Wild beauty in an island of contrasts
The volcanic island of Mull is rich in natural beauty, from sea lochs to pristine beaches and tiny whitewashed villages to towering granite castles, offering much to explore on this remote western edge of Scotland
ON A LATE April morning, as the ferry approaches the Isle of Mull, the sun comes out from behind the clouds as if to welcome those on board. The sudden brightness lights up a castle, perched high above on the cliff edge, while behind are all the shoulders and rugged hills that make up the ramparts of Mull. As the ferry begins to nose into the port of Craignure, a sudden shout goes up from someone on deck who is pointing at a shape in the sky, and there is excited chatter as the passengers have their first glimpse of a sea eagle, soaring almost vulture-like in the distance.
Mull has an area of approximately 338sq miles, but the population is a small one, with just over eight people per square mile. In any of these corners, it is easy to enjoy the quiet, punctuated by the sound of a lark twirling songs; the thudding of great breakers on a shore below; or the bleating of new lambs in a meadow. There is an abundance of nature here and a great deal of quiet. Early spring is a perfect time to experience both.
Volcanic core
Looking at a geological map of the island, it is easy to see that everything spills out from a centre point in concentric rings. That centre point was once a volcano, and the mountain at its heart was 10,000ft (3,050m) high. When it erupted many millions of years ago, lava flowed out to form all manner of gnarled ledges and arms of land. It is for this reason that there is so much coast. Despite the island being only 30 miles long, it has many inlets and sea lochs, some of which are deeply penetrating; enough to almost cut the island in two. This has resulted in a coastline of some 300 miles, with some glorious beaches.
It is often said that the Isle of Arran can be thought of as Scotland in miniature, but the same might easily be said of Mull.
The western edge of the island crumbles away in shattered fragments of the remnants of that volcano: a strangely haunting giants’ chessboard of pillars and boulders, whose backdrop is the whole Atlantic. Much of the heart of Mull is composed of wetland: wooded dells studded with little lochs that are covered in water lilies in the summer. The southern foot of the island that kicks out west is different again: low and gentle, with little hills and meadows and small hazel woods.
There are several ferry routes to Mull, but the easiest is from the bustling coastal town of Oban. Here, the ferry to the island leaves just a stone’s throw from the railway station after a slow but magnificent three-hour journey from Glasgow. The crossing from Oban to Mull takes 40 minutes, during which time the passengers can enjoy views back to Oban from the deck and, later, the isles of Kerrera, Seil, Scarba and the north end of Jura. The ferry continues past the long island of Lismore, a proud Stevenson lighthouse marking that moment, before reaching the village of Craignure, in the Isle of Mull’s south-east corner. This is the island’s main ferry port, and it bustles with activity when the ferry arrives, which can be up to 10 times a day in the summer months. The village runs alongside the shore of Craignure Bay and has a backdrop of steep, wooded cliffs. A particularly pleasant woodland walk leads from Craignure to the grounds of nearby Torosay Castle, built in 1858, in the Scottish Baronial style, by architect David Bryce. The gardens are occasionally open to visitors.
Colourful capital
The journey from Craignure to Tobermory, the island’s capital, in the north-east corner of the island, does not take long. Situated approximately 21 miles north of Craignure, this small town is one of the most photographed locations on the whole Scottish west coast. The houses rise from the horseshoe bay and the harbour, with those on the sea front painted in vivid blues, oranges and reds.
Tobermory owes its origins to the British Fisheries Society, which was on the hunt for suitable sites for new fishing
communities on the west coast of Scotland after the Battle of Culloden, when the Scottish Highlands were being reconstructed to serve a Gaelic-speaking population. The Fisheries Society’s agent, John Knox, visited Mull in 1786 and must have been thrilled by what he found here at the island’s north-east corner: a perfect natural harbour; although the building of the town itself involved carving into an intimidating cliff face. It was designed by engineer Thomas Telford and was founded in 1778, but while the initial aim of the town was a fishing port, it was the boom in the trade for kelp, used in the making of glass and soap, that finally saw its harbour come to life. In the 1820s, Tobermory was linked to Glasgow by a steam boat service, and in 1847, the town received a visit by Queen Victoria on the Royal Yacht. She described it as “prettily situated”, thus providing excellent marketing material for companies offering steamship cruises to the area.
Today, the population of Tobermory stands at just over 1,000. The town faces south-east into the Sound of Mull, sheltering it from the ferocity of the prevailing winds. The name of the island capital is Gaelic and refers to an ancient well close by, called Mary’s Well. The town has a bustling feel to it, and the visitor will find plenty of shops, cafés and restaurants to enjoy here, and plenty of local seafood to be sampled. For those looking for a sweet treat, Isle of Mull ice cream, located in a pretty pink building right on the sea front, in Main Street, offers a range of delightful flavours. Tobermory is also home to the only whisky distillery on the island. Established in 1798, Tobermory Distillery is one of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland, having endured a distilling ban in the 18th century, the Great Depression, and prohibition in the United States. Tasting tours and experiences are available.
The Mull Museum, towards the west end of Main Street, is home to a wide range of displays about the history, culture and geology of the island. There is a fine independent bookshop, and higher up, in what was a Victorian school, is An Tobar, meaning ‘the well’, which is an arts centre, café and gallery, and home of the Mull Theatre.
Also on Main Street, situated on the approach to the Fisherman’s Pier, is the Clock Tower. Built in 1905, it was funded by the 19th century explorer and naturalist Isabella Bird Bishop, in memory of her sister, Henrietta, who died in Tobermory. It was designed by the British architect Charles
Whymper and is a copy of his clock tower in Houghton, Cambridgeshire, which Isabella had particularly admired as a teenager in the 1840s, when the sisters lived nearby.
The Tobermory Harbour Visitor Centre, located towards the end of the harbour, is also home to Mull Aquarium. With displays of some of the marine life to be found around the island, it is claimed to be Europe’s first ‘catch-and-release’ aquarium: the fish and other exhibits are donated by local divers and fishermen, and released back to the sea after a maximum of four weeks, thus reducing the environmental impact and ensuring a continuously changing display.
In the evening, the horseshoe-shaped harbour of Tobermory is ringed with lights, and there is often folk music to be found.
Nature abounds
Here, as everywhere around Mull, the unpolluted seas are filled with an abundance of life, and it is not unusual to see dolphins and otters in the bay. There are also boat trips to offshore islets from Tobermory. The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, on the town’s Main Street, contributes vital research and data on marine conservation, and offers valuable information to visitors.
The town is fringed with woodland. The entrance to Aros Park lies just half a mile from the centre of Tobermory and is on the site of Aros House. The grounds were developed extensively between the 1870s and late 1950s, and although the house itself has been demolished, the park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and offers some lovely woodland walks, waterfalls, and spectacular views over the bay. There is even an artificial feature loch at the centre of the park.
“Mull has earned the reputation of being one of the foremost eco-tourist destinations in the British Isles,” says local naturalist Stuart Gibson. “That White-tailed and Golden eagles exist at such a high density on the island proves that the rest of the food chain is more than sufficient to cope with their numbers. White-tailed eagles are, in effect, excellent barometers of the general health of the island’s wildlife. The island has a proud history of protecting animals that elsewhere in Scotland are still persecuted by gun and poison. But attracting more and more
people to come to view our eagles and otters inevitably puts pressure on wildlife and the places they frequent, so it’s imperative that we avoid complacency.”
One walk in particular that Stuart would recommend to visitors takes just half an hour; the route going from Tobermory to the standing stones at Baliscate. The woods that were felled there hid hermit cells and a chapel dating back to the early 7th century. “The woods nearby have demoiselles and Marsh Fritillary butterflies in late spring, as well as a selection of songbirds, butterflies and dragonflies throughout spring and summer,” he says.
Unusual church
Located approximately 7 miles west of Tobermory is the picturesque village of Dervaig, which sits beside the beautiful tidal Loch Cuin. Ringed by low hills and woods, it feels sheltered and secret here. The roots of this settlement may go back to Viking times, but most of Dervaig as it stands today dates back to 1799, when Alexander MacLean, the Laird of Coll, established a new planned village here. There are a couple of old inns, one of which, The Bellachroy, dates from 1608. The oldest inn on Mull, it also predates the rest of the village by almost 200 years. On the south side of Dervaig stands a whitewashed church that has brought the village some recognition. The present building is not ancient at all, but doubtless a church has stood here or close by for many hundreds of years, perhaps from the time of the Celtic Christians, who first carried faith to this part of Scotland. The modern Kilmore Church was designed in 1904 by the architect Peter MacGregor Chalmers and the work completed
by the September of the following year. The pencil-shaped tower is almost unknown in Scotland and was inspired by those found at many monastic settlements in Ireland. Externally, the church possesses a beautiful simplicity; inside, its design is informed by the Arts and Crafts movement. The unusual, highly decorated apse at its east end caused great controversy and is said to have led one elder to resign in protest, considering it ‘ungodly’.
This area is abundant in wildlife: otters are often seen in Loch Cuin, and eagles are also present here. During the summer months, the seas off the coast offer a good chance of basking shark or whale sightings.
Calgary Bay
Continuing west, the road is at first benign enough as it rises through dense woodland. The first glimpse of the western seaboard comes with the wonderful shock of Calgary Bay, perhaps Mull’s finest beach, though far from its only one. Located approximately 5 miles from Dervaig, its crystal-clear, turquoise waves lap gently onto the shimmering white shell sand beach. This is one of the island’s most accessible strands, but even so, early in the year, it might well have no visitors at all. It is well worth parking and walking out over the beach to enjoy the first open views west. During the holiday season, ice creams can be enjoyed at the beach from a shop built into an upturned boat.
An imposing Gothic-style mansion, with a crenelated parapet and angled turrets, overlooks Calgary Bay. This is Calgary Castle, and it was following a stay here in 1876 that Colonel James Macleod, of the Canadian North West Mounted Police, suggested the name of Fort Calgary on his return to Canada, from which the present city of Calgary later developed.
The name Calgary actually comes from the Gaelic ‘Cala Ghearraidh’, meaning ‘Beach of the Meadow’, and the reason for this is still very much in evidence today, as the beach is backed by dunes leading into an area of machair grassland: one of the rarest habitats in Europe, which is only found in north-west Scotland and western Ireland. These low-lying grassy plains are formed from seashell-rich sand, which has been blown inland by strong winds onto a low-lying plain. It is abundant with wild flowers in the spring and summer months. Along with grasses, such as sheep’s fescue, sweet vernal grass and perennial rye grass, other plants and flowers that can be found in this type of habitat include wild thyme, common bird’s foot trefoil, fairy flax, harebell, red clover, heath milkwort and wild pansy.
A short walk from the small stone pier on the north side of the bay leads up to the ruins of Inivea township, dating from the 18th or early 19th century, which was another casualty of the Clearances. Highland cattle graze here today, but some of the remains of the 20 or so buildings are quite well preserved.
Also to be found at Calgary is Art in Nature. Situated between the beach and the gallery and tea room on the hill above, this is an area of woodland, with walks among sculptures, carvings and other artworks.
A lesser-known, but equally beautiful beach can be found at Langamull. It is a pleasant half-hour walk from the car park, signposted on the road, between Dervaig and Calgary. The beach has a sheltered, sandy bay and an area of machair grasses, with a little freshwater burn winding down to the sea.
Wild west coast
The dramatic west coast section is Mull at its wildest, where the remains of the volcano are most apparent. It is extraordinarily beautiful on a fine day. The light comes and goes, turning a patch of sea into purest gold, as suddenly an escarpment of rock is lit high above. For those visitors who wish to drive around the island, it is important to point out that almost all of Mull is served by single track roads, and while passing places to allow
overtaking are usually plentiful, some of the roads along the west coast twist and turn along the cliff face, with some steep drops below, and they could prove a little daunting to some.
But the views along this stretch of coast are spectacular, and it is worth taking some time to absorb them more fully: to look down over this broken necklace of islands that lies below along the west coast edge. These include Ulva, and, further out, the islands of Coll and Tiree, whose edges are almost entirely laced with white shell sand. Another landfall, and one to which there is no ferry, is the rather eerie Inch Kenneth, owned at one time by the Mitford family. Its single, stark house stands out clearly on a flat and grassy table of land.
Another collection of islets is visible from the single track road twisting its way down the west coast. The Treshnish Isles lie in a line on the outer edge of them. Bac Mor, in the middle, is more affectionately known as the Dutchman’s Cap: ledges of land stretching out on either side of a central, higher hill. Here, too, is Staffa, with its columnar basalt cliffs resembling organ pipes. Here and there along these steep sides are black cavities that are caves. All these islands have a volcanic history.
The last part of the drive down the west coast passes close to Burg, that great bulbous head of land stretching like a sphinx into the Atlantic. This is the wildest and remotest part of Mull. The walk from the hamlet of Tiroran to the end of Burg and MacCulloch’s Tree, with its fossilised imprint in the cliff face, is a challenging one and includes a climb down an iron ladder onto a tidal beach, so tide tables must be consulted. The area is also prone to landslide, so care should be taken.
The small, scattered village of Pennyghael sits along the shore of Loch Scridain. The views across the loch to the mountain of Ben More are fabulous from here. A tiny minor road from Pennyghael winds over the hilly moorlands to the settlement of Carsaig, approximately 4 miles away. This detour is particularly enjoyable on a spring day, where there might be a glimpse of a Red deer stag or a Short-eared owl, or the sound of cuckoo calling from a far wood. Up and up, the road leads until, suddenly, everything falls away, and far below lies the south coast of Mull and, out in the Firth of Lorn, the islands of Jura and Colonsay. At Carsaig, a red telephone box stands beside a spluttering tail of waterfall. The road ends at the pier, but it is worth parking and following the path to get a fuller sense of the wonder of what is a little-known south shore of the Ross of Mull.
For the next few miles past Pennyghael, the road hugs the shore, and this must rank as one of the best places in all of Scotland to glimpse an otter. They can be seen at any time of day: usually otters are nocturnal, wary of human disturbance, but not those here.
West of Pennyghael lie the villages of Bunessan and Fionnphort. This is really onto the Ross of Mull proper, and the contrast with that west coast terrain could hardly be greater. The gentle country of low hills and lochs, and hazel woods possesses a beautiful mystery. The walking is easy, and it feels like entering a secret landscape. On the southern edge of the Ross are white shell beaches, just as fine as Calgary, but apart from those at Knockvologan and Ardalanish, they are not accessible.
Bunessan is another cluster of houses built in a crescent at the head of Loch na Lathaich. Once again, the views back to Ben More and Burg can be beautiful, and, as in many another corner of the island, the opportunities for fine photographs are manifold. It is worth stopping in Bunessan and walking out to see the fossil leaves at Ardtun, although, if the weather has been very wet, the bogginess of the terrain can make the going difficult. These fossils were formed by the accumulation of leaves and petals that fell into a shallow lake year after year and built up between layers of mud and sand to become rock. Some of the plants have been identified as sub-tropical species, including ginkgo and sequoia.
Mull weavers
A steep road leads up past the hotel at Bunessan, signposted for Ardalanish. Narrow and winding it might be, but it is beautiful too, and at the end is a view of another of Mull’s mighty bays down below, looking out towards the island of Colonsay. Ardalanish Farm, owned by Anne and Andrew Smith, is home to the Isle of Mull weavers, where the wool from rare breed sheep, including the farm’s own black Hebridean sheep, is woven using Victorian power looms. “After selling our farm in Aberdeenshire in 2009, we were searching for a quieter farm in Scotland to enjoy semi-retirement,” says Anne. “Almost two years later, we drove into Ardalanish Farm and fell in love with it immediately. We knew nothing of weaving and weren’t previously sheep farmers, but the weavers already here agreed to stay on. Nine years later, we’ve no regrets. The mill is run as ethically as possible. Our sheep provide fleece for us, and we also purchase native rare breeds from other farms; mainly Shetland and Manx Loaghtan fleeces. Over time, we have increased our range of goods and use natural dyes to add some colour to our work. The addition of a small dye garden allows us to use some of our home-grown dyes and is of great interest to summer visitors.” The mill shop offers a wide range of products, including woollen and tweed clothing, accessories and blankets.
Sir Walter Scott, ‘The Lord of the Isles’
The village of Fionnphort is located on the south-westernmost tip of Mull, and it is also the access point for those wishing to take a ferry across to Iona or a boat trip to Staffa. The whole of the east side of Iona, including its abbey, can be seen across the water from Fionnphort.
The village has a beautiful setting beside a sandy beach which has a large split granite boulder at its centre. There are also some well-signposted walks from here, and the area is abundant in wildlife.
Just outside Fionnphort by the roadside, on a beautiful stretch of headland surrounded by emerald sea, nestled against fields edged by hills, lies the croft and organic gardens of the
“The shores of Mull on the eastward lay, And Ulya dark and Colonsay, And all the group of islets gay That guard famed Staffa round”