Background

History
Mull has a population of about 3,000 in round figures, but in the nineteenth century it once stood at 10,000. Clearly, you might think, the island has seen considerable change and you would be right.

Cliffs on Iona

Wildlife
We'll also see a wealth of wildlife. Herds of red deer abound in the hills, which they share with mountain hare. Common and grey seals can be seen frequently in the coastal waters. Otters are harder to see in Britain, but Mull is one of the best places, whether on its quiet shores or by lonely hill lochs. The south coast has feral goats, sometimes detectable by their smell! Sea birds are a feature, of course: guillemots and razorbills, cormorants, fulmars and many others. Inland lochans can hold red-throated divers, while, in summer, the hill ridges and moors have golden plover, curlew and skylark. If you are lucky you might see a golden eagle or the even bigger sea eagle - neither is certain, but Mull is one of the likeliest parts of Scotland in which to see both of these magnificent birds. In one unforgettable moment in 2006, a group saw a golden eagle and a sea eagle fight in the air right above them.

The programme day by day

A typical week, subject to variables such as the weather and any alterations to take account of lambing and deer stalking, could be as follows:

1. Sunday: Treshnish 2. Monday: Ulva 3. Tuesday: Grass Point and Erraid 4. Wednesday: Carsaig 5. Thursday: Iona 6. Friday: Ben More

Sunday: Treshnish
A northwest Mull headland, opposite the Treshnish Isles. Abandoned townships; high cliffs and waterfalls; a quiet shore below a raised beach; caves, including one once used as the site of an illicit still, and stunning views to sea and islands.
8 miles / 750 feet (13 km / 230 metres.

Monday: Ulva
An island close to Mull's western shore, for centuries the traditional home of the McQuarries. Mature mixed woodland and parkland around the big house near the ferry give way to the wilder west end of the island. The south shore leads to the McQuarries' burial ground and a tangle of little islands and bays.
11 miles / 1500 feet (two-thirds on track or path) (18 km / 450 metres).

Erraid

Tuesday: Grass Point and Erraid
We move to the Ross of Mull for the rest of our holiday. On the way south we visit Grass Point. Historically pilgrims destined for Iona landed at Grass Point opposite Kerrera, and in season may have encountered cattle being driven to the point to be swum in the opposite direction on their journey to the mainland trysts. Now it is a good place for wildlife like dolphins, porpoises, otters, white tailed sea eagles and other raptors.

In the afternoon we got to the tidle isle of Erraid off the south western tip of the Ross of Mull. It can be reached on foot at low tide. For those who have read 'Kidnapped' by Robert Louis Stevenson, Erraid is the island where the shipwrecked David Balfour spent four wet and miserable days living off shelfish, because he did not realise that the island was tidal. From the highest point there are very good views back to Mull, Iona and on a clear day to Jura, Scarba and the mainland.
If the tide is high, we will explore the hidden sandy beaches along the Ross of Mull.

Thursday: Iona
Many people make the pilgrimage to Columba's Isle but we can avoid the crowds by exploring the abbey and the nearby buildings with Celtic and Viking remains early on, and then, when the day-visitors arrive from Oban, we will already be away exploring the quieter south and west of the island with pebble beaches ad beaches with pure white sand.

Iona Abbey

We'll have time to see the abandoned marble quarry, with its beautiful white and green stone, and the Carn Cuil ri Eirinn. This place (the Gaelic means 'Cairn of the back to Ireland') is said to mark the spot where, above his landing place (now known as St. Columba's Bay), the saint decided that he had journeyed far enough from Ireland to put his chequered past behind him and begin a new life.

Up to 7 miles (11 km) with lots of little ups and downs, but anyone preferring a really gentle afternoon could choose to amble quietly over the short turf backing the island's western and northern beaches. Or a complete break from serious walking could be got by taking an afternoon boat ride to Staffa (though this isn't included in the price of your holiday).

Friday: Ben More
The highest hill on any Scottish island other than Skye (the name means simply big mountain), Ben More's central position as much as its height makes it worth climbing if the day is clear. The simplest approach is from Loch na Keal, to the north, with two or three options from that direction. If the weather is against us, there are plenty of lower level options that we haven't seen. Mull is a big, beautiful and varied island. You should be warned that you may want to come back!
7 miles / 3169 feet (11 km / 966 metres).

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