The need to get away from it all is absolutely normal and it doesn't mean there is anything fundamentally wrong with us or the life we are leading.
When you consider our daily tasks, demands, goals and responsibilities as well as the need to deal with the emotional, mental, spiritual and physical aspects of our lives, is it any wonder we sometimes just need to escape?
Where did our dreams go?
We often build dreams, then due to the very real nature of survival and growth, these dreams receive very little attention or remain outside of our awareness for most of the time.
We are each trying so hard every day and sometimes there IS no freedom. There IS no time (to love, to feel, to breathe, to feel, to ponder, to question, to create or to gather ourselves).
Dreams rely on feeling into the moment and trusting it. Pressure often prevents this from happening.
The importance of Relaxation and/or Adventure
When we relax, take time out, unwind or go on an adventure, the dream building blocks gradually make their way back up to the surface again.... naturally!
Your Natural Warrior reveals themselves!
We can also decide that no matter what we are doing, or thinking about, or working towards right now (even if it seems unrelated) absolutely everything is already leading us towards the realisation of our dreams!
Breaking Point
And YES, life sometimes takes us to breaking point before we learn which things OR people OR activities we must let go of, hold on to or introduce in order to meet the needs of a life we are going to LOVE.
Freedom in life is limited -except out in NATURE
This van trip came at the right time for me and I remember being by the water on the first night after I parked up. What a beautiful evening it was, people were sailing, the sun was setting, the birds were dancing around in the sky.
I was watching Rocky potter around down at the shore in front of the van. He always does a very thorough survey of our surroundings before settling down!!!
And although the stress of home was still within me (the anxious thoughts, the pressure and phone checking) the scene in front of me somehow reminded me to put myself first.
Eventually my body said 'Its okay, you can let go now!'
I hardly checked my phone at all for the next 9 days!! In fact I had such an aversion to everything mobile related.
I stuck to my Panasonic Lumix for photography - which I find relaxing!
Sometimes all we need is a complete change of scenery to realise how little we have been tending to our real needs lately.
By enjoying ourselves and allowing ourselves to unwind, the jigsaw puzzle pieces begin to fall into place.....
First stop - Island of Mull
We'd never been to the island of Mull and I loved it. A combination of large and small ferries depart from Oban throughout the day. Oban is a popular tourist town, very pretty and a good base from which to explore this part of the west coast.
Other west coast islands to explore
From Oban, it's also possible to sail to the islands of Coll, Tiree, Kerrera and Lismore as well as North and South Uist. The crossing to North or South Uist is an overnight affair but getting to Mull takes just 45 minutes.
Shuttle service to Mull
Mull is also reachable from Kilchoan and Lochaline on the mainland, with the Lochaline crossing taking just 18 minutes. This very regular service allows for those who live on Mull and work on the mainland or vice versa.
Both Lochaline and Kilchoan are situated on the 50 square mile peninsula of Ardnamurchan. We explored this peninsula after two nights on Mull which I'll offer an insight into in another post.
Ardnamurchan also has lots of very beautiful beaches, with crystal clear waters,
Highlights on the Isle of Mull
Mull is a far larger island and has been inhabited since around 6000 BC. People only started writing things down and sharing ideas or knowledge at around 3000 BC. People started travelling well before that.
Tobermory has attracted a lot of attention since these colourful fishing village properties were chosen as the location of the popular childrens TV show, Balamory. The buildings are still as fresh and bright as ever and it's unsurprisingly popular as both a holiday location and a relocation choice.
Rocky and I had some great seafood, did some gift shopping and visited the Himalayan exhibition which was being held in the church.
In fact I bought a great Himalayan Hoodie and made a tour guide contact for a future visit to Nepal 🙌
For anyone else interested in walking tours or kayaking/rafting in Nepal, I'm sure Panden Sherpa wouldn't mind me passing on his email. It doesn't have to be Everest in order for him to arrange a fun packed, Nepalese adventure.
Time to get out into Nature - Mull
After Tobermory we would focus on exploring the beaches and trails. People are very courteous on the single track roads throughout the island. There seemed to be enough passing places to ensure it didn't feel stressful either - and it was August.
The walks we did are all recommended on the Walk Highlands website (my most favourite resource in the world). I was blown away when our first trail emerged here at Langamull Beach - see below. This is located on the north west coast of Mull and the walking guide was very reliable (includes Google maps start point).
Never been so spoiled and wished I'd packed my swimming gear.
Top tip - pack your swimming gear!
And a picnic.
This route is an outward and back route.
Total distance - 4 miles. Very good paths until you reach the grazing land (just before the beaches).
It was beautiful to see so the cattle wandering around freely too, although I kept my distance. Cows do obsess over Rocky I've noticed although he ignores them.
Camping, Caravan or Van Life - Isle of Mull
We stayed at Salen Bay Campsite that night and my friend, Kasia was right about how uncommercial, relaxed and beautiful it is. The showers were good and I did some yoga with a view of the sea - while Rocky slept. The owners are very friendly and it feels super safe.
I didn't take any photos on this campsite but I wandered down to the jetty as the sun was setting. There are probably some far more amazing sunsets here but I enjoyed being near the sea for a while - and it was definitely growing quite wild.
Day two - The south side of Mull
I wanted to stay at Fidden Farm Campsite the next night at the opposite end of the island. After finding it (it really is a special place) we chose another walking route nearby which I would also recommend.
It really does make a difference if the weather is kind and the wind and rain meant that these beaches did not seem so magical today. If you get a good day this walking route is regarded as one of the most beautiful in Britain. The guide includes better photos than I was able to get in these conditions.
There is no need to book at Fidden Farm so we turned up, paid and they left us to it. I just needed a shower affer finding a great spot at the edge of the embankment to park. We settled into this view with the back doors open.
This is a very natural and unspoilt campsite, making use of the unfenced farmland. The sheep and ourselves now share this paradise location and it works beautifully. Farm animals in the Highlands are very leisurely about moving out of the way or off the road if they have to. It's good to respect this pace of life!
You can catch the short ferry over to Iona from Fionnphort, just a few miles from the campsite. Fionnphort has a shop, cafe and there's fuel at Ardfenaig.
Fidden Farm does get busy with motorhomes and caravans at one end but there is so much room it does not need to be a fight to enjoy being here. The shower block is modern but small. They have a laundry block and plenty plugs as well as sinks for washing up.
It costs £12 per person, per night, whether you're camping or staying in a van or a caravan. I love this simple, no fuss approach which has been a family venture at Fidden Farm since 1952. I think it is fabulous.
Next up After Mull - Ardnamurchan Peninsula
After two nights on Mull we would explore one of the west coast peninsulas with even more golden sand, even more single track roads and a few more campsites.
We met a friend in Glencoe, caught the ferry from Corran to Ardour (15 minute journey) and stayed the night at an amazing hostel, the Ariundle Centre.
I'll share more details about this leg of our van trip in a separate post. You can play the video below if you want a glimpse of Rocky making the most of this beautiful region in Scotland.
Healing is accelerated by Nature and I really did realign with everything that matters to me during this adventure. I hope we always make the time we need to do this in 2024 ✨
Thank you for visiting Your Natural Warrior and I'll be back again soon 🙏☺️🙌
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