Burg, Isle of Mull
Grand coastal scenery on the Isle of Mull leads to an unusual geological landmark – but check the tides before setting out!
Sixty million years ago, Britain’s last volcano erupted out of what we now call the Isle of Mull. Today, Ben More is a reminder of the time when lava rolled across the Sea of the Hebrides. But Mull is more than just a mountain; and I’ve dreamt of trekking its cliff-girt coastline – though ragged sea lochs and remote promontories would make this a serious undertaking.
It therefore doesn’t come as any surprise to find a whole chunky peninsula is simply known as The Wilderness and, beyond the end of a track to the remote cottages at Burg, there’s a glorious wild seascape that could play a starring role in the next fantasy movie. Waterfalls crash over cliffs, wizened goats cling to crumbly terraces, and a vertiginous rusty ladder leads down to a boulder-rich shoreline.
And when you can’t go any further, check out the cliff and the cylindrical imprint of a giant trunk that was engulfed by said fiery eruption. This fossilised tree was discovered in 1819, but on the day it disappeared under hot magma it would have resembled a tall primitive palm. Back then, the west coast of Scotland was drifting through the sub-tropics; hopefully there will be warm sunshine when you reach this memorable geological feature.
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From the car park (approached via a minor road, then gated track, from the B8035) walk west along the track, fork right after 350m and continue ahead to pass the tiny former school building at Scobull. Children used to arrive here on foot until it closed in 1946. The track climbs gradually ahead and four stone cairns (together with a couple of masts) mark the crest of the next hill, from where views open up towards the wild Ardmeanach peninsula. These were built as ‘coffin cairns’, and burial parties would rest here on their way from the isolated settlements along the coast.
NM464273 The 2 track continues through intermittent forestry for 1km, crosses open moor and descends a series of steep bends to a bridge over Abhainn Beul-ath an Tairbh, where a scenic waterfall makes a fine picnic spot. Continue past isolated Tavool House (a former outdoor pursuits centre) and pass through woods to reach a gate, which marks the entrance to the Burg Estate. This has been owned by the
National Trust for Scotland since 1932. The track continues on, past a number of ruined dwellings, to the two lonely cottages at Burg.
NM426266 The 3 track stops at Burg but the route ahead is obvious. Follow the path for 500m towards Dun Bhuirg, capped by an Iron Age fort and a memorial erected in the 1890s. The path descends over easy-going grass to a walled enclosure above the shore. Head west above the shore for 600m until a line of cliffs appears on the right. Here, hemmed in between the crags and the coast, the land begins to slope steeply towards the sea. Hexagonal basalt from Mull’s ancient volcanic activity decorates the rocky shore and you’ll soon be looking down on a number of unusual configurations, including a striking wheel-shaped formation. Take care as the path narrows over steeper ground, crosses scree and drops to a metal post which marks the top of a fixed iron ladder.
NM404272 The post 4 provides a useful handhold as you manoeuvre onto the first step and begin the descent to the boulderstrewn beach. A couple of fabulous waterfalls cascade over the cliffs and the hexagonal ‘paving’ is reminiscent of the Giant’s Causeway. Walk north, beyond the second waterfall and a steep rib of rock and grass, to arrive at the 12m-high Fossil Tree. This now reads as an imprint but a section of the 1.5m-wide trunk, capped in cement, still remains in-situ at the base. The basalt columns in the surrounding cliff are curved due to the cooling effect of the trunk – 60 million years ago!
NM402278 Soak up 5 the atmosphere, gaze out to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles, and then re-trace your steps to the ladder. Continue back to Burg and rejoin the track to return to the car park at Tiroran.