Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 77

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a classy outfit, charging around £50 for a five-hour round
trip, as does Gordon Grant Marine ( T 01681 700338,
W staffatours.com), who depart from Fionnphort. If you

just want to go to Staffa, try Iolaire ( T 01681 700358,
W staffatrips.co.uk), who charge around £30 for passage
from Fionnphort.

Ben More
From the southern shores of Loch na Keal, which almost splits Mull in two, rise the
terraced slopes of Ben More (3169ft) - literally “big mountain” - a mighty extinct
volcano, and the only Munro in the Hebrides outside of Skye. It's most easily climbed
from Dhiseig, halfway along the loch's southern shores, though an alternative route is
to climb up to the col between Beinn Fhada and A'Chioch, and approach via the
mountain's eastern ridge. Further west along the shore the road carves through
spectacular overhanging cliffs before heading south past the Gribun rocks which face
the tiny island of Inch Kenneth , where Unity Mitford lived until her death in 1948.
There are great views out to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles as the road leaves the coast
behind, climbing over the pass to Loch Scridain, where it eventually joins the equally
dramatic Glen More road (A849) from Craignure.

Mull Eagle Watch
Glen Seilisdeir, just off the B8035 • April-Sept • £6 • T 01680 812556, W white-tailed-sea-eagle.co.uk
Located a short way north of Loch Scridain, you'll find Britain's only hide dedicated
to spotting the magnificent White-tailed eagle , which nests here between April and
September. The largest and heaviest bird of prey, White-tailed (or sea) eagles became
an extinct species in the British Isles in 1916, but since a successful reintroduction
programme in the late 1970s, the population has thrived, and today there are currently
nineteen pairs of breeding eagles on Mull. Guided access to the hide is available
through the RSPB, with the rendezvous point arranged at the time of booking and
tours lasting around two hours.

Ardmeanach peninsula
If you're properly equipped for walking, you can explore the NTS-owned Ardmeanach
peninsula , a rugged landscape of spectacular volcanic geology located just west of the
B8035. The best access point is the car park just beyond Tiroran House . Otherwise, you'll
need a good map and sturdy boots, and you'll need to time your arrival with a falling tide.

Mackinnon's Cave
On the north coast, a mile or so from the road, is Mackinnon's Cave - at 100ft high,
one of the largest caves in the Hebrides, and accessible only at low tide. As so often,
there's a legend attached to the cave, which tells of an entire party, led by a lone piper,
who were devoured by evil spirits here.

MacCulloch's Tree
On the south coast of the peninsula, it's a longer, rougher six-mile hike from the road
to MacCulloch's Tree , a forty-foot-high conifer that was engulfed by a lava flow some
fifty million years ago and is now embedded in the cliffs at Rubha na h-Uambha.

The Ross of Mull
Stretching for twenty miles west as far as Iona is Mull's rocky southernmost peninsula,
the Ross of Mull , which, like much of Scotland, appears blissfully tranquil in good
weather, and desolate and bleak in bad climes. Most visitors simply drive through
the Ross en route to Iona, but if you have the time it's definitely worth considering
exploring, or even staying, in this little-visited part of Mull.