Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
www.calgary.co.uk
;
mains £5-8; 10.30am-4.30pm; )
Just a few minutes' walk
from the sandy beach at Calgary Bay, this tearoom serves soups, sandwiches, coffee and
cake using fresh local produce as much as possible. There's also an art gallery and craft
shop here. Open to 5.30pm in July and August.
CENTRAL MULL
The central part of the island, between the Craignure-Fionnphort road and the narrow
isthmus between Salen and Gruline, contains the island's highest peak,
Ben More
(966m)
and some of its wildest scenery.
The narrow B8035 road along the southern shore of Loch na Keal squeezes past some
impressive cliffs before cutting south towards Loch Scridain. About 1 mile along the
shore from Balmeanach, where the road climbs away from the coast, is
Mackinnon's
Cave
, a deep and spooky fissure in the basalt cliffs that was once used as a refuge by Celt-
ic monks. A big, flat rock inside, known as
Fingal's Table
, may have been their altar.
There's a very basic
campsite
(per person £3)
at Killiechronan, 0.5 miles north of Gru-
line (toilets and water are a five-minute walk away), and plenty of
wild camping
on the
south shore of Loch na Keal below Ben More.
SOUTH MULL
The road from Craignure to Fionnphort climbs through some wild and desolate scenery
before reaching the southwestern part of the island, which consists of a long peninsula
called the
Ross of Mull
. The Ross has a spectacular south coast lined with black basalt
cliffs that give way further west to white-sand beaches and pink granite crags. The cliffs
are highest at Malcolm's Point, near the superb
Carsaig Arches
.
The little village of
Bunessan
has a hotel, tearoom, pub and some shops, and is home to
the
Ross of Mull Historical Centre
(
01681-700659;
www.romhc.org.uk
;
admission
£2; 10am-4pm Mon-Fri Easter-Oct)
, a cottage museum that houses displays on local
history, geology, archaeology, genealogy and wildlife.
A minor road leads south from here to the beautiful white-sand bay of
Uisken
, with
views of the Paps of Jura. You can camp beside the beach here (£1 per person; ask for per-
mission at Uisken Croft), but there are no facilities.
At the western end of the Ross, 38 miles from Craignure, you'll find
Fionnphort
(
finn
-
a-fort) and the ferry to Iona. The coast here is a beautiful blend of pink granite rocks,
white sandy beaches and vivid turquoise sea.
