Forged by Fire, Sculpted by Ice

Having been to the top of two of Ben More’s shoulder mountains recently, we thought to give our legs and lungs a bit of a rest by making an ascent of the Isle of Mull’s biggest little ‘mountain’. Situated barely 2 miles to the South-West of the island’s hub, Tobermory, the hill of S’Airde Beinn is regarded as being the largest and best example of a volcanic plug in Western Scotland. At a little under 300 metres above sea level, North Mull’s mini-mountain may not constitute much of a challenge to hardened hillwalkers, yet this is a wonderful walk, full of interest and with the bonus of some of the best views to be enjoyed anywhere on the island (given a fine day!) Scanning North-West from one of the many hilltop cairns that can be found on S’Airde Beinn, our eyes rounded the Ardnamurchan peninsula, with its lighthouse protecting shipping at the entrance to the Sound of Mull, before settling on the snow-clad summits of the Rum Cuillins.

Designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), S’Airde Beinn is a hill that could be walked in less than an hour, but to do so would be self-defeating and totally pointless, given the unparalleled beauty of the surroundings. Locally referred to as the Crater Loch, this former volcanic vent was active around 60 million years ago, when lava spilled over North Mull, laying the foundations of the classic ‘Trappe’ or stepped landscape that is much in evidence today. We paused for a while to gaze at the ice-frozen loch (oddly enough named Lochan S’Airde Beinn!) and to configure in our minds the huge elemental forces of both fire and ice that forged and sculpted this impressive setting into being all those years ago. The loch is a glacial depression which formed during the last Ice Age, when the land was heavily eroded and scoured by ice action. It is difficult, as mere human beings, to begin to comprehend the violence that the Mull landscape has had to endure over the millennia!

The Isle of Mull is dominated by a landscape that is chiefly upland in character. Mountains and moorland are difficult terrain in which to try and fashion any sort of livelihood, whether you be a plant or animal. Consequently, you tend not to see much in the way of obvious wildlife on the hills in the Winter months. What you do see is made of sturdy stuff and will have become specially adapted to a harsh and hostile environment. Mull supports fantastic communities of mosses and lichens. Every tree and rock seems to be festooned with these quite amazing ‘plants’, an organism that is a fusion of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner, often an algae. As we made our way up to the Crater Loch, the boulders and boundary walls shone brightly with the tough, silver-grey cushions of Stereocaulon vesuvianum, a common lichen of upland areas. Like a glittering remnant from a Christmas tree or a metallic pot scrubber, this lichen thrives in mineral rich places, but, like so many lichens, it doesn’t appear to have a universally accepted English name. ‘Pot scrubber lichen’ doesn’t sound too complimentary, so we have decided to call it ‘Tinsel lichen’, until we can think of something better!

It is said that the views from S’Airde Beinn are the most breathtaking in North Mull and it is very difficult to argue against that opinion. After all, it’s not every day that you can stand on top of a 60 million year old volcanic plug, overlooking a glacial lochan, that apparently contains some weird and wonderful fish, with a view to the recent history of Tobermory and Loch Sunart beyond. And, that’s only the view in one direction!

As a footnote to our visit on a good day, we have been back when the views were obliterated with low cloud and the wind made taking photographs difficult. We enjoyed this occasion for different reasons: after 99 wet and windy days, the sunshine of the 100th day will always seem brighter and feel warmer, and you will appreciate it all the more for what has come before! The dead flower heads of a lonely Hogweed stood out among the heather, but it just wouldn’t stay still to be photographed. This slightly blurred image was the result. We probably like the end result more than we would have done a perfectly focused picture!

The Remoteness of Life in a Joined-Up World

The recent wintry weather that greeted the New Year provided Mull Magic with an exhilirating start to its walking programme for 2010. Having ‘conquered’ An Gearna, it was the turn of another nearby mountain in the Ben More range to receive our attention. Rather than tackle the ascent of Coirc Bheinn (561 metres) from the path that leads up Mull’s greatest mountain, we decided to park up in nearby Glen Seilisdeir (‘Glen of the Irises’) and walk up the Allt Chreaga Dubha burn to this flat-topped mountain. With the weather due to change, we couldn’t have picked a better day, as conditions were near perfect, affording us a 180 degree panorama that stretched from the snow- covered hills of Harris, far away to the North-West, all the way round to the impressive Paps of Jura to the South-East.

No sooner had we left the comfort of the vehicle and commenced our trek up the initially steep moorland when the shape of a large raptor caught our attention as it soared above the skyline in the distance. Being so large at that distance meant only one of two things, Golden Eagle or the even larger White-tailed Eagle, both species we know to breed in the area. Binoculars confirmed the small head and long tail of an adult Golden Eagle and we watched this bird effortlessly glide along the craggy lava flows of the appropriately named Beinn na h-Iolaire (‘Hill of the Eagle’) – Golden Eagle is Iolairean-bhuidhe in the native Gaelic language of Mull. Like the island’s eagle population, Ravens have a very early breeding season and take exception to any raptor that intrudes in to their airspace, as can be seen in the above photograph (the Raven is the smaller, black bird at the top of the picture). Such altercations are commonplace throughout the Isle of Mull; this eagle wasn’t bothered by the attentions of the crazy crow and with a shrug of its hefty shoulders simply carried on its way!

As we stood on top of Croic Bheinn, the distinctive Paps of Jura appeared resplendent in the pink glow of the afternoon sunshine, where alongside could be traced the outline of Jura’s nearby neighbours in the Firth of Lorne, the islands of Islay and Colonsay (not in photograph). The Isle of Jura, with its sparkling raised beaches, mountains and moorland, beloved of Red Deer, was where George Orwell took inspiration when writing his classic novel, ‘1984’. In the foreground of this picture lies Loch Scridain, the second largest of Mull’s sea lochs, and the steep moorland of its South side, which runs in to the Ross of Mull at the village of Bunessan. Close to the shore runs the island’s main road artery, which links the Iona ferry at Fionnphort with the Oban ferry at Craignure and Tobermory, some 42 road miles to the North. Despite all its apparent remoteness, we do live in a joined-up world, here on the Isle of Mull, after all!

Over our shoulders, away to the West, we could already see tomorrow’s weather building. The earlier clarity that had allowed the Long Island, from Vatersay and Barra, North through the Uists to the Southern hills of Harris had become enveloped in cloud that would threaten rain before the night was through. Still, on the distant horizon, we could make out those two islands that are outermost in the Inner Hebrides (from left to right), Tiree and Coll. It is easy to see why the machair island of Tiree is referred to as the ‘Land Beneath The Waves’, as a very flat stretch of land joins the island’s two principal high points, Ben Hynish and Balephetrish Hill. If you didn’t know that the flat ground around the village of Scarinish and along Gott Bay was there, you would never believe it actually existed! Closer to the eye (in the middle distance) the characteristic ‘sombrero’ of the Dutchman’s Cap (Bac Mhor) in the Treshnish archipelago can be seen, with the Isle of Staffa to its front and left.

Back safely at the vehicle, we were joined by a herd of around 40 Red Deer, all stags, that had made their way down from the hills to feed in the hollow below Beinn na h-Iolaire. With very few people traversing the Glen Seilisdeir road at this time of year, the deer could graze away to their hearts content without much fear of being disturbed. The ravages of another long, hard Winter will surely take its toll on the island’s deer population, when it really will be a case of the survival of the fittest. With an estimated population of 5 – 6,000 Red Deer on the Isle of Mull, some would say that Mother Nature was simply being cruel to be kind!

The Quality of Mull’s Superlatives

Breathtaking, beautiful butterflies; dashing and dazzling dragonflies; fabled yet fabulous fungi; flourishing and fragrant flowers; heavenly and handsome hoverflies; lavish and lush lichens … the list is apparently endless, such is the quality of superlatives that readily attach themselves to the astonishing array of wildlife that resides on the Isle of Mull all year round.

This incredible and abundant biodiversity that exists on and around the Isle of Mull is world-renowned, as is vouched for by the millions of pounds that the island’s whales, dolphins, eagles and otters generate for the local economy each year. Quite simply, the island is unique in its appeal to wildlife and its attraction to those who enjoy the blessed forgetfulness that watching these birds and animals can bring.

We firmly believe that the West Highlands and Islands possess some of the most dramatic and spectacular land and seascapes anywhere in the British Isles. And, let’s face it, the Isle of Mull has more than its fair share of scintillating scenery that regularly leaves visitors drooling. We feel so lucky to live on an island that has picture perfect vistas at and around every corner, yet the fabulous Mull environment is something that we never, nor ever will, take for granted.


It is difficult to remain impartial when you live with Mother Nature as your next door neighbour, but there really is no place like home when your home is on the Isle of Mull. Every moment spent walking along deserted, sandy beaches; scrambling up to the top of some Iron Age fortification; scaling the heights of Mull’s lava-topped mountains; watching Sea Eagles pirating otters of their catch; re-living history on a visit to a ruined ‘Clearance’ community; having rare and unusual butterflies and moths alight on your finger (or camera lens) is life-affirming in every sense. It is a euphoria that sees only the tip of a very large iceberg.

The magic of Mull may aptly be described by an arresting assortment of superlatives. However, these are only words and this biodynamic island that we are proud to call our home is so special as to defy description!

On Top of the World (well, almost!)

Some locals like to celebrate the arrival of a New Year by swimming in the sea at Calgary Bay, while others prefer to simply sleep off the excesses of another Hogmanay spent ‘swimming’ in alcohol. Not being brave enough(foolhardy?)to even contemplate dipping our toes in the Atlantic Ocean at this time of the year, and retaining a clear head after the night before, we thought to start 2011 in a way we mean to continue. So, with the weather set fair, forecasting little or no wind and promising far reaching views to die for, we donned our walking boots for the first time this year and headed up the path that leads to the top of Mull’s Matterhorn, Ben More (3,169 ft).

We weren’t the only ones with this in mind, however, as the route proved well-trodden with hillwalkers keen to get their New Year off to the best possible start. Ben More, ‘The Big Hill’, may not be the highest of the 284 Munros in Scotland, yet it does have some rather special qualities. Outside of the Skye Cuillins, it is the only peak that stands over 3,000 feet in the Hebrides and the only mountain in Britain composed of tertiary basalt from head to toe. Additionally, the geology throws up strange magnetic anomalies, which means that you cannot rely on your compass getting you down off the mountain should the cloud base obscure your view!

Ben More is a popular resort for hillwalkers all-year-round, yet its shoulder mountain, An Gearna, is rarely visited. In keeping with the Mull Magic pledge to try to celebrate the uncelebrated in 2011, we decided to deviate from the path up the side of the Dhiseig burn, in order to work our way to the cairn at the pinnacle of this ‘lesser’ mountain. We had the hill all to ourselves and enjoyed a truly wonderful few hours admiring the inaccessible (at least to walkers!) North face of Mull’s loftiest location, a view that would have been denied if we had chosen to scale the scree slopes of Ben More.

Although the sun refused to come out from behind the day’s veil of grey, the panorama North and West across Loch na Keal was quite brilliant. Stretching out as far as the eye could see beyond the dark, brooding cliffs of Gribun (1,800 ft) and the Isle of Ulva, we marvelled at the myriad of islands that presented themselves. The island of Staffa lay adrift of the Treshnish archipelago, with the outermost of the Inner Hebrides, Coll and Tiree, tucked behind, while on the grey horizon, sprinkled with the occasional rain shower, the Long Island spread out from Barra to North Uist. From our vantage point on the top of the world, it seemed that we really were looking out towards the very edge of creation!

Our eye’s journey North was equally impressive and dominated by the flat-topped Speinne Mor (1,456 ft), the V-shaped clefts of the Rum Cuillin and the snow-covered peaks of Skye in the distance. The foreground scene of Loch na Keal was governed by the sheep island of Eorsa, the setting for Nigel Tranter’s 1952 comic novel, ‘The Bridal Path’, which was later made into a film starring Bill Travers. In it, Travers plays a character on the look-out for a wife, a journey that, inevitably, takes him away from his island home. Equally inevitably, having failed in his search of the mainland, he finds love on his doorstep when he returns home.

Eorsa, uninhabited save for a local landowner’s sheep, was chosen for this very fact, as the story of book and film was about the dangers of in-breeding within a small community. The author wisely chose an unpopulated location in order not to offend, as well it may have done!

Celebrating the Uncelebrated

At Mull Magic, we tend not to be too hasty about making New Year resolutions. Certainly, not as hasty as we tend to be about dishonouring those that we are foolish to make in the first instance! However, one resolution that we do uphold is the acknowledgement and appreciation of the interconnectedness of life that makes this wonderful island that we are proud to call our home so very, very special.

This ‘interconnectedness’ is known today by the buzzword, biodiversity, a catch-all that celebrates the bones, heart and lungs of the ecosystems in which we all live and breathe. It recognises the contributions played by land, sea and sky; soil, rock and cloud; phytoplankton, fish and whale; mosses, lichens and liverworts; beaches, birds and butterflies. Everything, including human beings, the destroyer and potential saviour of all that we celebrate!


On the Isle of Mull, much is made regarding the contribution that the island’s ‘celebrity’ wildlife brings to the island. For a decade or more, thousands of ‘eco-evangalists’ have made the crusade to Mull, in order to grab a slice of the wildlife action that has so vividly been portrayed by television programmes, such as ‘SpringWatch’ and ‘AutumnWatch’. For many, the Isle of Mull has become synonymous with White-tailed Eagles, Otters and Corncrakes, birds and beasts that are rarely, if ever, encountered in parts of the mainland.

It is only right that we celebrate our iconic wildlife, but, in doing so, we should always remember that they could not thrive on Mull if it wasn’t for the wonderful supporting cast of other wild things that exist on the island. The White-tailed Eagle is not an island and there is, indeed, more to the magic of the island of Mull than White-tailed Eagles!

In 2011, Mull Magic will continue to support the island’s eagles and otters, as we have always done, but we will redouble our efforts to bring more of the undiscovered and the unheralded wildlife to the attention of those with eyes to see and ears to hear. In 2011, let’s all make the wildlife resolution to CELEBRATE THE UNCELEBRATED and to marvel as much at the humble House Sparrow as the exhilarating (White-tailed) Eagle!

Tomorrow it will rain

Our fascination with the weather is said to be a very British peculiarity. It would appear that if we didn’t have things meteorological to discuss, some of us would have very little to talk about! On a serious note, the bright, sunny mornings of Spring on the Isle of Mull do, indeed, help to lift our mood, while the dark, gloomy days of Winter, quite literally, dampen our spirits.


Being an island and considering our geographical position, the Isle of Mull is particularly subjected to the vagaries of the weather. Our cool, maritime climate, influenced by the warming waters of the Gulf Stream, has meant that, until recently, our Winter weather has been dominated by wind and rain (and then some!) The darkest days of the year, on the run-up to the Winter Solstice, can be the gloomiest for some, when the need for succour from a bottle or anti-depressants is greatest. However, the past couple of Winters have seen our weather reverting to type, with the return of the snow and ice of childhood memory.


Global warming has played some funny tricks with our weather here on the island. Surrounded by sea, Mull has become used to frost-free Winters, when what snow that fell was largely confined to the high tops of the central massif surrounding Ben More. The past two Winters have brought with them some real Winter weather, with bitingly cold, frosty days and nights recalling times when the snow lay deeper and the sun shone brighter: the halcyon days of a seemingly lost age.


With the snow and ice come difficulties, but, here at Mull Magic we welcome the return of Winter as we remember it from bygone days. It did seem that we may never experience snow in Scotland like we used to ever again. We now realise that Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humour and was simply storing it up, in order to drop it on us in bulk! Having said all this, the Isle of Mull has missed out on much of the snowfall that has crippled the mainland, both now on the build-up to Christmas and during the early weeks of 2010.


As we fall on our backsides (for the umpteenth time!) on the treacherous black ice that masquerades as our doorstep, we realise just how fortunate we are. We will have fun today, for tomorrow it will rain!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

The festive period is a time of year destined to divide the nation. Some people revel in the Season of Goodwill’s unique atmosphere and simply adore everything that has a ‘Let’s Party’ tag on it. Others, quite frankly, would prefer to undergo temporary torpor and sleep until normal service is resumed around the 3rd of January. Christmas will always be a very special time of year for Mull Magic. With presents bought and placed under the tree and our respects paid to Santa Claus at Glengorm Castle, we like nothing better than to put on our boots and head out in to the Mull countryside. This time of year offers us a wonderful opportunity to get closer to much of the island's wildlife, while walking off the excesses associated with the season.


Talking of resuming something akin to normal service, after a hectic few months taken up with other commitments, Mull Magic is pleased to be up-and-running once more on our Blogspot and Facebook pages. Our many friends and followers, from all around the world, are hugely important to us and we know from your feedback just how much you’ve missed keeping up to date with all that we’ve been up to during our recent internet absence. Thank you all for your support during 2010 and we hope you will continue to enjoy sharing our love and passion for everything that is magical about the Isle of Mull in the forthcoming months.


The tail end of any year, inevitably, has many casting a retrospective glance over their shoulders to the year almost past, while contemplating what the 52 weeks of the New Year may have in store. To conclude what has been yet another thrilling 12 months for Mull Magic, we would like to re-live some of our favourite moments of the past year with you on our Blogspot and Facebook pages - check back for updated pages and albums soon.


At Mull Magic we love the friendly, fun feel of Christmas, here on the island, and would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends and followers a fun-filled Christmas and the health and happiness to make all your dreams come true in 2011. Slàinte mhath!