Once more I have to report that the weather has not yet improved so we decided to go straight on to Oban and pick up our ferry tickets at Caledonian MacBrayne’s port office and to pay a visit to Tescos.

Our journey took us around the southern side of Loch Linnhe and if it hadn’t been so misty no doubt it would have been a very picturesque drive.  We spotted this lonely castle on a tiny island in an inlet off of the loch.  It is named on the map Castle Stalker and, on googling it later, discovered that it featured in the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  I’m afraid it looks somewhat misty in the photo!

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We collected the tickets at Oban with no fuss and it’s good to know that we have them in advance of tomorrow’s ferry to Castlebay on Barra.

The Tesco was a fairly big one and we stocked up on bacon, eggs etc and a steak pie for tonight.  It will make a nice change from ‘mushy’ food at any rate. They have a petrol station too and we will fill Bessie up to her gunwhales (suitably nautical term) tomorrow as the price of diesel on the islands will no doubt be high.

Oban is a busy little port and, as today is a bank holiday, there were lots of people out and about.  Still raining of course, so we decided not to hang around but to go straight to the Oban campsite which is actually 13 miles north of the port.  It’s set in a Victorian walled vegetable garden though no sign of the veggies.  We got a jolly welcome and found ourselves a pitch not too far from office so we would get a good wi-fi signal.  I spent the afternoon painting (see above) and Pete investigated the washing machine for our first wash of the holiday.

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The evening is looking promising and a weak sun is struggling through the clouds.  The rain has stopped!  Tomorrow’s forecast looks excellent for Oban so hopefully the crossing will be smooth – haven’t checked the wind speed though…