Aboard his boatLuna, coastal explorer William Thomson continues coast’s sailing tour of classic British harbours, this month exploring the colourful harbour town of Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
If you are lucky enough to find yourself on Scotland’s west coast, you’ll have to pinch yourself to remember you’re still in the UK. Precipitous volcanic cliffs with golden eagles soaring on the thermals plummet down into deep blue waters, full of mystery and whales. Yes, you drove up here on the M6, you’ll remind yourself one more time. While the road snakes along the shore, it is never close enough for me – Iwant to be out on the water. Luckily, these are fantastic seas for sailing; the higgledy-piggledy scattering of Inner Hebridean islands means there is always an anchorage sheltered from any wind direction. A warship from the Spanish Armada even anchored in Tobermory Harbour on the Isle of Mull in 1588 after fleeing the English around the northern tip of Scotland. However, they didn’t get any further; a mysterious fire broke out onboard which set off a huge explosion in the gunpowder magazine. The ship went down to the seabed, apparently with £300,000 worth of gold, yet to be discovered.
For a modern boat taking shelter in Tobermory harbour today, the landscape is similar to what those Spanish sailors saw 400 years ago, except for one difference. Today, the waterfront is lined with multi-coloured houses in yellows, pinks, reds and blues. As Scotland is not famous for its sunshine, the hallucinogenic waterfront is the perfect way to brighten up a grey day. The quirky colour scheme started half a century ago when the owner of the Mishnish Hotel painted his façade bright pink, and then, later, yellow. Others followed suit, adding reds and blues to the palette. When the Mishnish’s new owner then announced pl
