Isle of Mull Locations

[Ed Tyler]

Hi All,

We're of to the Isle of Mull on holiday in the next few weeks and I'm looking for places to visit for photographs of landscapes and wildlife.

We have been twice before but this is the first time I've approached it from a photography point of view.

I already have a list of places to visit and wildlife I would like to photograph.

Has anyone been to Mull and would have any suggestions on places to go, maybe not the usual tourist attraction.

Thanks in advance.

Ed

[derekmc]

Hello Ed -

Last year we had a few days' holiday on the edge of Loch Torridon. It was a stunning area with plenty of white-tailed and golden eagles, peregrines, waders, ravens, otters, red deer, eider, buzzards and hen-harriers.

I think it's also worth catching the ferry across to Iona - apart from its' historic interest it's one of the best places in the UK to see & hear Corncrakes. Last time we went, the flag iris beds on the edge of the Abbey grounds were particularly good with a male wandering in the open ground & showing well, down to 12 feet.

If you follow the path to the north shore, then there's some good beach scenes, and decent seawatching with the possibility of dolphins, porpoises, seals, different species of skua & shearwater and even the odd minke whale.

Staffa is also worth a look for its' sea caves, basalt columns, rockpools with coral and sea anemones and nesting seabirds.

It sounds like you know the island reasonably well, but there are some excellent minibus tours that might be worth thinking about. The main advantage of these is that they often have agreements with local landowners to go to sites that are usually not open to the public. The guy we were with last year showed us butterwort and other rare plants in a private grouse moor, nesting dippers, and a golden eagle that flew just above our heads. it felt like we could've reached up and touched it!

Hope this helps & have a great trip!

Derek

[Jim Ford]

Go to Ulva Ferry and catch it across to Ulva. There's a nice tearoom where the ferry is. The remains of Livingstone's grandfather's house is on Ulva, which you can walk to. You can also walk out and cross the bridge to Gomettra.

On Mull there's a good walk to Macculloch's Tree:

Macculloch's Tree

(You'll need Java to view the pano)

Jim

[eigg head]

Already a few good locations have been mentioned.
I would suggest
Carsaig Arches - to reach them you follow the cliffs west from the hamlet of Carsaig - a full day's outing but great scenery and geology all the way, and the Arches offer intersting photography. Caves, arches, stacks, cliffs, etc
Calgary bay - exceptional beach, good for photos too
MacCullochs Tree - a long walk, 12 miles return or more, but the path along the coast takes yuo right to the tree. But a few years ago another fossil tree was found on Mull - ask locally as I don't know where it is
The lighthouse just up the coast from Tobermory is a nice spot for a picnic and watching the ferries go by, after you've taken all your pictures in the town - whatever you might think of all the coloured houses its certainly one of our best harbours and some fine little shops too
Climb Ben More - spectacular Hebridean views, nice ridge walk, a Munro to boot, and it was Britain's last volcano! Ascend/descend from grassy south shore of Loch na Keal, and on the way down look for the main stream draining the valley - high up is a perfect sheltered infinity swimming pool looking out to an Atlantic sunset!

[Ed Tyler]

Hi All,

Thanks for the info guys.

Derreck - Where is Loch Torridon ???, the name rings a bell but I can't place it and can't find it on a map.

We've never been on Iona but I think year we may take the crossing, a lot of people did tell us about the Corncrakes so I have added that to my list.

Last year we took a trip out to Staffa and Lunga and that's pretty high on the list so we can get some good shots of the Puffins hopefully. I love the Gaints Causeway so I'll be looking forward to seeing Staffa again.

I do have a trip booked already, my mother in-law booked a personal guide for me for a whole day and he will take me to see whatever I have on my list, as long as we can find it. Really looking forward to that.

Jim - Again never been across to Ulva, but we will be staying not too far from the ferry. Got some nice sunsets there last year. I didn't realise you could access Gomettra by foot so I'll look at that a bit more thanks.

Eigg Head - Carsaig is most definately on my list and so are the Arches. The only question mark I have about the arches is on tides. Do you know if the path gets cut off by high tides ???. I have looked at a map which shows the path to be clear but a warning bell does ring in my head about this.

Calgary Bay is on the list, and its old peir that is there.

Climbing Ben More ????? well I wanted to do this last year but bottled it because I didn't think I was fit enough but I think this year is a must. Thanks for the tips.

Ed

[ChrisJB]

Ed, Loch Torridon is on the mainland, at Torridon, home of Scotland's finest mountains. I'm off to Mull at the end of May. I've done at lot of homework and can only echo what has been said before. Check out the Mull Birds website, it is very good. If I return having seen a corncrake and climbed Ben More I'll be happy. If I return and have not achieved either, I'll still be happy, as Mull is quite simply a wonderful island. It was 1994 when I was last there and I can't wait (fingers crossed for decent weather too - it rained almost solidly for a fortnight back then).
However, it will be our first holiday with the nipper (four months old) and I need to be a good boy re paternal duties before the missus will stamp my pass book and let me out on a couple of jollies alone.
If you do climb Ben More, there is an easier route, though you will need to retrace your steps. There is a more challenging route via A' Chioch for the more adventurous too.

Regards, Chris

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Ed Tyler

We've never been on Iona but I think year we may take the crossing, a lot of people did tell us about the Corncrakes so I have added that to my list.

Iona is quite 'manicured' and it's difficult to walk inland because of all the farm fencing. The beaches are nice on the Western side.

Last year we took a trip out to Staffa and Lunga and that's pretty high on the list so we can get some good shots of the Puffins hopefully. I love the Gaints Causeway so I'll be looking forward to seeing Staffa again.

I've camped for a few days on Staffa - it was quite idyllic. I was very careful when I went into Fingal's Cave when the tourists went and I was on my own. The wet basalt is as slippery as wet glass, and I was aware that if I went into the water I was unlikely to come out again without help!

Jim - Again never been across to Ulva, but we will be staying not too far from the ferry. Got some nice sunsets there last year. I didn't realise you could access Gomettra by foot so I'll look at that a bit more thanks.

Ulva is well worth visiting. If you do, check out the iron chapel built by Thomas Telford. On the walk to Gomettra you pass by a very pretty isolated cottage that I understand is rented out for holidays. I've always meant to follow it up.

Eigg Head - Carsaig is most definately on my list and so are the Arches. The only question mark I have about the arches is on tides. Do you know if the path gets cut off by high tides ???. I have looked at a map which shows the path to be clear but a warning bell does ring in my head about this.

I drove to Carsaig, but by the time I got there it was too late to walk to the arches. My recollection of Carsaig is that you decend a very steep hill to get there and the parking is very limited.

Calgary Bay is on the list, and its old peir that is there.

I didn't see a pier, but there's a little tea hut made from a fishing boat IIRC. There's very little else in Calgary, I didn't see more than about a dozen houses - but it does have an award winning public toilet!

Climbing Ben More ????? well I wanted to do this last year but bottled it because I didn't think I was fit enough but I think this year is a must.

Be More is the only hill that's beaten me so far. I've tried a couple of times, but the weather was spiteful both times and I turned back halfway up.

Jim

[Ed Tyler]

Chris & Jim thank you very much for your replies.

Chris - My wife found Loch Torridon and gave me a clip round the ear for being stupid . Thanks for info about the website will check that out. I have a link on my computer (into Google Earth) that show the latest position of the two Sea Eagle chicks from last year.

I hope to be able to still log while were away so hopefully I can send you some info on what I've seen etc we come home about the 25th May, when do you go ????

Jim - Camping on Staffa WOW how did you manage that one ?????

Visiting Ulva is a must now, can't wait even if the wife has to dump me for a day I'm off there.

You're spot on about the drive to Carsaig, last year I tried to walk from Moy Castle to Carsaig. Unfortunatley the tide was on it's way back in and about halfway round there was a big crack that you needed to cross (climb in and out of aided by a rope that someone had kindly left) and it was clear that the sea would fill the gap. I only managed to get 3/4 of the way there only to turn back due concerns for the tide at this crack.

I'd like to not have these concerns if going to Carsaig Arches.

At Calgary the fishing boat "Tea Shop" is still there and if you walk around the northern edge of the bay you will come across the old stone peir. I think it is marked on OS maps that I have viewed online.

Can't wait to have a crack at Ben More I only hope that I have enough time.

Once again thank you very much for your advice.

Ed

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Ed Tyler

Jim - Camping on Staffa WOW how did you manage that one ?????

The skipper of the 'Taurus Mara' ferry dropped me of a after I convinced him I wasn't going to come to grief on the island. I camped near the ruined hut and there was a spring near the bay on the Western side.

When I explored the island, I came to a small cove on the Eastern side that had what looked like a old mobile compressor at the bottom. I went down to investigate and the first thing I saw on one of the wheel hubs was the logo 'Watford Brake and Axle Company'. As I live in Watford I thought it odd that there should be this connection with Staffa! The 'Watford Brake and Axle Company' is long since defunct.

It's a great feeling to stand on the highest point of Staffa and look around to see that you're on your own and surrounded by the sea!

Jim

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Ed Tyler

we come home about the 25th May, when do you go ????



Ed

23rd May Ed, back the following Saturday. It has been a very handy thread this, it has given me further ideas. I'd not even considered Ulva and Gometra as places to visit. Although, there seems to be far too much to cram into one week. I guess I'll just have to go back.

Regards, Chris