Saturday 30 June (Tobermory)

Happy Birthday to Mike and to Ale!!I really wanted to carry on north and get to Skye with Cath, but once again the weather turned against us, and rounding Ardnamurchan Point with the predicted F6 and sea state rough would have been lunacy, so we revised our plans and stayed put that day, catching up with some boat maintenance and 'doing' Tobermory. We enjoyed a dish of venison stew at a café in a rather quirky old converted church, selling tourist kitsch and Scottish books, then went to MacGochan's pub, where Hell for Leather, an excellent ceilidh band with guitars, accordion, bhodhran and bagpipes, were setting up. (The piper tuned up in the gents loo!). They were very good indeed, and we stayed for quite a while. When we returned to the boat Cath had a text from Melanie to say that she and Mike are ENGAGED!!! Mike had proposed to her, down on one knee, ring and all, in front of all their friends and family at Mike's 30th Birthday Party. Great news - congratulations Mel and Mike!