Oban - Isle of Mull - Day 5 (July 1st) - Part 2

Prior to reaching the Stone Circle, we found this cool old castle, Moy Castle. 
 


After some random walking around and driving down shit roads to find the Lochbuie Standing Stones, we finally came across a closed fence. This should have been our first clue that we weren't supposed to enter from this direction. But fences be damned, we went in!
 
Erected sometime between the Neolithic and Bronze age, the Lochbuie Standing Stones were originally nine stones (one since has been replaced by a boulder). Like most configurations this old, it's a bit of a guess why it was built. Calendar? Celestial chart? Hide-and-go-seek area? It's anyone's guess.
 
                 
     

 The Lochbuie Standing Stones are now home to these cows.
 
 
On the ride this morning, we passed a house that had an "open art studio" sign at the road. On our way back, we decided to pop in. And we were glad we did!! We were greeted by vicious barks from these two, but they quickly came around.
 
 

The gallery (and home) is John Archbold's (along with wife and pups). He was a very charming man who's work is mostly landscapes from the island, including areas we had just been today. We bought two watercolor paintings! 


 Lovely man!

We got back to town around four, so we had plenty of time for a wee nip at the local pub before our 5pm ferry. 

            
    
 
We headed over about 4:45 to give ourselves plenty of time to load the car onto the ferry. Reaching the entrance, a ferry worker looked at our pass and exclaimed "You missed it by a mile!" We all had a moment of terror; but the ferry was directly in front of us so how bad could it be? Turns out you have to be there 30 minutes prior! Luckily she took pity on us and allowed us to board. 
 
The beauty and sea air on the ride back made us even more thirsty!

 

  
 
Back on shore, we couldn't let the great party and lovely weather go to waste, so it was off to dinner at Farmhouse (where there was more child labor laws being violated ;)


 As you might have guessed, the stop at the mussel farm made us all hungry for mussels!

 

We finished the evening at a local pub (most close early) where we met some local high school boys. One of them was from Portugal and his dream was to go to Sacramento. Yes, you read that right. Sacramento.
 
It was a very fun day!! 


 



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