About the Isle of Mull – Scotland
About the Isle of Mull – ‘An’t Eileann Mhuileach… of Isles the fairest’ are the opening lines of the song by Dugald MacPhail, the Isle of Mull’s famous bard and describe the island as the most beautiful of the Hebridean isles. The Isle of Mull is the second largest island in the Inner Hebrides covering more than 225000 acres with over 300 miles of rugged indented coastline.
The weather can be changeable, indeed locals say it is possible to experience all four seasons in just one day. However, this can make for great outdoor photography; the best light is often between the months of October and March, whilst January through to April can have snow-capped mountains and atmospheric skies. Early May to the end of June are best for wildflowers all about the Isle of Mull, these can be the driest and sunniest months of the year.
The Isle of Mull is magical for photographers and well worth a visit at any time of the year — contact us if you would like to know more about the Isle of Mull or wish to arrange your Isle of Mull Photography Workshop we would be glad to help.
Mull has been inhabited since around 6000 BC. Bronze Age inhabitants built menhirs, brochs and a stone circle. In the 14th century Mull became part of the Lordship of the Isles. After the collapse of the Lordship in 1493 the island was taken over by the clan MacLean, and in 1681 by the clan Campbell. In 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada, Florenica, was moored in Tobermory Bay and blown up there, reputedly with £300,000 of gold bullion on board.
In 1773 this island was also visited by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell during their famous Tour of the Western Islands. During the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries, the population fell from 10,000 to less than 4000. 
Mull boasts such historic buildings as Duart Castle and Torosay Castle, both open to the public from Easter to September.
The mausoleum of Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1809 to 1822, may be found on the island (Macquarie had been born on the nearby island of Ulva). Mull has a coastline of approximately 480 kilometres (300 mi) and its climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream.
You can learn more about the Isle of Mull by visiting the Mull Museum in Tobermory.
The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak on the island being Ben More, which reaches 966 metres (3,170 ft). Various peninsulas, which are predominantly moorland, radiate from the centre. The Aros peninsula to the north includes the main town of Tobermory, which was the burgh until 1973 when burghs were abolished.
About the Isle of Mull there are further settlements including Salen and Calgary. The Ross of Mull lies to the south west and includes the villages of Bunessan, Pennyghael, Uisken and Fionnphort. Lochbuie, Lochdon and Craignure lie to the east.
Numerous islands lie off the west coast of Mull including Erraid, Iona and Ulva. Smaller uninhabited islands include Eorsa, Gometra, Inch Kenneth, Little Colonsay, the Treshnish Isles and Staffa of Fingal’s Cave fame. Calve Island is an uninhabited island in Tobermory bay. Two outlying rock lighthouses are also visible from the south west of Mull, Dubh Artach and Skerryvore.
The Torran Rocks are a large shoal of reefs, islets and skerries, approximately 15 square miles in extent, located two miles to the south west, between the Ross of Mull peninsula and Dubh Artach.
There is a really good book about the Isle of Mull entitled Mull : The Island and its People by Jo Currie.
