The Isle of Mull (or simply Mull; Muile in Scottish Gaelic) is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland in the council area of Argyll and Bute.

Mull is the fourth largest Scottish island and is also the fourth largest island surrounding Great Britain. It has an area of 338 square miles.

Topographic map of the Isle of Mull.

History

Mull has been inhabited since around 6000 BC. Bronze Age inhabitants built menhirs, brochs and a stone circle.

In the 14th century Mull became part of the Lordship of the Isles. After the collapse of the Lordship in 1493 the island was taken over by the clan MacLean, and in 1681 by the clan Campbell.

In 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada, Florenica, was moored in Tobermory Bay and blown up there, reputedly with £300,000 of gold bullion on board.

During the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries, the population fell from 10,000 to less than 4000.

Iona, a tiny island off the southwest of Mull, was the base point from which the Irish Celtic Christians re-introduced Christianity to Great Britain in the middle ages. St. Columba arrived here in 563. Columba, his twelve followers and their successors re-converted the British Isles. This re-conversion was required because Christianity had been largely obliterated by the pagan kings and leaders by tribal warfare.

In 1773 this island was also visited by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell during their famous Tour of the Western Islands. Both Johnson and Boswell wrote famous travelogues of their journey.

Features

Duart Castle, Isle of Mull

The island is home to over 250 different bird species including the White-tailed Eagle, which was reintroduced in the nearby Island of Rùm and migrated to Mull, where it now has a stronghold. Minke whales, porpoises and dolphins are among the sea life that can be seen on boat tours from Mull.

Mull boasts such historic buildings as Duart Castle and Torosay Castle, both open to the public (Easter - September). There are also several shipwrecks around the shores which scuba divers can visit. The mausoleum of Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1809 to 1822, may be found on the island (Macquarie had been born on the nearby island of Ulva) and serves as a point of pilgrimage for the few Australians who venture there.

Tour of Mull rally

Sunrise over the Sound of Mull

Previously sponsored by Philips, it has been sponsored since 2005 by Tunnock's, the biscuit manufacturer.

Media and the Arts

Cinema and TV

Mull has been used as a location in a number of feature films over the years. These include Entrapment, Highlander: Endgame, Eye of the Needle, I Know Where I'm Going, Kidnapped and When Eight Bells Toll. Traveling through eastern Mull to the Lochaline to Fishnish ferry link may lead you through some of the scenes featured in the Harry Potter films.

The BBC children's TV series Balamory features the town of Tobermory on the island.

Simon King went on location to Mull for the first week of Springwatch with Bill Oddie, where he observed a resident family of white-tailed eagles ? a male and female named Skye and Frisa respectively, and their two chicks, Itchy and Scratchy.

Wildlife cameraman Gordon Buchanan recently returned to his native Mull to film a year in the life of the wildlife. First broadcast in 2005 for the Natural World series, Eagle Island focuses on sea eagles, golden eagles, otters, basking sharks and the cetaceans found off the coast.^[1]

Musicians

The singer song writer Colin MacIntyre famously once used the name Mull Historical Society as a pseudonym. Born on the island he took the name from the actual Historical Society who have since changed their name to Mull Historical and Archaeological Society. Mull features in the artwork of his albums and many of his music videos.

Theatre

Mull is home to the Mull Little Theatre, the "Smallest Professional Theatre in the World" according to the Guinness World Records.

Geography

Settlements

The main town, but not capital, is Tobermory. It was the burgh on the island until 1973 when burghs were abolished. Other settlements on Mull include:

• Bunessan, Ballygown, Balnahard
• Calgary, Carsaig, Craignure, Croggan
• Dervaig
• Fionnphort, Fishnish
• Gruline
• Kilninian, Knockan
• Lochbuie, Lochdon
• Pennyghael
• Salen, Strathcoil, Scoor
• Uisken

Islands

Mull is surrounded by a number of islands, the largest of which are:

• Calve Island (uninhabited)
• Eorsa (uninhabited)
• Erraid
• Gometra (uninhabited)
• Inch Kenneth (uninhabited)
• Iona
• Little Colonsay (uninhabited)
• Staffa (uninhabited)
• Treshnish Isles (uninhabited)
• Ulva

Two outlying rock lighthouses are also visible from Mull:

• Dubh Artach
• Skerryvore

The Torran Rocks are a large shoal of reefs, islets and skerries, approximately 15 square miles in extent, located two miles to the south west, between the Ross of Mull peninsula and Dubh Artach.

Transport

Ferry links to Mull from the mainland include Oban to Craignure (approx. 45 minutes), Kilchoan to Tobermory and Lochaline to Fishnish (approx. 15 minutes, suspended in rough weather). The Oban to Craignure link requires car drivers to be there 30 minutes before departure (locals can usually avoid this, but not in busy summer months). While Fishnish is a further drive north (advanced bookings not required), it is often the quickest route if you are confident with single-track roads.

There are ferry links from Mull from Fionnphort to the neighbouring island of Iona and from Oskamull to Ulva. In past years there were direct sailings to Oban (calling at Drimnin (Na Drimnean), Salen (An Sàilean), Lochaline (Loch Àlainn) and Craignure (Creag an Iubhair) ? daily except Sunday) and Barra (calling at Coll and Tiree ? Monday, Wednesday and Friday ? returning direct to Oban on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) from Tobermory. During the summer there was also a sailing to Staffa and Iona from Oban which called at Tobermory.

The Isle of Mull Railway runs from Craignure to Torosay Castle.

Tobermory with seven hundred people, the largest settlement on Mull, is home to the only whisky distillery on the island.

It is possible to fly to Mull in a private light aircraft using a landing strip near Salen.^[2]

Community Initiatives

Following a research and community consultation process undertaken in 1996/7 a development trust was created to identify key goals for the communities of Mull and Iona. Mull & Iona Community Trust (MICT)^[3] was formed in 1997 and published a comprehensive "Community Regeneration Strategy" for the islands. They have purchased the only butchers' shop on the island, created a community run Countryside Ranger service, instigated various recycling initiatives and provide a fundraising and training consultancy.^[4]

See also

• Geology of Mull.
• Geology of Mull and Iona portal

References

1. ↑ "Eagle Island with Gordon Buchanan" Mike Birkhead Associates. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
2. ↑ "Transport Links" The Glen Forsa Hotel. Reterieved 14th July 2008.
3. ↑ MICT
4. ↑ DTA Scotland Directory of Members

• Currie, Jo. (2001) Mull: The Island and Its People. Birlinn Ltd.
• Jermy, A.C. and Crabbe, J.A. (Ed) (1978) The Island of Mull a Survey of its Flora and Environment. London. British Museum (Natural History).

External links

• Tobermory - 360° panoramas
• Mull and Iona Chamber of Commerce
• Mull and Iona Community Trust
• 2300 Club - Tour of Mull
• Isle of Mull website
• The Internet Guide to Scotland - Mull
• Virtual tour of Mull
• Mull Highland Games
• Bird and wildlife on Mull
• Mull Genealogy - for those with family links with the island
• Scotland the Movie - Mull

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