Who cannot fail to be charmed by the Sound of Mull? C.C. Lynam certainly was in the late 19th century, which must be why he spent so many of his holidays sailing in the Hebrides far from his home in Oxford: "What more delightful cruising ground can there be than these waters? Old ruined castles, Ardtornish of the Lords of the Isles, Duart with its grim tragic stories, Aros, Conn, and Mingary; lovely Loch Aline, and Loch Sunart winding far amongst the mountains can be explored ... " (The Log of the ‘Blue Dragon’ 1892-1904. C C Lynam, AH Bullen, London, 1907). For me, the charm is the cuckoos in the spring, ever so familiar CalMac ferries steaming up and down, snow on the hills in the late spring, views of Ben More, and the prospect of Ardnamurchan point and the open sea as I turn the corner off Tobermory. And, despite some fairly impressive squalls, it is a safe place for sailing, Even when the weather is bad elsewhere there are hurricane holes like Loch Aline and Tobermory Bay which can both be entered in the dark if necessary, and always Loch Sunart to escape to. With a coastline of nearly 300 miles and a population of slightly under 3000, Mull has a lot going for it notwithstanding the increasing number of second homes. The tourist industry is certainly booming with particular emphasis on wild life — marine, and in the air. To give you a good idea of the island, have a look at the charming film the islanders put together in 2020 during the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic. And checkout the extraordinarily comprehensive Arts Trail website.