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GUEST INFORMATION Table of Contents MULL AND ISLANDS INFORMATION .............................................................................................. 3 RESTAURANT & BAR ..................................................................................................................... 8 MENUS AND WINE LIST................................................................................................................. 9 HOUSEKEEPING AND ROOM INFORMATION .................................................................................. 9 GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 10 WHAT WILL WE DO TODAY? ....................................................................................................... 11 ACTIVITIES.................................................................................................................................. 12 TRAVEL ...................................................................................................................................... 13 DRIVING ON MULL...................................................................................................................... 13 Mull and Islands Information Geography Mull has a coastline of 480 kilometres (300 mi) and its climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream. The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak on the island being Ben More, which reaches 966 metres (3,169 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 a burgh until 1973 when burghs were abolished. Other settlements include 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, Inch Kenneth, Iona, Gometra, and Ulva. Smaller uninhabited islands include Eorsa, 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 (39 km2) in extent, located two miles (3 km) to the south west, between the Ross of Mull peninsula and Dubh Artach. Frank Lockwood's Island near Lochbuie is named after the brother- in-law of the 21st MacLean of Lochbuie, who was Solicitor General from 1894-5. Part of the indented west coast of Mull and some of the offshore islands there are part of the Loch Na Keal National Scenic Area, one of 40 in Scotland. Geology Mull is constructed rather like a multi-tiered wedding cake. Thick layers of basalt lava sit on top of a complicated basement of much older rocks which peep out around the edges of Mull rather like the silver base does on the lowest wedding cake tier. Geologists love Mull because it has such a long and interesting history (its oldest rocks on Iona are about 2000 million years old), and it has unique structures and rocks found nowhere else in the world (such as the Loch Ba Ring Dyke and felsite). Mull has not always been in its present position and form. Over geological time it has undergone enormous changes. Mull’s oldest rocks formed way south in the southern hemisphere and Mull (in common with the British Isles) has gradually drifted northwards to its present day position. (In the process of continental drift.) Its rocks preserve details of the climatic zones that it passed through on its northward journey. For example, if you stand on the rocky shore opposite Inch Kenneth at Gribun you will be standing on sandstones deposited in a desert region at the same sort of latitude and rather like the Persian Gulf today. Most of Mull is made of lava poured out of fissure volcanos when the North Atlantic was forming and Mull was torn apart from its ‘neighbour’ Greenland as the vast super-continent which once joined North America and Europe divided. The molten lava which erupted from about 60 to 50 million years ago forms Mull’s ‘stepped’ tablelands. Into these, at a later stage, intrusions of other ‘rocks formed by fire’ took place, forming the mountains of Mull’s famous Central Igneous Complex. Volcanic explosions and intense earthquakes shook Mull at that time and one of the old fault lines, the Great Glen fault is still occasionally active. (Nothing catastrophic!) Mull’s final shape has largely been carved by huge glaciers which only melted away from Mull 10,000 years ago leaving deep ‘U’ shaped valleys between the mountains and long glaciated lochs both freshwater and marine. Mull doesn’t have any precious gems at the surface, but geologists know that deep below Mull, in the earth’s mantle there must be priceless minerals at this spot, but the temperature at that depth would melt any drills probing for them! Mull with its incredible history and unique rocks and intrusions is a ‘Mecca’ for geologists who travel from all over the world to carry out field work here. History It is widely understood that Mull was inhabited shortly after the end of the last Ice Age, from around 6000 BC. Bronze Age inhabitants built menhirs, brochs and a stone circle with examples of burial cairns, cists, standing stones, stone circles, pottery and knife blades providing compelling evidence. Between 600 BC to 400 AD Iron Age inhabitants were building protective forts, duns and crannogs. The early Christian period began in the 6th Century, with 563AD being a pivotal point as it is believed that Christianity was brought to this part of northern Britain by St. Columba, when he arrived from Ireland to set up a monastery on the Island of Iona just off the south-west point of Mull. 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. The Galleon Legend has it that the wreck of a Spanish galleon, laden with gold, lies somewhere in the mud at the bottom of Tobermory Bay — although the ship's true identity, and cargo, are in dispute. By some accounts, the Florencia (or Florida, or San Francisco), a member of the defeated Spanish Armada fleeing the English fleet in 1588, anchored in Tobermory to take on provisions. Following a dispute over payment, the ship caught fire and the gunpowder magazine exploded, sinking the vessel. In her hold, reputedly, was £300,000 in gold bullion. Other sources claim the vessel was the San Juan de Sicilia (or San Juan de Baptista), which, records indicate, carried troops, not treasure. According to that account, the island's chief, Lachlan Mor Maclean, struck a deal with the Spanish commander to reprovision and refit the ship in return for military intervention on the side of the MacLeans in their feud with enemies on nearby islands. Whatever the true story, numerous searches for the wreck, and its rumored treasure, took place from the mid-17th century to the end of the 20th century. No significant treasure has ever been recovered in Tobermory Bay. Other History In 1773 the island was 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 3,000. The whole island became a Restricted Area during World War II. The bay at Tobermory became a naval base commanded from HMS Western Isles. The base and the Restricted Area were under Commodore (later Vice Admiral) Sir Gilbert Stephenson, whose strict discipline and ferocious temper earned him the nickname "The Terror of Tobermory". The base was used to train Escort Groups in anti-submarine warfare. 911 ships passed through the base between 1940 and 1945. Mull boasts such historic buildings as Glengorm Castle, Torosay Castle and Duart Castle which is open to the public from Easter to September. Moy Castle is a small distressed castle on the shore of Lochbuie and is worth a visit. The mausoleum of Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1809 to 1822, and known as "The Father of Australia", may be found near his old patrimonial estate in the village of Gruline. Macquarie had been born on the nearby island of Ulva, ancient seat of clan MacQuarrie. Farming, fishing and burning seaweed to kelp ash (used in the manufacture of soap and glass) were the main economic activities on the island until the 19th century. Tobermory was built by the British Fisheries Society in 1788 as a planned settlement to support the fishing industry. In the mid 19th century the Highland Potato Famine and the Highland Clearances reduced the population by two thirds and the island economy collapsed. In the early 20th century there were more sheep than people. Economy The economy began to revive when the construction of Craignure Pier in 1964 started to bring tourists. Tourism is now the mainstay of the island's economy. Ecotourism became popular from the 1990s and the re-introduction of White-tailed eagles in 2005 became a particular ecotourist drawcard. There is a small amount of farming, aquaculture and fishing and Forestry Commission Scotland has several plantations on the island. Tobermory also has the Island’s only whisky distillery. Film Locations on the Isle of Mull I know where I’m going - This film was made in 1945 and is a romance starring Wendy Hiller and Roger