Writer's haven in the Hebrides

Description

A writer’s or scholar’s haven in the town of Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, this three-bedroom upstairs flat directly overlooks the town’s harbor, offering an ideal retreat for one to four persons in a magical part of the world. The Isle of Mull has been called “a place of wild beauty: untamed, rugged and never uninteresting” (Terry Marsh, Walking on the Isle of Mull, 2017). The island and its vicinity has likewise come to be recognized as the UK’s premier wildlife watching location. As for Tobermory – the island’s one town -- it is a small but cosmopolitan community consisting of about 800 residents, some of whom have roots in the old Gaelic-speaking culture of the West Highlands while others, including skilled artists, craftsmen, photographers, writers, and scientists, have settled here from other parts of the world. The house is located on the town’s historic harbor front close by a Co-op, bank, bookstore, pharmacy, hardware store, other small shops, and various restaurants, cafes, pubs, and guest houses or small hotels. Short walks lead you to the town’s three piers: one for fishing vessels, one for pleasure craft, and one for a summer ferry service to the nearby peninsula of Ardnamurchan. The flat occupies the top floor of a three-story stone building dating from about 1840. Below it is another flat plus two craft shops at street level. Our flat comprises three bedrooms, a bathroom, and a spacious kitchen/sitting room combination. Two bedrooms double as studies. Three rooms directly overlook the harbor. Double-glazed windows provide insulation from storms and the sounds of the street. The kitchen features ample counter and cabinet space, an induction cooker, washing machine, drier, and dishwasher, and breakfast bar. In the adjoining sitting room are two leather couches, a smart TV, and a dinner table by the window. A wood-burning stove provides an optional supplement to the flat’s electric heating. High-speed wi-fi enables a range of TV and audio options. The master bedroom contains a king-sized bed (called in the USA a queen bed), a wardrobe with space for extra bedding, a chest of drawers, and a bookcase. The second bedroom contains a single bed, chest of drawers, desk, ergonomic swivel chair, and bookcase. The third bedroom, which looks out to a wooded back brae, contains a single bed, wash basin, chest of drawers, clothes rack, desk, ergonomic swivel chair, bookcase, and printer. The owners store a few personal possessions here to keep them out of the way. The bathroom has a heated towel rack and a bathtub with power shower. Heating in the flat is provided by efficient storage radiators. Although located in a tranquil part of the West Highlands, Mull is linked to the mainland town of Oban by a 55-minute ferry ride across the Firth of Lorn through the UK's most scenic waters. While linked to Glasgow and mainland universities by rail and coach services, Oban is also a hub for the rest of the Hebrides, offering ferry services to the islands of Islay and Colonsay, Coll and Tiree, Lismore, and the Outer Hebrides. With its mountains, lochs, glens, cliffs, beaches, wetlands, and woodlands, the Isle of Mull offers a diversity of landforms unequalled by any other Scottish island. The island is rich in prehistoric sites and is a case study for the later history of the Highlands, from the days of medieval castle-building to the nineteenth-century Highland Clearances. Excursions by small boat depart regularly for the island of Staffa, one of the word’s geological wonders, and to the Treshnish Isles, with their astounding seabird colonies. Down the street from the flat are the Mull Museum and the Hebridean Whale Center, while a 5-minute ferry ride from the southwestern tip of Mull brings you to Iona, a gem of an island famed as the cradle of Christianity in Scotland. In short, our flat offers an oasis of calm for writing or research in an island setting with truly exceptional resources.