A long way to go to have lunch

Harold MacmIllan famously remarked, when asked about his December 1962 meeting with President Kennedy in the Bahamas (to which he had flown solely for the occasion) "It was a long way to go to have lunch".

This is where I had lunch today - on board the MV Isle of Mull tied up at the pier in Oban. I was meant to be en route for Iona at that time, via the island of Mull, but the 11.55 crossing (already delayed ) got cancelled whilst we were on board, (and having lunch) because the winds were too strong to allow the vessel to leave the pier.

A few minutes later all vehicle drivers was asked to report to the car deck so that those wanting to leave rather than wait for a possible sailing at 2.00 (it was by now around 1.00) could do so.

We all sat for ages in our cars until we were asked not to move them but to drive them off the boat. As I was doing so , however, there was an announcement to say that the sailing would take place at 2.00.

Then we all sat in the car marshalling yard on Oban Pier until well past that departure time, when we were told that the sailing had been cancelled once again but that there might be a possibility of getting away at 4.00.

By this time I had already had to cancel my 4.00pm surgery on Iona and given that the last ferry from Fionnphort to Iona is at 6.00 the chances of getting to the island at all for this evening's public meeting with Scottish Water were receding fast.

So in the end Cathleen and I had to drive all the way back home - 79 miles - making it a round trip of 158 miles..... to have lunch.

(The picture is worth seeing LARGE I think....)