Mull Love Story

Dùn da Ghaoithe - Hill of the Two Winds

We first visited Mull in 1978 and fell in love with each other at the same time as we fell in love with the island.

My journey stone is about that love story.

In 2018, as retirement approached we were deciding where to spend the next chapter of our lives. We had criteria of Nature, Climate and Community. Our shortlist was Fleurie in the Beaujolais district of France; Yucca Valley in the Mohave desert of California and Mull. All places we felt connected with, all very different. We did the kind of option appraisal that we’d done all through our working lives. Mull was a clear winner. We hadn’t needed to do the analysis, just listen to our hearts.

We spent a year finding a plot - near to the sea for year-round swimming, and with mountain views. We spent another year building a house with the brief that we should feel like we are outside when we are inside. COVID delayed things, but not by much. We moved to Mull full time in September 2020.

We knew the island well from 40+ years of frequent visits, but we are still discovering new walks, new experiences, and new people to connect with. Dùn da Ghaoithe rises 2,513 feet from our ‘garden’. It’s the second highest mountain on Mull, and a Corbett. The garden is just an acre of land we have re-seeded with native grasses and wildflowers to support those that got disturbed by the building work. We’ve planted 50 trees- Aspen, Oak and Silver Birch. Dùn da Ghaoithe is a constant presence in our daily life. How much of it is on view? How full and loud are the waterfalls? How low is the snow line? Are the bluebells out yet? Is the bracken turning gold?

HEAR MORE ABOUT SUSAN'S JOURNEY STONE

This audio forms part of a series of audio interviews conducted in 2023 by Smartify as part of the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands project. Listen and discover the Spirit of the Highlands and Islands through the eyes of the stitchers of the Tapestry of the Highlands and Islands.

Listen here to Susan as she describes her connection to Dùn da Ghaoithe in conversation with Smartify.

...being able to live close that mountain...that's what brought me to Mull, that was my journey.