Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 86

Dun Mor and around
A mile to the north of Scarinish is Vaul Bay, on the north coast, where the well-
preserved remains of a dry-stone broch, Dun Mor - dating from the first century BC
- lie hidden in the rocks to the west of the bay. From Dun Mor it's another two miles
west along the coast to the Clach a'Choire or Ringing Stone , a huge glacial boulder
decorated with mysterious prehistoric markings, which when struck with a stone
gives out a metallic sound, thus giving rise to the legend that inside is a crock of gold.
The story goes that, should the Ringing Stone ever be broken in two, Tiree will sink
beneath the waves.
A mile further west you come to lovely Balephetrish Bay , where you can watch waders
feeding in the breakers, and look out to sea to Skye and the Western Isles.

1

Ben Hynish
The most intriguing sights lie in the bulging western half of the island, where Tiree's
two landmark hills rise up. The higher of the two, Ben Hynish (463ft), is unfortunately
occupied by a “golf-ball” radar station, which tracks incoming transatlantic flights; the
views from the top, though, are great.

Hynish
Below Ben Hynish, to the east, is Hynish , with its recently restored harbour , designed
by Alan Stevenson in the 1830s to transport building materials for the magnificent
140-foot-tall Skerryvore Lighthouse , which lies on a sea-swept reef some twelve miles
southwest of Tiree. The harbour features an ingenious reservoir to prevent silting and,
up on the hill behind, beside the row of lightkeepers' houses, a stumpy granite
signal-tower. The tower, whose signals used to be the only contact the lighthouse
keepers had with civilization, now houses a museum (Easter to mid-Oct daily
9am-5pm; £3; T 01879 220726), telling the history of the herculean effort required to
erect the lighthouse.

Ceann a'Mhara and around
A mile or so across the golden sands of Balephuil Bay, is the spectacular headland of
Ceann a'Mhara (pronounced “kenavara”). The cliffs here are home to thousands of
seabirds, including fulmar, kittiwake, guillemot, razorbill, shag and cormorant, with
gannet and tern feeding offshore; the islands of Barra and South Uist are also visible on
the northern horizon.

Taigh Iain Mhoir
June-Sept Mon-Fri 2-4pm • Free
In the scattered west-coast settlement of Sandaig , to the north of Ceann a'Mhara, three
thatched white houses in a row have been turned into the Taigh Iain Mhoir , which gives
an insight into how the majority of islanders lived in the nineteenth century.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE ISLE OF TIREE

By plane Tiree Airport ( T 01879 220456, W hial.co.uk) is
around three miles west of Scarinish, with flights to and
from Glasgow (Mon-Sat 1 daily; 45min). You should ask
your hosts to collect you; most of them will.
By ferry Throughout the summer, the CalMac ferry from
Oban calls daily at Coll (2hr 40min) and Tiree (3hr 40min).
On Thursdays - though the day may change - the ferry

continues to Barra in the Western Isles, and calls in at
Tiree on the way back, making a day-trip from Oban
possible; a minibus tour of the island is thrown in as part
of the package.
Destinations Castlebay, Barra (Thurs 1 daily; 2hr 45min);
Oban (1 daily; 3hr 40min).