The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
The Manses of Mull
Duart Castle is the ancestral home of the MacLean clan and sits out into the Sound of Mull (not to be confused with the Sound of Music!) on a wind-swept point with the sea on three sides. It is an easy position to defend ... but a cold, damp and desolate place to live! Still, as it seems is the case in a lot of the Scottish castles, there is part of the place that is not open to tours because the family is still living there.
Duart is another place where indoor photography is prohibited so we turned off the flash and got what we could. Much of what is there now reflects the renovations made in the 30's but the stone spiral stairs give away the age of the place. There really wasn't enough that was exceptional enough to warrant buying the photo book but it is always an experience to just soak in what it must have been like to call this home. The ferry to Oban goes right by the castle and it was cool to get the view from the sea. It is a perspective we don't often get.
Not all the "castles" are castle-like. Brodie was one, Torosay on Mull is another. This is really more of a Victorian mansion, perhaps the result of endless additions to an older, more defensive structure. We didn't take time for the tour but we liked the sheep on the lawn and the general bucolic vibe to the place.
© 2009 Restaurant Doctor
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