langamull beach.
The trip out to the Aurania was far shorter than the epic journey of the previous day. The wreck was more a wreckage field rather than anything recognisable as once being a ship. The most striking feature is the twin boilers that sit on the seabed at about 18 meters. They are covered in marine life and also provide an opportunity for a swim through.
Langamull beach is one of the most picturesque in Britain. It is often in lists of places people do not think are in Britain! It is absolutely stunning and as the weather was in our favour, we anchored and had lunch there. The water is crystal clear and looking north we could see past the Small Isles to Skye with the Cuillin Ridge almost out of cloud!
Wednesday 25th
Wednesday saw the weather start to change and this lead to a change of plans. We motored down the Sound to the Hispania, but very soon decided the conditions were not favourable and were looking as though they would get worse. We reverted to our back up plan, which involved heading into Loch Sunart.
We were looking to dive a pinnacle called Risga and after some searching we found it. There was a fairly strong current running, but if you kept in the lee of the pinnacle, it was not a problem. However, the dive itself was very disappointing. Risga had been quoted as a must do dive when we were researching our dive sites, but we found it covered in brittle stars and little else.
After the Risga, we headed west across the Sound to a cliff we had spotted the previous day with the hope it would continue underwater and make for a great cliff dive. It was not particularly a cliff, but it was a very pleasant scenic dive. We named the site Eagle Cliff as we spotted a White-Tailed Eagle. The forecast for Thursday was such that diving was not going to be possible. The weather was fine, but the wind had strengthened and was blowing straight up the Sound! This meant we had an evening off from blending and filling, so we enjoyed a great meal out.
Thursday 26th
Thursday was a non-diving day, but we used the time to investigate more of the Isle of Mull with a view to future visits. We wanted to see what other slipways were available. We had to return our O2 cylinder to the BOC depot and continued around the island to Fionnphort from where the ferry to Iona sails. This was again a stunning drive with a stunning destination.
Having seen that this was a distinct possibility, we continued round to the Ulva ferry. All the way round we were treated to some absolutely stunning scenery.
Friday 27th
Friday was always planned as a one dive day to allow for retrieving Little Mo and packing up of all the kit. The weather had improved a little, but we limited our excursion to the wall on the North West side of Calve Island. Again a very pleasant dive. Whilst on the surface we saw seals, otters and dolphins.
The week was a great success and as I said before, the word of the week was awesome!
Awesome Company, awesome scenery, awesome diving
