Mull Magic

For Whom That Has The Eyes To See…

2011-10-17T20:34:00.007+01:00

The Isle of Mull has an unyielding capacity to bombard the senses from any and every possible angle.

Rust Never Sleeps
The gloriously translucent light of that one day of Indian Summer that the Isle of Mull enjoyed in late September, as reflected in the colours and shadows cast on this Bramble leaf – 28/09/11

When Death Becomes You
The decaying fruiting body of this Russula toadstool provides the sustenance necessary for the emergence and development of the parasitic fungus Asterophora parasitica. Like many fungi, this organism has, so far, been spared the moniker of a universally accepted common name. We call it the Violet Necro-fungus, for its capacity to sustain life when all around it has called it a day! – 28/09/11

A Hidden Agenda
It is hard to imagine that an army of tiny Gall Wasps will emerge from the cluster of Silk Button Spangle Galls littered on the underside of these oak leaves. Yet, having endured the Winter among the leaf litter and assorted detritus on the woodland floor that’s exactly what will happen next Spring. Around 90 different species of minute Gall Wasps inhabit Britain’s parks and woodlands, yet very few human beings ever get the opportunity to see them. Indeed, if life was but a game of hide and seek, then these little insects may never be found! – 13/09/11

Candy-Striped Cling-Ons
As light travels through the sea water that immerses these Purple Topshells, the attractive lime green and deep purple colours of this grazing mollusc’s protective coat shimmer and dazzle, like a child’s spinning top. To overturn a rock at the tide-line on the Isle of Mull will often reveal a myriad of previously hidden marine life, of which a variety of periwinkles and topshells may be most obvious, not to mention colourful – 27/09/11

Mare Serenitatis
Regardless of your religious leaning (or none), it is impossible not to visit the white shell sand beaches and aquamarine waters of the sacred Isle of Iona without being affected by a pervading sense of peace and calm. Yet, Iona has had to endure many natural and man-made storms during its history; storms that created the flower-rich machair of the West coast and sacked the early monastery during a time of Viking rule. Today, even a day visit to this wonderful little island offers a very tangible unburdening of everyday stresses accumulated by many visitor’s mainland lives – 06/07/11

This Heterogeneous Isle

2011-10-12T12:35:00.007+01:00

A dictionary definition of heterogeneity: composed of diverse elements, e.g. the Isle of Mull.

Mullogeneity, although not yet adopted by the Oxford English Dictionary, is a word that is unique to the Isle of Mull, describing a miscellany of wildlife and landscape the like of which cannot be found elsewhere.

From Little Fissures do Great Volcanoes Grow
Characterised by frost-shattered summits, that rise high above the floor of deeply-gouged glens, the mountains that make up Mull’s central highlands speak eloquently of the island landscapes turbulent past. Overshadowing the former farmstead at Gortenbuie and the Cannel River floodplain, the height of Ben Talaidh (Mull’s third highest ascent at 761 metres) sits astride a great volcano, whose lava pile helped spawn the island as we know it today – 03/05/11

Glitzy and Glamorous
The damp woodlands on Mull represent ideal growing conditions for a variety of fascinating plants that simply merge into the environment and are, thus, overlooked. The flat-lobed and leafy liverworts fit neatly into this category, living out their simple lives in a way that doesn’t draw attention to themselves, unless you happen to be a practising Bryologist! They may lack the film star looks of orchids or possess the catwalk scents of garden roses, yet their less flamboyant, self-deprecating manner has a certain appeal of its own. Has it not? – 22/07/11

Effervescent yet Evanescent
The cock Yellowhammer is one of the Isle of Mull’s most striking birds. A rather localised breeding species on the island, no doubt due to the general scarcity of the starch-rich grass and cereal seeds that it relies upon, small parties can be relied upon to brighten up island gardens from time to time. Having suffered a near catastrophic slump in their mainland fortunes, this sparkling bunting can still be heard delivering its characteristic ‘a-little-bit-of-bread, but-no-chee-eese’ ditty from atop wires and gorse bushes in several parts of the island – 07/09/11

Mull’s Jam Butty Mines
The Broad-leaved Helleborine’s rather understated magnificence is somewhat soured by the knowledge that it is the most common of its kind to be encountered in Britain. Nor does it emit a deliciously seductive scent to tantalise any passing insects and potential pollinators. That said, the glistening pot of purple nectar ‘jam’ that lies in wait for any wasps fortunate enough to stumble across this easily overlooked woodland orchid should be ample reward. Toast, anyone? – 26/07/11

An Araldite Anemone
Encouraged by the water of an incoming tide, this crimson Beadlet Anemone has emerged to resume feeding within the rocky crevice of its upper shore home. Protected from drying out during periods of low tide by a sticky membrane of mucous, this attractive and noticeable inhabitant of Mull’s rocky coastline quickly retracts its two hundred tentacles when disturbed. Super-glued to rocks, the anemone’s lower margin is a striking violet-blue colour, making it one of the most vibrantly coloured of the island’s coastline environment and an easy find for holidaying rock-poolers – 25/09/11

The Wild Vitality of Life

2011-10-07T21:01:00.007+01:00

(aka The Vitality of Wildlife)

Eco-therapy : the psychology of nature. Wildlife watching as a remedy for the stresses of everyday life. Even on the Isle of Mull there are stresses and strains to be fought and overcome, but of a different nature!

Batteries Included!
Late Summer sees small parties of comical Sanderling drop in to the island’s sandy beaches, en route from their breeding grounds in the High Arctic tundra. With almost manic endurance, these extreme long distance migrant waders never do things by halves. Their speeded up surges, in chase of exposed tide-line invertebrates, is like watching children’s clockwork toys of the past. Only, this time, batteries most certainly have been included! – 08/08/11

A Floral Bodyguard
The delicate beauty of the lavender-coloured flowers of Butterwort gently disguise the magical properties that are held within. On an island where the everyday air is heavy with myth and magic, this insectivorous plant is held in great esteem for the immunity it engenders against witches and bad fairies. That we should still require its protection in the 21st century may be open to debate and ridicule, but you wouldn’t want to chance getting on the wrong side of Mull’s bad fairies, would you? – 01/06/11

A ‘Fish’ Out of Water
The purity of air on the Isle of Mull make the island a wonderland for lichens, many of which are indicators of the ancient stands of woodland that previously clothed much of the local landscape. The lobes of the Sticta lichens are particular favourites of Mull Magic and greatly appeal to our wickedly perverse (at times!) sense of humour. Growing on many oak trees throughout the island, a quick sniff of the leafy thallus will provide you with an unforgettable experience. These lichens are notoriously aromatic, smelling of rotten fish. No wonder they’re referred to as Stinky Stictas! – 18/08/11

Standing Out in a Crowd of None
Towered over by an 1800 feet cliff-face, these little, red-roofed properties cut a colourful, if rather incongruous, dash on the south shore of Loch na Keal. To many, the majestic, boulder-strewn landscapes of the Gribun epitomise the stark and rugged beauty of the Isle of Mull. It is an environment that is withheld from many of the island’s visitors, especially those that arrive by public transport, as it is not an area of the island served by the local bus service. With mesmerising views out over Inch Kenneth, to Ulva, Little Colonsay and the ‘Pillar Island’ of Staffa beyond, these are properties where the curtains need never be drawn! – 19/03/11

Beguiling and Bejewelled
Like a myriad of tiny, distant stars, bejewelled in the darkness of space, the granulated caps of the Glistening Inkcap certainly live up to their name. Found at the base of rotting wood, these pleated, egg-shaped toadstools are always a welcome find, even if only to look at, as they are inedible. Like others in their family, the gills assume a mushy, inky black with age, as this ‘star’ mushroom develops its own nursery before dying. – 05/09/11

Biodiversity: In Glorious Technicolour

2011-10-03T22:02:00.007+01:00

Wildlife: the grouping of animals and plants collectively. With Mull Magic that means anything from the tiniest spore attached to the gills of a mushroom to the cleaver-like beak of a White-tailed Eagle and everything in-between.

Scotland’s National Plant?
We contest that Sphagnum in all its glorious colours be the true ‘Flower of Scotland’, on account of its wide ranging household and medicinal purposes down through the ages. A natural antibiotic and antiseptic, this prolific moss has seen use as a wound dressing (as recently as World War II) and was the original toilet paper, sanitary towel and disposable nappy. In lieu of the humid climate on Mull, one of its greatest redeeming qualities, due to its marvellous absorbency, was to minimise leaks and to increase insulation in buildings. It could be said that, without it, the Isle of Mull would be populated by drips! – 18/05/11

Sensitive and Sexy
The club-shaped antennae of this Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary butterfly are the insect’s primary organ of smell. Packed with extra-sensory nerve receptors, which can detect minute dilutions of scent, antennae on females home in on the scent given off by prospective mates. Special scent-releasing glands on some of the scales of a male butterfly produce powerful pheromones that induce a sexual frenzy among those females that become overwhelmed. That great smell of Brut doesn’t quite have the desired effect! – 04/06/11

Yummy and Scrummy
With the blackberry picking season now upon us, our fingers will soon be dyed rich purple-red with the sumptuous fruits of this wildlife-friendly plant. We will be able to look forward to spreading delicious Mull Magic bramble jelly on our morning toast and to imbibing on a blackberry wine as a toast of a different sort to this amazing plant. Honey Bees, Bumblebees, Drone Flies and Hoverflies all take advantage of the nectar-rich flowers, which have a very long season here on Mull – 14/09/11

The Prototype for the Caribbean
Much of the 305 miles of Mull’s coastline consists of rocky shores yet, particularly in the North-west and South of the island, the almost white sand beaches are a rival to those in warmer parts of the world. Indeed, beaches on the Isle of Mull are often said to resemble those in the Caribbean or the Greek Islands. There is only one thing wrong in that assertion: it is the beaches on Barbados and Corfu that look like those at Calgary Bay and Langamull. The Isle of Mull may only be a young island, but we were definitely here first! – 29/04/11

Mother Nature’s Water Pistols
The earliest human settlers on Mull would have made good use of the many different kinds of seaweed that thrive along the coast of the island. Indeed, wrack was an essential commodity in the lives of the islanders far into the 20th Century, as animal fodder, green manure, to be eaten raw or included in stews, soups and puddings. The largest bladders of the most common seaweeds were often collected by children, who’d bite off one end and immerse it in water. Once filled, the children had a ready-made water pistol to greatly annoy their friends and parents with! – 08/03/11

The Colour of Biodiversity

2011-09-30T14:12:00.007+01:00

Biodiversity : the existence of a wide variety of species in their natural environment, i.e. The Isle of Mull.

The problem (if there can be one) with living on such a rich island is that biodiversity means everything to some but, unfortunately, nothing to many!

Approachable Without Menace
Among the most welcome of insects, this Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus) is nectaring on a St. John’s Wort flower. They are beautiful and harmless, flapping their wings several hundred times per second just to remain stationary in the air, the insect world’s equivalent of a Kestrel. Despite the fact that they are stingless, hoverflies choose to mimic bees and wasps in their colouration to avoid predation – 09/09/11

Luscious and Inviting?
The main driveway into the centre of Aros Park in Tobermory is bedecked with the dark fruits of the leafy shrub Gaultheria shallon. Initially planted as cover for Pheasants and other game birds in the heyday of the shooting estate in the 19th Century, these shrubs now form dense thickets of growth, often to the detriment of other plants. Uniquely flavoured, the berries are edible and have been used as an appetite suppressant in the past. We suspect that the uniqueness of the flavour tells you all you need to know regarding their taste! – 04/09/11

Lunar Lichen
Encrusted on the trunks of many of the island’s majestic oaks is a remarkable organism that is part algae and part fungus. The Cudbear lichen enjoys a symbiotic relationship that ensures its survival among a myriad of other lichens and mosses on Mull’s grandest trees. Look closely and the pale margins of the caramel-tinted reproductive discs take on a new life, as the rims of meteor-blasted craters on a lunar landscape. Perhaps it was here that Apollo 11 made good the first moon landing all those years ago, stoking the fires of conspiracy as it did? – 19/03/11

Consistent and Dependable
The Isle of Mull is currently enjoying its best-ever year for birds, based on the large number of unusual sightings that have been reported. Yet, ‘best-ever’ and ‘unusual’ are relative terms and should never take away from the common-place and everyday enjoyment and fascination that we derive from the frequent and usual birdlife that lives on the island. We know of so many people who forego the pleasures of what’s on their doorstep to chase after something deemed more interesting and exciting. At Mull Magic, the Meadow Pipit is the new White-tailed Eagle and the Robin is the Roller! – 10/04/11

The Bay Bolete epitomises the way that Mull’s landscapes and wildlife bombard your senses: it looks simply amazing, it has a wonderfully spongy texture, smells pleasant and tastes good into the bargain! When bruised or exposed to the air, this incredibly eye-catching toadstool stains blue, while the reticulated red-brown stem is yellow at its apex, just like the colour of its pores. An altogether super-colourful treat that we spotted on a recent foray through a woodland in North Mull – 15/09/11

A Fairytale World of Fantastic Fungi

2011-09-24T00:19:00.017+01:00

Auto-Digest and Deliquesce

More than 3,000 species of gilled fungi alone have been recorded in North-west Europe, many of which are found on the Isle of Mull. The humid conditions that generally prevail on the island during the Autumn months provide ideal conditions for the various fruiting bodies to appear above ground. The fertile caps of these Common Inkcaps are over-ripe. The bronze bonnets shelter the decaying and deliquescing gills which store the next generation of this remarkable fungi.

Perfect and Purple

From familiar toadstools with a distinctive cap and stem to very different and unusual fungal forms with spines, tubes, pores and wrinkles, the Isle of Mull provides a breeding ground for them all. One of the most attractive gilled mushrooms on Mull is the violet-coloured Amethyst Deceiver. Not only is it a delight to look at, it is also highly edible and is known to stain omelettes purple. We knew of the Goose that laid the Golden Egg, but were previously unaware that on Mull we had the Hen that lays the Purple Eggs!

Spiny yet Soft

Widespread within both broad-leaved and coniferous woodland on Mull are two highly distinctive fungi that have soft and brittle quills instead of gills below their caps. Both Wood and Terracotta Hedgehog fungus are highly prized by mushroom gourmets and are a treasure to stumble across on a fungal foray. The smaller Terracotta Hedgehog is orange in colour, whose spiny underside resembles a mouth overcrowded with teeth.

Pseudo-Baleen and Bolete

Some of the most remarkable of all Mull’s fungi belong to a large group of organisms referred to as ‘Boletes’. These toadstools have a strong mycorrhizal relationship with particular trees and do not possess gills. Instead, like this Brown Birch Bolete, the underside is soft, spongy and porous. The spore-producing layer is contained in tubes, which resemble the baleen plates that hang from the upper jaws of plankton- eating whales, such as the Minke Whale. However, that’s where any resemblance begins and ends.

Honeycombed and Squeezable

The pores of the Larch Bolete, a sticky-capped fungi with an obvious tree association, are reminiscent of a certain honeycomb-centred chocolate bar. However, instead of being crunchy, these pores have a soft and bouncy texture that is satisfying to squeeze and is less likely to give you toothache! The spores that ripen in the tubes drop out of these pores and fall on to the ground or are dispersed by the wind.

Fecund and Fitful

Like the cavernous crater of a mini-volcano, the top of this Common Puffball has burst open, revealing a mass of fertile, olive-coloured spores. Produced in the upper body of the fungus, these spores are released through a vent which develops at the top. The fruitbody relies on rainfall to generate this. When raindrops hit the top of the fungus, spores puff out of the opening, like ash and dust spewing from a volcano, albeit massively reduced in size!

The Mull Magic Mantra : Acknowledge, Appreciate, Respect and Enjoy

2011-09-18T19:23:00.006+01:00

(Admittedly, it isn’t always that easy!!!)

Putrefaction Guaranteed

As one fly once said to another, “I’m a Bluebottle, what’s that you’re reading?” In typical Spike Milligan fashion, back came the reply : “A fly paper”. Cringe all you like, but it may be the only funny thing there is to know about these blow flies. Although they may also be found enjoying more acceptable insect past-times, such as sourcing nectar and pollen from a variety of wild flowers, Bluebottles have a distinct penchant for dead and putrefying tissue and, as such, are unwelcome visitors to most households – 09/09/11

Sloth and Slimy

Of nearly 30 different species found in Britain, the large Black Slug is the most likely to be encountered on the Isle of Mull. A garden pest of decorative flower beds and cultivated vegetables, we conveniently overlook the vital job that these ‘naked snails’ undertake in keeping our environment detritus free. As enthusiastic recyclers of garden waste and animal excrement, we should give our thanks the next time we pass a slug on the path. If it were not for the army of slugs in the countryside, we may well be up to our knees in… Yeuch! – 20/08/11

Ambivalence and Astringency

Apart from Bracken, few plants have caused such mixed emotions among farmers on the island than the Common Ragwort. Love or loathe, it is a flower of great beauty and charm, and a plant whose juice has long been used to help relieve sore throats and to take the inflammation out of insect bites. It is, however, a great enemy of horse owners and other grazing animals, who will contract an insidious and irreversible cirrhosis of the liver should they eat it. It is probably best that they do not! – 27/08/11

Aesthetic and Arresting

The Isle of Mull’s humid climate is ideal for fungi, whose fruiting bodies are currently sprouting up all over the island. From a purely aesthetic point of view, fungi are quite wonderful organisms, presenting in all manner of colours, shapes, textures, tastes and smells. This Oyster Mushroom is one of very many edible fungi that can be found in woodlands throughout Mull. The gills on the underside of this individual fungus made for an arresting subject for the Mull Magic Macro lens – 09/09/11

Scrawls and Squiggles

Like a human fingerprint, the markings on these Oystercatcher eggs are unique to the bird that laid them. Not only that, but no two eggs possess the same blotches, scrawls and squiggles. These eggs had been laid in a simple scrape, a depression in the stones of the upper shore, above the high tide mark on a local sea loch. This scrape is often decorated with the cast shells that litter many of Mull’s shores. The egg colour provides marvellous camouflage and protection for a clutch that can be left drastically exposed to the elements and predation if the incubating bird is disturbed – 04/05/11

The Magic of Mull: New Beginnings

2011-09-13T19:10:00.008+01:00

Pages from the Mull Magic notebook

Biophilia : the innately emotional affiliation of human beings to other living organisms. A love of nature.

Voracious yet Benign

Looking like something that has escaped from the set of the latest Dr Who regeneration, the Golden-Ringed Dragonfly possesses marvellous visual acuity. Despite its ferocious look, it doesn’t have a sting and is harmless to humans. Its huge, multi-faceted compound eyes are made up of thousands of tiny lenses, allowing this insect to see above, below and side to side at the same time. It really is a creature that could be said to have eyes in the back of its head! – 31/08/11

Wizened and Resilient

Like a wizened sun bereft of all its energy, this Dandelion clock face has done its job, casting its burden of seeds to the wind. The Dandelion clocks of childhood are reminders of this incredible plants resilience. Relatively few of the millions of seeds scattered are destined to germinate and develop, but some will have travelled great distances in the air before falling to ground. Dandelion seeds, carried on hair-like parachutes, may relocate tens, if not hundreds, of kilometres from their parent plant – 18/05/11

Delicious if Alarming

The salmon pink gills of the edible False Saffron Milkcap live up to the name of that great migratory fish. Resembling flakes of smoked fish, this attractive toadstool is one of the most colourful fungi to be found in woodlands on the Isle of Mull. Apparently very tasty to eat, this species has the rather alarming, if harmless, side effect of turning the urine red. Not one for worriers then! – 10/09/11

Stunted and Contorted

This view across the serene coastal waters of Loch Spelve to the Central Highlands of Mull, with Ben Talaidh (left) and Sgurr Dearg (Red Rocky Ridge) (right) in the distance. The awe-inspiring landscapes of the island today have undergone cataclysmic changes over the past 60 million years, having been fired and forged by the intense heat of volcanoes, then moulded and sculpted by the immense grinding power of glaciers. What is left is a young island, full of vitality and character – 04/05/11

Obsessive and Unrelenting

These are words that best describe us, rather than the subject of this photograph, such has been the Mull Magic quest to see Ptarmigan on the island. Our search for the previously labelled ‘Mythical White Grouse’ came to an inevitable conclusion, when we stumbled across three juvenile birds near the summit of Ben Buie in early August. With an interest in birds spanning four decades and surrounded by eagles on a daily basis, the thrill of finally catching up with these ‘living stones’ was simply indescribable. With flag rooted at the summit cairn, champagne cork popped and celebratory hugs and kisses complete, we descended the hill with smiles on our faces and a weight off our shoulders! – 05/08/11

A Spaceman Came Travelling…

2011-04-10T20:18:00.006+01:00

As we grow older and take an occasional retrospective glance over our shoulders, we often recall the games that we played as children. Spotting shapes, of animals or famous people, in the clouds of a Summer’s day is something that we’ve all done from time to time. Dancing cats or Elvis Presley looking down upon you may take a certain amount of imagining, yet the clouds that hung (apparently motionless) over Tobermory Bay recently had only just arrived from another universe…hadn’t they? Altocumulus lenticularis are flying saucer-shaped clouds that regularly form when air cools as it is forced to rise over a mountain. Regardless of their relative frequency or where they’ve come from, these are one of the most dramatic species of cloud to occur in the skies over the Isle of Mull.

With their bottle-green heads and exotically ornate tail feathering, cock Pheasants are currently busy strutting their stuff in the hope of catching the attention of any passing females. Most common in the north of the island, Pheasants are frequently encountered by many on Mull, but largely overlooked by most. Not regarded as the most intelligent of birds, having more beauty than brains, Pheasants often end up as road kill on the island, providing takeaway for Hooded Crows and Buzzards. However, such a close encounter may do little for the good looks of either bird or vehicle, as it has been estimated that hitting a Pheasant at 35 mph is akin to having a brick thrown through your car’s windscreen. Ouch!

As a precursor of those shady days of Summer, when sunlight struggles to filter its way through the canopy of Mull’s mighty Oaks, local woodlands have exploded into life under an April carpet of Lesser Celandines, Wood Sorrel and Wood Anemones (below). Long regarded as a relic of ancient woodland cover, the juice of this plant was formerly used to dye Easter Eggs for children. It is interesting that other authors depict every part of this rhizomatous perennial as being poisonous. Here, at Mull Magic, we prefer to err on the side of caution and stick to the big name brands, like Cadbury’s and Rowntrees, when it comes to choosing our Easter munchies!

One of the earliest ‘Spring’ moths that we have come across during our recent walks in North Mull is the Twin-Spotted Quaker. As a noctuid, its pale tawny-coloured forewings are substantially longer than they are deep. The double black spots near the base of each forewing give rise to this moth’s common name, but, as if some throwback to the 1960’s, its attraction lies in its Beatles-esque mop- topped appearance. The only generation of this moth is on the wing during late March and April, when it takes full advantage of the early nectar of emerging Willow catkins.

The felted ‘pussy-willow’ catkins of some Willows get their name on account of an apparent resemblance to cats’ paws - the ‘cat’ in the photograph below is of an endemic seven-pawed variety! Willows are among the first trees to burst bud in Spring on the Isle of Mull, when their flowers are a welcome source of sugar for any insects awakening from their Winter slumbers. Early flowering Willows are extremely important ecologically, serving as a food plant for a large number of adult moths and their larvae. It is, however, unknown whether they are a source of attraction to the occupants of any interplanetary craft that hover in the skies over the Isle of Mull at this time of the year!

Enigmatic Nomads in an Alien World

2011-04-03T22:10:00.008+01:00

Very rarely does a Mull Magic walk encompass only one of the many wildlife-rich habitats that exist on the island. In fact, very rarely do we not incorporate a bit of everything that this magnificent island has to offer on our regular wanders. However, we tend not to like walking on forestry tracks for too long, especially during the Winter months, but now that Spring has poked it’s head above the parapet that’s a different story. The plantations at Ardmore on the North of the island are beginning to shake off the lethargy of a Winter nearly past, so it was time to reacquaint ourselves with the stunning views that this part of the island has to offer.

The Larch is Britain’s only deciduous conifer. That sounds like a contradiction in itself, yet this tree obviously has delusions about being a mighty oak! To say such is rather unkind, as the Larch is a very attractive and useful tree in its own right, often being used as a nurse tree for slower growing hardwood species. The green-striped, pink ‘Loganberry’ female flowers that adorn bare branches at present are a welcome reminder that Spring is just around the corner. However, these delicate flowers are susceptible to frost damage, something that trees in plantations on the Isle of Mull have had to get used to during the past few Winters.

A bountiful supply of their favourite Sitka Spruce seeds has ensured that a healthy breeding population of Crossbills has remained on the island this Winter. Local birds enjoyed a good season last year and it appears that birds are again nesting in all suitable plantations this time around. These chunky, enigmatic finches are instilled with a wanderlust that is dictated by the availability of conifer seeds. When the cone crop of spruce, larch and pine is good, these avian nomads are happy to reside all-year-round in Mull’s forestry plantations. However, should the seasonal availability of these food resources fail (as they will do from time to time), these denizens of the dark forest will be off on their travels once again.

Sitka Spruce is the conifer of choice in forestry operations on the Isle of Mull. A native of the West coast of North America, the exposed and wet conditions of hill ground on the island are very much to this tree’s liking. When allowed to grow as a decorative tree in a park landscape, the Sitka Spruce, with its prickly, glaucous-coloured needles (here pictured like a bunch of under-ripe bananas or courgettes!) makes a striking specimen. Much maligned as a foreign import, these alien plantations provide nest sites for the ‘Little and Large’ of the island’s birds, the tiny Goldcrest (9 cm) and the somewhat larger White-tailed Eagle (100 cm), as well as the specialist Crossbill.

On rocks along the Splash Zone (above the Upper Shore) of the Sound of Mull we came across a community of Anaptychia runcinata lichen growing among the usual grey and orange suspects. This olive-green-brown lichen is readily picked out on account of its colour and its appearance, which we liken to a mass of wriggling worms on a compost heap. Another organism that appears to lack the convention of a common English name, the analogy of worms in compost is one that is likely to stick. With our middle-aged memories beginning to falter, we need every assistance conceivable to sort out the myriad of birds and beasties that we share this precious island life with!

The All-New ‘Terror of Tobermory’

2011-03-30T20:46:00.009+01:00

A lean and mean killing machine is currently scaring the daylights out of every bird in Tobermory, having taken up temporary residence in a former church building on Main Street. In the shape of a pair of blood thirsty Peregrine Falcons, the Isle of Mull has a contender to rival the White-tailed Eagle for the title of the island’s predator-in-chief. If the island’s eagles are the Rolls-Royce among British birds, then the Peregrine’s strength, beauty and speed mark it out as something of a Ferrari.

The burden of celebrity weighs easily on the muscular shoulders of these majestic falcons, as Peregrines have been something of a cause celebre since their super-recovery from organo-chlorine pollution in the 1950’s and ’60’s. Threatened with extinction, this large and powerful raptor is, once again, widespread as a breeding species throughout much of Britain. However, despite huge areas of suitable habitat on Mull and with food availability not an issue, the Peregrine remains a rare local breeder on the island.

The town’s Feral Pigeons are not the most popular of the island’s rich assortment of birds, but they are very much to the liking of Mull’s Gruesome Twosome, who expend a lot of their energy in hot pursuit of these tasty Tobermory takeaways. Feral Pigeons are prolific breeders and already they will have young squabs in dusty recesses of the former Free Church, thus ensuring a continuing supply of future quarry for the town’s avian street fighters.

Birds as small as the tiny Goldcrest (9 cm/7 g), and as large as Mallard (62 cm/1500 g) make up the range of a Peregrine’s diet, although medium-sized birds, like pigeons, tend to be favoured. The Tobermory birds have even taken to harassing passing White-tailed Eagles! Primarily a diurnal hunter, fresh evidence has found that Peregrines are also adept at seeking out their prey under the light of Mull’s silvery moon, as highlighted on a recent BBC 'AutumnWatch' programme. One keen-eyed observer on the island witnessed one of these apex predators chasing bats at night and it seems that Peregrines will turn their hunting skills to plucking other nocturnal feeders, as well as migrating birds, as they overfly the island.

The Peregrine is regarded as the fastest moving bird on the planet, apparently capable of reaching anything up to 220 m.p.h. (depending on which author you believe!) during one of it’s death-defying stoops after prey. Special baffles on the bird’s nostrils allow Peregrines to breath when diving at such speed. We have a penchant on the Isle of Mull for anthropomorphising our wildlife, but, as far as we know, none of Tobermory’s pigeons are called Usain Bolt or, even, Allan Wells!

Angel of the Stones

2011-03-26T21:11:00.011Z

The numerous settings of Standing Stones on the Isle of Mull all share one thing in common, the unknown. Very little is known as to what they really represent and it is only speculation that suggests what they may or may not have signified. The island’s megaliths appear to be appointed in a NNW to SSE alignment that would suggest compatability with the movement of the sun and/or the stellar hemisphere and that they may have been a calendar for Mull’s prehistoric settlers.

Today, these Standing Stones are visited by many people, of shared religion or none, who are in awe of their creation. People show their respect to the stones in a variety of ways. The simple willingness to visit such places of the past is respect enough for most, but others are compelled to offer ‘gifts’ to the stones as a mark of personal appreciation. It is not unusual to see coins, locks of hair and food items placed on a convenient ledge or hollow in a stone. On our recent walking tours to Lochbuie, we were interested to find this metal angel resting in a cleft on one of the stones outlying the Stone Circle. We couldn’t help but ponder its significance. Was it left by a sympathiser of the pagan ways of the past or is it someone’s attempt to purge those beliefs by introducing Christianity to the stones?

The Isle of Mull’s population of Red Deer have been putting on a good show for our early season walkers. With hinds midway through their gestation period, late Winter is a difficult time for these animals, as they have to find sufficient nourishment to keep their condition and build for the arrival of their calves. Stags, too, are feeding avidly on any source of fresh greenery that is sprouting among the bare hill ground, in order to offset any reserves that have been lost during the Winter months. They will be dropping their old and worn antlers soon and will require the necessary energy to replace them with a view to the Autumn rut.

The unusually mild temperatures (around 12 degrees celsius) that the Isle of Mull has enjoyed in recent days has transported March into June on the island and resulted in a spurt of growing activity among plants, both in the garden and in the countryside. The semi-natural woodlands on Mull have sparked into life overnight and soon will be carpeted with the yellow stars of Lesser Celandine flowers. In some sheltered spots on the island, these floral harbingers of Spring have been in bloom since mid-February, but it is only now that the rest of the celandine community is beginning to shake off the lacklustre of Winter.

Seasonal fungi are in short supply during the Winter on the Isle of Mull. Not surprising, as the warm, humid conditions required for the development of these fruiting bodies have long gone and will not be returning any day soon. That said, we have been pleasantly surprised to find a few mycological gems on our travels around the island recently, whose colours have helped brighten up the gloomiest of days. The folded and flabby Yellow Brain fruits are gelantinous to the touch and turn orange and shrivelled when dry.

The Scarlet Elf Cap is another whose English name aptly describes it. A bit of an attention seeker, this fungus jumps out at you among the dead and decaying fallen wood, twigs and leaves that it inhabits, such is its rather startling colour.

Dipping Toes In A Spring Tide

2011-03-23T20:04:00.006Z

Water may cover approximately 70% of the surface of the Earth, yet it only accounts for around 15% of all the different species of birds, plants and animals found on the planet. Even then, only 2% of these creatures exist in the open ocean. The sea around the Isle of Mull’s 305 miles of coastline is particularly biodiverse, yet only a fraction of its wildlife is ever seen by the thousands of eco-tourists that visit the island every year. A recent walk that we enjoyed in North Mull coincided with the advent of the ‘Super Moon’, with its extra-high perigean tides, and helped bring Mull’s marine environment sharply in to focus.

Even during the calmest of days, the sea around the Isle of Mull is constantly moving, as the gravitational pull of the sun and moon acts upon the tidal range of the island. At the time of the ‘Super Moon’, this pull was enhanced, as the sun and moon aligned with each other to produce exceptionally high ‘Spring’ tides. Unfortunately, with a cloud coverage measuring the full eight oktas, the overcast conditions meant that, here in Tobermory, we weren’t able to enjoy the 14% larger and 30% brighter ‘Super Moon’ this time around and may have to wait another 18 years to do so!

The sea around Mull may appear quiet and devoid of much in the way of marine life at present, yet in a few short weeks the same body of water will support returning populations of seabirds, Minke Whales and Basking Sharks. The Isle of Mull’s oceanic environment is heating up, as indicated by changes that are being noted in the status and distribution of the island’s apex sea predators. The warming of the sea off the island has resulted in cold water plankton being replaced by the arrival of less nutritious micro-organisms, which are having any adverse effect on the small fish that seabirds and Minke Whales (baleen plates pictured below) rely on. Increasing numbers of Basking Sharks appear to be the main benefactors, as they follow these warm water plankton blooms in Spring and it may well be that these cartilaginous fish are becoming the new Minke Whales for boat trip operators on Mull.

The higher than usual tides have provided an added bonus for wildlife watchers on the island, pushing shorebirds much closer to roads that fringe many of the island’s sea lochs. Views of several waders that have only recently returned to Mull at the onset of another breeding season have been quite exceptional. Displaying Lapwings have been particularly demonstrative as they tumbled through the air, forever accompanying their aerial contortions with the sound of their wheezy, plaintive voices. To many simply a black and white bird, the light refracted on the upperparts of this female shows the true (and beautiful) iridescent purple and green sheen of their plumage to wonderful effect.

The smell of seaweed cast up on the shores of Mull’s coast is something that is taken for granted today by those that live their everyday lives by the sea. In the past, seaweed played a vital role in the domestic economy of the island, providing food for humans, fodder for cattle and sheep and ‘green’ manure for crops. Some were eaten raw or cooked in stews, soups and puddings and the ash extracted from burnt seaweed formed the basis of the kelp industry on the island during the 19th Century. Many marvel at the colours, textures and shapes of the many varieties of seaweed that the tide throws on to Mull’s shores on a twice-daily basis, yet few could possibly imagine the hardship and suffering that the gathering of algae caused to the island’s earlier residents when the once prosperous kelp industry collapsed.

Every Picture Tells A Story

2011-03-15T23:22:00.007Z

Glen Cannel and Glen Clachaig meet as neighbours at the head of Loch Ba, near the very heart of a landscape that has been moulded over the millennia in to what we now lovingly call home: the Isle of Mull. Once fertile straths, where communities of up to 800 souls lived and worked the land, the greed of 19th Century landowners cleansed these parts in favour of sheep. Today, all that remains of the lives once lived among this dark and brooding landscape are memories. As we walk among the hills, faces from the past etch themselves in the crags and the mournful bubbling of the Curlew carries the voices of those betrayed to the ears of a new day.

The Isle of Mull’s ‘Singing Shepherd’, Iain Thomson, has written a song about the effect of the Clearances on the population of Glen Cannel folk. It appears on his album ‘Fields of Dreams’ and serves as yet another poignant reminder of the island’s less glorious past. In fields adjacent to the Cannel River, crops of hay would have been grown and it is said that the workers used to inscribe their names on the bark of a Holly tree that still grows there. Like the Rowan and Elder, which were planted alongside crofts and homesteads, the Holly has been bestowed with magical properties and considered protective against evil.

Being an evergreen gave this prickly species even greater supernatural powers. It was considered something special to be able to withstand the onslaught of a Scottish Winter when all other trees had shed their leaves and gone into temporary hibernation. The trunk of this Holly tree, growing in the petrified woodland that flanks the shore of Loch Ba, reminded us of an aerial view of a crater, perhaps similar to that of a volcano. We thought this somewhat apposite seeing that Beinn Chaisgidle, site of the now collapsed Mull Volcano, overlooks the ruined settlement in Glen Cannel.

There were no names of folk, past or present, carved on the bark of this tree, but closer inspection revealed that Mother Nature had left her signature in the form of a colony of Common Script Lichen. This lichen is commonly encountered on smooth-barked trees, such as Rowan and Hazel, as well as Holly, on the Isle of Mull. Few lichens have a universally accepted English name, so it is possible for the same species to have more than one name in regular use. The scribbles of this distinctive organism are similar to the scrawls made by children, hence the vernacular name of Pencilmark Lichen, which we think describes it perfectly.

Common Toads have recently emerged from their Winter shutdown and are actively seeking suitable ponds in which to lay their long string of eggs (not clumps, like frogs). We were amazed to learn that Toads may live up to 12 years in the wild, somewhat miraculous when you consider the extreme distances these amphibians will travel to find the right breeding location. Of course, the handling of toads will not afflict you with the wart virus, although these creatures do secrete toxins which are poisonous to other animals. Special glands behind each ear and on their backs produce chemicals which serve as an irritant and deterrent to would-be predators. As if their lumpy, warty appearance wasn’t enough!

A Yesterday Of Long Ago

2011-03-10T20:08:00.007Z

There is an aura of spiritual belonging and a pervasive sense of history that hangs thick in the air on the Isle of Mull. There are places on the island that haunt the very fibre of mankind and send shivers of the unknown down the length of your spine. Loch Ba, located in a glacial trench in the centre of the island and Mull’s second largest freshwater body, is one such place: a state of petrified stillness which evokes those arcane déjà vu moments of rekindled thoughts that you’ve been there before, even when you haven’t.

The Oak woodlands that tattoo the northern shore of the loch are eerily decrepit, having been wizened and worn out by the winds of time and the poor quality of soil in which they are rooted. These stands of dead and decaying timber, however, possess a certain beauty of their own, a sort of arboreal architecture. Each tree is unique, their contorted and displaced branches twisting back upon themselves, like an old man bent and struggling against the wind. Ghost-like of character, the bare bones of these once proud trees remain to haunt a hillside that has been privy to turbulent changes in a yesterday of long ago.

Dead branches litter the woodland floor like the cast antlers of the Red Deer that roam this aboriginal landscape. Bark lies strewn on the grass, a reminder of the life that once flowed in these corky skeletons. The tough, outer layer of a tree’s ‘skin’ is made up of dead cells, which form a protective barrier against the worst of weather and attack from fungi and animals keen to exploit it’s sugar-rich sap. The multiple inner layers of bark are where the tree’s engine room is, pumping essential water, sugars and minerals from the roots to the leaves during the growing season.

As remote and desolate as it seems today, the Loch Ba trench of river, mountain and moor was previously a site of much igneous creation and destruction, dating back to the time of the Mull Volcano 60 million years ago. Weather and the impact of glacial erosion have cut the island’s massif down to a more manageable size for today’s hillwalkers! It is a hostile environment, where only the fittest survive from one year to the next. Like Red Deer, domestic breeds of sheep, like Scottish Blackface, and Highland Cattle are among the hardiest of animals and capable of seeing out the worst of the Isle of Mull’s climate. However, the Winter months take their toll on the sick and injured, whose carcasses often provide food for the island’s scavenging White-tailed and Golden Eagles, Buzzards, Ravens and Hooded Crows.

March is a time when Spring often pops it’s head around the corner to say ‘hello’, here on the Isle of Mull. Our capricious weather usually means that it soon retracts it’s head fairly quickly, however! The waterlogged ditches and puddles that threatened to wet our feet on our walk were suddenly brim full of activity, as Common Frogs came out of their Winter hibernation to seek traditional wetlands in which to lay their masses of gelatinous spawn. The jelly both protects and keeps warm the developing embryo until the tadpoles emerge to run the gauntlet of Spring drought and bird’s beaks. That some do survive to continue this perennial saga is a miracle in itself!

The Haunted Look of Desolation

2011-03-02T21:32:00.007Z

The landscapes of the Isle of Mull conceal the happiness and despair of passing time. This is nowhere more apparent nor the feelings more palpable than in the many hill glens on the island that were once home to hundreds of people prior to ‘The Clearances’ of the early nineteenth century. These everyday folk of Mull were often thrown to the wolves of society in favour of a new-found fortune with a black face: sheep. Our recent walk to the head of Loch Ba and the little-known graveyard near Gortenbuie, set in the foothills of Glen Cannel, proved to be a hauntingly emotive experience. An experience where the eyes of the past follow one's every tread on the sodden ground and the voice of despair cries out from the ruins of a landscape, 200 years on, that has, ironically, been cleansed of sheep.

Glen Cannel is a quiet and rather forbidding place in Winter, devoid of the stirring sight and sound of a variety of breeding waders that make their home there in the Spring. The early signs that Winter may be relinquishing its grip on the Isle of Mull can be seen when the first of these birds return to the upland glens during late February. The marshes at the head of Loch Ba are particularly favourable for Curlews, Lapwings and Oystercatchers, the vanguard of which had already arrived in prospect of another nesting season. The Oystercatcher is a noisy and argumentative character, which is afforded iconic status among a few discerning birdwatchers. It is, after all, the emblem of the Isle of Mull Bird Club, an organisation that celebrates its 10th anniversary later this year.

The steep-sided mountains that surround the Loch Ba trench are flanked by ancient woodlands of Downy Birch and Hazel that have survived generations of wind blast, which has resulted in their characteristic appearance and often stunted shape and form. These trees are host to a myriad of mosses, lichens and fungi. Indeed, the lichen communities present in these woodlands are of particular importance. Being an island, Mull is afforded the benefit of a cool, maritime climate. The pure air and humid conditions provide the ideal conditions for a number of important lichens to thrive. Very few fungi, however, are noticeable at this time of year, but the Many-Zoned Polypore is a type of bracket fungi that may be seen all-year-round. The concentric rings of colour make them an attractive subject to photograph on a fallen or decayed log.

It is hard to imagine the sodden former sheep pasture, marshland and moorland fringe to be anything other than the waterlogged environment that it represents for much of the year today. However, the soil around the Glencannel river previously yielded good crops and it is estimated that as many as 800 people worked the land and resided in settlements along Glen Cannel and adjacent Glen Forsa prior to the de-populating Clearances. The time of more recent inhabitants at Gortenbuie has also come and gone, depicting the hardship of life that must have been prevalent. The glen has now been left for the Golden and White-tailed Sea Eagles to roam and to govern.

Our main purpose was to ford the fast-flowing Glencannel river and access the ancient burial ground that lies within striking distance of Ben Talaidh, the island’s third highest mountain. The site of a former chapel, the graveyard contains five uninscribed and largely displaced slabs of unknown date that, along with the ruinous buildings, offer a solemn glimpse of a once healthy community that formerly lived there. The walls of the sheep fank and an assortment of trees helped disguise the wrong-doings of a landlord bitten by the greed of human failing. On a grey Winter’s day, Loch Ba can be an austere and desolate place to be. At other times, it is this haunting desolation that colours a perceived sense of injustice, born of an eerie silence and carried forward on the mists of time.

(Merry) Dances with the Winds

2011-02-28T20:18:00.011Z

Like his illustrious predecessor, Jean Sibelius, contemporary Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara (b.1928) draws inspiration for his work from the natural world. His Flute Concerto, for instance, is subtitled ‘Dances with the Winds’ and that is precisely what we felt we were doing when we braved the gusto of Mother Nature’s lungs during a recent ascent of Beinn a’ Ghraig (the croaking mountain) in Mull’s Central Highlands. The ‘croaking’ aspect of this mountain’s Gaelic name is interesting and we wonder if it, indeed, refers to the vocal rattling of that most mythical of the Isle of Mull’s birdlife, the Ptarmigan. Having had a tip-off that a pair of these White Grouse had been seen recently on the summit of this mini-mountain, the Mull Magic obsession with these incredible birds kicked in…

Beinn a’ Ghraig at a mere 591 metres (1938 ft) may fall some way short of its more lofty and renowned neighbour, Ben More (966 m or 3,169 ft), yet it represents a steep ascent from its base at the mouth of the Scarisdale River. However, the slog over boulder and heather was worth every aching limb and sinew, as we mounted the scree-screwn plateau that lies below the summit. This was another world and one that we couldn’t have imagined as we looked up at the mountain from 1,800 feet below when we parked the Mull Magic (Auto)Mobile on the southern shore of Loch na Keal. The hill mist that rolled around us may have reduced visibility to almost dangerous levels at times, yet we were enraptured to know that we were the only people in the world (out of a near 8 billion) to be doing what we were doing: dipping out in our search for Mull’s elusive White Grouse!

Beinn a’ Ghraig represents a wonderful microcosm of subalpine life and besides being perfect habitat for Ptarmigan (at least from a human’s perspective)! the boulders and scree make tremendous natural containers for Mother Nature’s rock garden, full of the architecture, colours and textures of various mosses and lichens. The forked, grey-white ‘antlers’ of Cladonia uncialis (above) poked their branches through the moss and soil-filled hollows were populated by the upright stems of Fir Clubmoss, whose yellow-green stems contrasted with the cobalt staining lichens that encrusted the parent rocks. We would challenge even the most creatively verbose to adequately describe the beauty and wildness that we experienced. It is that indescribable quality that will lure us back up this mountain, time and time again!

Living in close association with fungi present in the soil, clubmosses represent an ancient group of plants that, along with mosses and lichens, are among the oldest organisms known to mankind. The crimson leaves of Sphagnum capillifolium made an eye-catching display, nestling as they did below the dormant sprigs of heather as we made our way down off the hill. The mountain landscape of the Isle of Mull is a primeval environment that represents a timeline linking the past with the present. With the imminent threat of global warming, it is to these mountains that conservationists, scientists and naturalists will look to in order to assess the likely impact of climate change. The plants and animals of the mountain are highly specialised and will act as natural barometers to the changes that will, inevitably, take place in the future.

We may have missed out on an opportunity to finally catch up with the island’s isolated population of Ptarmigan, but the faecal evidence of their whereabouts was to be found in latrines that littered the summit. Living on a dry diet of plant seeds and stems, Ptarmigan have to try to conserve as much water in their bodies as possible. Consequently, they produce equally dry, fibrous stools and recycle around 80% of their water intake. This is just another way which these montane birds have evolved to be able to survive in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth.

Finding Ptarmigan on the Isle of Mull could best be described as the ornithological equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. Regardless of the enormity of the task we have set ourselves, we are very much up to the challenge of our obsession and would be only too happy to continue to be led a merry dance before setting eyes on these marvellous birds. It feels like we already have! Each of Mull’s mountains has an individuality of character of its own. The exhilaration and freedom that comes with the invitation to explore this uniqueness is something Mull Magic could never forget or grow tired of, regardless of whether we ever see a Ptarmigan!

Gems In A Gold-Encrusted Crown

2011-02-24T22:46:00.000Z

Our most recent Mull Magic Wildlife Walks have taken us to remote Loch Buie, the beautiful and fertile ‘Garden of Mull’, which separates the Ross of Mull from the island’s mountainous interior. Located on the South-easterly fringe of the island, Loch Buie may only be eight road miles from the main Craignure to Fionnphort highway, yet it retains a palpable aura of seclusion and detachment. This out-of-the-way feeling is further exemplified by the approachable nature of it’s wildlife and the fact that the hamlet of Lochbuie is home to the Isle of Mull’s only Standing Stone Circle. Set against the stunning backdrop of Ben Buie and the rhododendrons of the local estate, this long-standing relic of megalithic culture may have met the religious needs of local Bronze Age inhabitants, as well as providing them with a social calendar, calibrated by the seasonal movements of the sun, moon and stars.

This ‘Cult of the Dead’ that specialised in the erection of stone monuments probably had its source in the Middle East and North Africa, where another of Lochbuie’s attractions, the Fallow Deer originated from. One of only two herds of this charming small deer to be found on the island, we were fortunate to locate a small party hiding in the vegetation in a field adjacent to the Standing Stones. Unlike the more abundant Red Deer on the island, these cute, Disney-like characters vary widely in colour. Most are of the white-spotted variety, although both creamy-white and dark brown forms are encountered on the Isle of Mull. The latter type likes to court confusion as a small Red Deer, save for the tell-tale black stripe that runs down the centre of it’s tail.

The isolation of Mull’s South-eastern corner makes it an ideal venue in which to search for some of the island’s most sought after wildlife. With around 120 individuals in residency around the Isle of Mull’s coastline, the Otter is a regular feature in the day of the island’s wildlife spotters. Having not fallen victim to the persecution and pollution that drove their mainland counterparts to the verge of extinction, the Isle of Mull boasts a quite exceptional population of Otters. Away from the relative hussle and hassle of the main road artery on Mull, the peace and tranquillity of life at Lochbuie seems to suit this adorable animal to perfection. Our patience has been rewarded recently with some of the best- ever encounters that Mull Magic has had with these marvellous mammals, as they hunted among the shoreline seaweed in search of small fish and crabs.

One of the most common sights around the Mull coast in Winter is the imposing frame of Great Northern Divers. These large waterfowl arrive in Autumn from their breeding haunts in Greenland and Iceland and immediately set about patrolling the island’s many sea lochs like a protective battleship. Loch Buie is always a good spot to look for these bulky, bull-necked birds and we were able to observe several indulging in a bit of snorkeling. Their bulbous foreheads immersed in the surface water of the loch, these birds were on the lookout for any unsuspecting fish or crabs that had, no doubt, previously escaped the attentions of the local Otters!

Lochbuie is steeped in history and we always try to make a point of calling in to one of the area’s greatest treasures, a small Episcopal church built in 1876 and consecrated to St Kilda. The building may not look like anything special from the outside and we are sure that many visitors miss out on its charm on their way to 15th Century Moy Castle, which continues to disappoint with its (necessary) mask of scaffolding. Juxtaposed with its near neighbour, the Lochbuie Stone Circle, the Chancel in the Church of St Kilda houses a wonderfully impressive Crucifix, carved by Joseph Mayer, who played the role of the Saviour in the Oberammergau passion play. When it’s creator died on the 1st December 1903, the late Murdoch Maclaine of Lochbuie purchased the Crucifix and had it housed in its present position. Regardless of your religion or none, this little church, with its colourful stained glass depictions of Saints, is but another gem in the already gold-encrusted crown of this ‘far-away’ part of our island home.

The Colour of Cold (A Blog Without Words)

2011-02-21T23:55:00.009Z

The German composer of the 19th Century, Felix Mendelssohn, toured Scotland in 1829, where suitably inspired by Fingal’s Cave during a visit to the Isle of Staffa he famously wrote his ‘Hebrides Overture’. Mendelssohn’s time on the island continues to be celebrated in the 21st Century with the annual ‘Mendelssohn on Mull’ music festival.

Around the time that Mendelssohn was in Scotland, he commenced work on his eight books of Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words) for piano. Inspired by the colour of cold, engrained in the recent frosted Winter landscapes of the island, I thought to compose my very own ‘Blog Without Words’, hoping that these images of snow and frost would speak for themselves!

Ugg Boots and Crampons!

2011-02-08T19:37:00.008Z

Fragmented and isolated on the very fringe of their breeding range in Scotland, the few pairs of Ptarmigan that are suspected to prevail on the highest tops of the Isle of Mull really are very special in nature. Unlikely to be encountered below 2,000 feet, it is only the hardiest birdwatcher and earnest hillwalker that are likely to catch a glimpse of one of the island’s population of White Grouse. As a consequence of their remoteness to the average birdwatcher, Ptarmigan are rarely seen and those that are (by hillwalkers) are not necessarily reported. Not everyone who ascends the summits of Mull’s hills are birdwatchers and, even then, not every birdwatcher is aware of the significance a sighting of a Ptarmigan on the island may hold.

There are an estimated 10,000 pairs of these Mountain Grouse scattered among the high peaks and summits of Scottish mountains, with the greatest density being in the Cairngorms. Small numbers cling on in the Inner Hebrides (on Skye and Mull) and, perhaps, still on the Isle of Arran. These island communities are, indeed, out on a limb and, with the species’ well-documented cyclic fluctuations, could be in imminent risk of local extinction. Indeed, Ornithologists in the late 19th Century predicted that Ptarmigan on the Isle of Mull would soon be a thing of the past. However, these are not Britain’s hardiest birds for nothing and a small population has successfully managed to maintain a toe-hold on the island for the past 100 years.

At Mull Magic, Ptarmigan have become a bit of an obsession and we would very much like to get to grips with Mull’s population. Whenever we can, we like nothing better than to head to the hills, in the hope that we may encounter what we often lovingly refer to as Mull’s Mythical White Grouse. We know that they are out there and just waiting to be seen! If anybody reading this blog has seen Ptarmigan on the island, we would be delighted to hear from you. That way, we will greatly increase our chances of catching up with Mull’s birds before, as climate change insists, they do become a part of the island’s natural HISTORY! That’s if the expanding number of local White-tailed Eagles don’t get them first. Normally thought of as potential prey for Golden Eagles, it seems that the Isle of Mull’s White-tailed Eagles are also partial to Ptarmigan for tea and are getting in on the act!

We find Ptarmigan (with a silent ‘P’) to be absolutely fascinating, if normally shy and secretive birds. For this, they rely heavily on their cryptically camouflaged plumage, which the birds moult seasonally to blend in with the changes in their Arctic-Alpine hill top environment. As the landscape of the mountain changes, so does the birds’ colour! The grey plumage of this Spring male (below) is splashed with white feathering, which will allow it to merge almost seamlessly in to a background of lichen-stained boulders and patches of unmelted snow. Late snowfall is not usually a problem on the Isle of Mull, so it would be interesting to note whether the island’s Ptarmigan population have an earlier moult sequence compared to those birds that are resident on higher mainland hills.

Living all-year-round in what can be an extremely cold and hostile environment, Ptarmigan have evolved several adaptations in order to cope with life on top of Scotland’s highest mountains. Like the comical Puffin, that lives out it's life at or close to sea level, the montane Ptarmigan sheds it's beak seasonally. Whereas the Puffin’s elaborate adornment is used for courtship purposes, perhaps the grouse does so in order to take advantage of seasonally available food. As well as having a densely-packed layer of insulating feathers, which protects their bodies from the harsh reality of inclement weather , these Mountain Grouse also have feathered feet and toes. These avian snowshoes, not only keep the bird’s toes warm, but also allow them to walk more steadily on the snow and ice. If you can imagine a pair of sheep’s wool-lined Ugg boots crossed with a set of crampons then we think you’ll get the idea!

The Exhilaration of Standing Still

2011-02-03T19:02:00.006Z

There are very few people who won’t be familiar with the saying that ‘time and tide wait for no-one’ or the fact that time never stands still. However, that’s just what we attempted to make happen during our recent walk to the Bronze Age setting of standing stones at Baliscate, on the outskirts of Tobermory. The two upright and one recumbent stones have dominated their surroundings for (perhaps) thousands of years and their watchful gaze has encountered a whole lot of local history down through the ages. Most notable has been the coming of Christianity to a previously pagan land, with the arrival of the Irish missionary monk, St Columba, to the shores of the Isle of Mull and Iona in the 6th Century A.D.

Aided by the detective work of two members of the Mull Archaeological and Historical Society, Channel 4’s ‘Time Team’ has recently unearthed a chapel and the human remains of a ‘Tobermory Saint’ in nearby woodland, dating back to the time of St Columba, some 1,400 years ago. As we paused a while to review the astro-archaeological significance of these Mull megaliths, we were made acutely aware of our place in the island’s history of time and space. From the ancient settlement of Baliscate, where an earlier community had raised these great hulks of rock, we now overlooked colourful and picturesque Tobermory, a mere infant in history’s eyes at a little over 200 years old. The Isle of Mull continues to evolve and new houses, both private and rented, are being erected that will change the island’s landscape further. Today, the Baliscate Stones provided us with a very instructive lesson on Mull’s social history: past, present and future!

The air around the Stones, during the warmer days of Summer, can be filled with the delicate aroma of coconut, as the breeze blows the scent from nearby gorse bushes. Not so on the chill days of Winter, however, and we had to make do with what our memories reminded us of the smell on this occasion! The cold of a Mull Winter soon dispelled any thoughts of Malibu drinks and Caribbean beaches, but we were pleased to note that our local gorse bushes were still in flower. It is an old adage that is not exclusive to the Isle of Mull or, indeed, Scotland, that whenever the gorse is not in flower, kissing will be out of fashion. Needless to say, we are a passionate lot on Mull and the romance of kissing will never die (gorse being in bloom or not!)

Primitive ‘plants’, like lichens, are all-too-often overlooked and thought of as unimportant in the great scheme of human life and existence. Few give their colour, shape and texture a second glance or thought, which is a shame because they bring a fascinating natural art to our everyday lives. It is not necessary or important to have to attach a name to something for it to convey its beauty. Being an island, off the West coast of Scotland, bestows an importance on the Isle of Mull as far as lichens are concerned. Mull’s pure, damp air is home to several species that thrive in the island’s oceanic climate. To acknowledge the existence of lichens, like those that have been growing for centuries on the Baliscate Stones is the first step in appreciating the role they play in the bigger picture. Those initial steps may not lead you to become a lichenologist, but they will ensure that you have a better understanding of the overall biodiversity that is life on Mull. Some people get a buzz out of driving fast cars, but at Mull Magic we find that simply standing still can be quite exhilarating!

If You Go Down To The Woods Today…

2011-01-31T20:27:00.007Z

With the prospect of an imminently approaching band of inclement weather, we thought to try and make the best of the quietness of last week while we could. With outside temperatures barely rising above freezing point, it was going to be a walk that was laden with binoculars and camera, woolly hat and gloves, as well as the obligatory several layers to ward off the cold. We were headed for a small hazel wood that flanks the North-West coast of Mull and, as we set out, we took time to marvel at the beauty of the sky - a mixture of ragged Cumulus fractus and ‘fair weather’ Cumulus humilis clouds, with the wisps of icy Cirrus uncinus at the highest altitudes, whose ‘Mare’s Tails’ perhaps foretold of the worsening weather that was forecast.

Clouds are the ephemeral poetry of Mother Nature, constantly forming, changing and dissipating in front of our eyes and we couldn’t help but wonder as to what skies welcomed the arrival of the first hunter/gatherer/fisher people to the Isle of Mull after the retreat of the last Ice Age (ca. 8,000 years ago). One of the pioneering trees that colonised Mull at this time would have been the Hazel and small remnant woodlands of this most useful small tree cling on in patches throughout the island today.

The New Year sees the previously coppiced stools stir in an effort to shake off Winter’s enforced dormancy. Already buds were beginning to show signs of bursting with fresh life and the lamb’s tail catkins of male flowers were revealing the promise of next month, when they will open up and hang in profusion. The Hazel is an optimistic Spring marker on the Isle of Mull, its glorious tassles a reassurance that the flowers of Primrose, Lesser Celandine and Wood Sorrel won’t be far behind. It remains to be seen what effect yet another cold, hard Winter will have on the arrival dates of our Spring flowers this time round.

Much of the island may have been covered in pioneer trees, like Birch and Hazel, during Mesolithic times and the earliest of immigrants to Mull would have made use of this abundant resource, for shelter, tools and food. However, it was when subsequent generations of these nomadic people decided to settle on the island during Neolithic times (ca. 5,000 years ago) that the woodlands were cleared to make way for farming communities. These ‘clearances’ enabled a template to be forged for a prehistoric way of life that has been developed down through the ages, yet is still practiced today, albeit in a more modern fashion!

Today, our Hazel woodlands remain as eyes to Mull’s past, while providing food and shelter for the island’s wonderful wildlife. With few Wood Pigeons and no squirrels residing on Mull, it is left to the mice and Pheasants to gorge themselves on Autumn’s crop of Hazel nuts and for locally bred and migrant Woodcock to hide themselves away in the leaf litter. Crepuscular by nature, these cryptic woodland waders have been having a hard time of it lately, as they try to find earthworms in the frozen ground. A recent fresh snowfall brought one bird along a well-walked path on North Mull in its search for food, where it met up with another of the island’s hungry residents… Bigfoot!

Unknown Islands in the Western Sea

2011-01-24T10:23:00.008Z

Aligned North-west to South-east and separating the picturesque setting of Tobermory Bay from the Sound of Mull, it appears that little is known of Calve Island. The protector of the capital of the Isle of Mull it may be, yet it appears so undistinguished as to not merit even the slightest mention in the previously definitive David & Charles’ ‘Mull and Iona’ book by P.A. MacNab!

Uninhabited, except for a rather impressive Summer dwelling house, Calve Island is probably better known to philatelists than most of the residents of the Isle of Mull. In 1984, the Royal Mail issued a postage stamp featuring a Bassett Hound and bearing the legend ‘Calve Island, Tobermory’. Its 17p cost at the time made it legal to carry mail anywhere in Great Britain, although this one of a series of quirky island stamps was not recognised outwith these shores.

Mull Magic has never set foot on Calve Island, let alone walk around its perimeter, exploring its bays and rocky shoreline. That we would love to do so goes without saying. Until then, we have to be content with a virtual walk, where our imaginations are fired by the many photographic opportunities that this small island gives us as we go about our daily lives in Tobermory.

Last year (2010) will be remembered as the first time that the fertile island of Inch Kenneth, lying at the entrance to Loch na Keal, on the West coast of Mull, flung open its doors to the public. Mull Magic has long been fascinated by the history of this 1 mile long by ½ mile wide piece of land that is dominated by a somewhat incongruous 19th Century mansion house, which once belonged to the infamous and aristocratic Mitford family.

Said to be second only in importance, ecclesiastically, to Iona, the island boasts a very different geology compared to the rest of Mull. Older sedimentary rocks produce a sandy soil, which was capable of providing good crops and brought the island recognition as a granary for the monks living on the Holy Isle. During the boom years of the kelp industry in the 18th Century, when the harvesting of seaweed and tangle brought prosperity to some, but only hardship to others, Inch Kenneth was at the centre of operations on Mull. Today, the lush grasslands are home to orchids in Spring and an overwintering flock of migrant Barnacle Geese during the Winter months.

Having had to wait 20 years before managing to set foot on this verdant oasis at the foot of the dark and brooding cliffs of The Gribun, we hope to get a further chance to explore treasures that have been too long hidden away from public gaze. Although Mull is not renowned for living life in the fast lane, Inch Kenneth represents yet another world of solitude and great tranquility, where the peaceful idyll is punctuated only by the calls of nesting shorebirds, the bleating of sheep and the gentle lapping of waves on to the shore. At Mull Magic, we continue to dream about what six numbers on a Saturday night could do for us…!

Forged by Fire, Sculpted by Ice

2011-01-14T23:24:00.007Z

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

2011-01-14T00:16:00.008Z

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

2011-01-12T10:16:00.007Z

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!)

2011-01-03T16:10:00.008Z

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

2010-12-29T17:37:00.010Z

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

2010-12-19T21:12:00.006Z

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

2010-12-14T19:38:00.008Z

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!

An Obliterated Odyssey

2010-08-03T10:29:00.007+01:00

Save for the warm air and lack of wind, it was nigh impossible to fathom which season of the year it was, let alone the correct month. The sea mist had rolled in and reduced our visibility down to 50 metres, obliterating the scenic splendour of Mull’s North-West coast, as well as any hope we had of fulfilling our guests ‘Eighteen Island Odyssey'.

The remote headlands on the North-West of the island comprise some of Mull Magic’s favourite walks, offering our visitors (on a clear day!) the opportunity to ‘visit’ no fewer than eighteen different Inner Hebridean islands, by dint of a 180 degree turn of their heads. However, on our most recent visit, we could barely see beyond the nose on our faces and had to draw on all our powers of descriptive vocabulary and fecund imagination to paint a picture of the breathtaking scenery that had been draped in a damp veil of greyness.

In the absence of more favoured blues and purples, grey is alright, so we set about making the most of a day (and a 7 mile walk!) that threatened to close in on us, prompting the need for our compasses to be near at hand. Due to the conditions, we realised that wildlife could be at a premium, so we were absolutely thrilled when a Grayling butterfly rose from some coastal rocks we were scrambling over. It soon re-settled, allowing our guests the chance to discover the incredible cryptic camouflage this insect has, allowing it to blend in perfectly with the lichen-stained rocks it inhabits.

The Grayling is one of our favourite butterflies, largely on account of its ‘drab’ and ‘lacklustre’ colouring. Unobtrusive by nature, the black, brown, grey and white markings of its hind wings help it not draw attention to itself. Just sometimes, however, we can’t help but think that this unassuming insect must have a darker side, perhaps like the Dunnock has among garden birds. Has anyone out there any gossip about Graylings that they’d care to share with us at Mull Magic?

Like a mini-version of the famous Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the United States, many of Mull’s headlands have their very own ‘faces’ that have been sculpted in the basalt cliffs. History lessons at school (admittedly, quit some time ago!) suggested that the Romans never made it as far North as the Isle of Mull. That said, we don’t think that we are stretching a point by suggesting that the following photograph captures the image of a Roman legionary, complete with helmet (and nose), to perfection!

2010-07-29T19:28:00.007+01:00

Situated a short way inland and on the highest point of an otherwise sleepy hollow in North Mull lies An Sean Dun, one of the best preserved fortifications of its kind on the island and the focus of several of our recent walks. Dating back over 2,000 years, the fort would have been an integral part of a local community that lived in the area and practised farming and stock rearing.

Occupying a ridge overlooking the entrance to the Sound of Mull, with the Cuillins of Rum in the distance, this almost circular enclosure is easily overlooked, but provided us with wonderful views and immense satisfaction, once we had scrambled up its gentle, bracken-infested slopes. On account of its position, this is a structure that is best viewed from the air and, consequently, our photographs, including this one showing the eastern entrance to the dun, don’t do it justice.

Some superb aerial photographs of this site can be accessed by clicking on the following link http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/22079/details/an+sean+dun+mull/

The nearby ruined settlement at Baliacrach was more recently occupied and remains to tell a very different story in relation to the area’s rich and, sometimes, chequered past. The entrance to one of the houses has some very attractive ‘graffiti’ etched on to one of the stones that make up the door frame. The outline of a sailing ship can be clearly seen on the yellow and grey lichen-stained rock and represents a fascinating and intricate piece of artistry from a forgotten time.

It's over 150 years since the first Mole appeared on Isle of Mull soil, being inadvertently introduced in soil ballast transported from nearby Lochaline on the Scottish mainland. Nowadays, evidence of their presence can be found throughout the island and, where mole hills are located near sites of historical importance, Mull Magic has got into the way of kicking over the disturbed top soil, in the hope of unearthing a rare antiquity.

Living in underground chambers, moles are very rarely seen above ground. They are industrious diggers or ‘dirt tossers’, as their name implies, being capable of excavating up to 20 metres in a day. They are little mammalian gymnasts that think nothing of travelling backwards or performing forward roles in their tunnels. The drought conditions earlier this year meant that local moles would have had to dig deep for their favourite meal of earthworms, which they paralyze with toxins excreted in their saliva. However, the recent wet weather has probably resulted in some very rich pickings for the island’s mole population!

Four Seasons in Three Days! (3)

2010-07-27T11:24:00.008+01:00

The portents hadn’t been good, as the weather on Mull this July has been atrocious, so St Swithen’s Day (15th) was approached with some trepidation. However, we have had at least one 24-hour period in the past ten days when it hasn’t rained, so we are safe from the curse of the 40 days of downpours for another year! When the sun has come out to play, the views that our walking guests have enjoyed of the North Mull coastline have been exhilarating, to say the least.

The solitary flowers of the Grass of Parnassus are another stunningly beautiful sight to behold on the wet moors of the island in July. Our guests were intoxicated by the smell given off by these exotic-looking flowers. The nectar in the flat, open flowers is easily accessible to insect pollinators, attracted by the sweet aroma of honey that this plant releases. This scent is strongest during sunny days on Mull, coinciding with the time that most potential pollinators are on the wing.

The skerries, inlets and seaweed-strewn bays that punctuate Mull’s North-West coast are a haven for otters. Despite the island’s healthy population, these creatures remain elusive to many visitors. We thought ourselves fortunate to have the company of a rather nonchalant individual that actively fed on an incoming tide while our group were also tucking in to their lunch. The state of the tide and the fact that the wind was blowing our scent away from the ultra-sensitive nostrils of this animal was a big factor in allowing us such prolonged views.

Our resident Greylag Geese appear to have had a profitable breeding season in the North of the island, as depicted by the number of crèches that we have encountered during our walks. Part of the only truly indigenous breeding stock in Britain, these hefty-looking and clamorous birds are very much an avian success story on the island, although they do have their detractors!

Part of this success is based on their ability to grub out the more nutritious subterranean parts of plants and not to be solely reliant on grass for a meal. Nonetheless, Greylag Geese eat a lot of grass and have evolved a highly effective digestive system that fast tracks the food that enters their stomach into the two-inch long cylinders of poo that they freely dispense with!

Four Seasons in Three Days! (2)

2010-07-26T21:26:00.007+01:00

Founded on the late Scottish Baronial style of the mid-19th Century, the castle at Glengorm, in North Mull, may not be a ‘real’ castle, yet it cuts a rather dramatic and imposing outline when viewed from the sea. Wonderfully appointed, with superb sunsets to the west over the Isle of Coll, the castle and its environs are steeped in natural and social history. Nowadays, the castle pays its way as an upmarket Bed and Breakfast establishment.

The pastures, meadows and track-sides of North Mull are currently densely populated with the sweet smelling, lilac flower clusters of Creeping Thistle. The male and female flowers of this invasive and persistent perennial are borne on separate plants, with the scent of female flowers being particularly attractive to a variety of insects, including several species of butterfly.

The dark, restless shape of the Scotch Argus is a familiar feature of damp grassland on the Isle of Mull at the height of Summer. They are normally on the wing to coincide with the traditional Glasgow Fair Trades’ holiday fortnight, which commences in mid July. However, we had seen very few on our walks until this week, as the recent poor weather appears to have curtailed their emergence this year.

It is well known that our 'celebrity' White-tailed Eagles at Loch Frisa like to hunt along the coastline of North-West Mull. Nonetheless, it was a very pleasant surprise when, as we sat to enjoy lunch, an adult bird, its white tail gleaming and glinting in the sunshine, idled past in search of a snack of its own.

The creamy-yellow caps and stems of the Dung Roundhead are viscid and slimy to the touch. These toadstools are not unattractive and a common feature of local pastures where sheep and cattle are present. Readers will, no doubt, be pleased to learn that they are inedible, given their association with the evacuated contents of animal bowels!

Four Seasons in Three Days! (1)

2010-07-25T19:00:00.014+01:00

It’s rare for Mull Magic to tramp the same area on consecutive outings, let alone re-visit it three days on the trot. Yet, that was the situation we found ourselves in this past week and three very different days we experienced, largely thanks to the vagaries of the Isle of Mull’s Summer climate. The weather may not have quite been of the ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ variety, but the elements certainly combined to throw Spring, Summer and Autumn at us on our recent ventures into the countryside. It did not darken or sully our mood, however, and provided us with some memorable wildlife experiences, as well as being a test of the ability of our waterproofs to stand up to all that Mull’s weather could throw at us!

Built within a sheltered and fertile hollow, the ruined settlement at Baliacrach offered us an insight in to the area’s less auspicious past. The remains of the village command fantastic views across the Sound of Mull to Ardnamurchan and to the islands of Muck and Rum beyond. However, the peace and tranquillity of today’s landscape serves only to mask the anguish, fear and despair of the tenants who once lived there and were brutally evicted at the time of the infamous Highland Clearances.

Dotted throughout on our grassy walks, we encountered the nodding lilac-blue flowerheads of our ‘Scottish Bluebell’. The Harebell is a delicate plant, whose flowers hang on the flimsiest of stems, belying an inner strength that allows it to withstand the worst of Mull’s weather at the height of Summer. The Harebell is known to produce a seed bank, which it keeps topped up year upon year. This ensures that, in difficult times and given the appropriate signal, there are always seeds capable of germinating and replenishing the adult population.

With its fluttering flight and metallic sheen, it is not difficult to imagining the Beautiful Demoiselle being mistaken as a butterfly. This exotic-looking damselfly has a rather disjunct British population and exists in scattered locations on the Isle of Mull, thanks to the mild influence of the Gulf Stream. We were treated to quite marvellous views of this male, bejewelled in its tropical violet-blue-green finery on a day when the sun blessed us with an appearance.

As we climbed to the top of an ancient castle overlooking the Sound of Mull, we spotted an aptly named Antler Moth getting drunk on the nectar of a Hogweed. It allowed such a close approach that we were able to easily make out the white, antler-like branches that give this familiar Summertime moth its common name.

Wet weather and warm temperatures have prompted a spate of early toadstools to emerge. ‘The Blusher’ is one of twenty-four species in the genus Amanita that can be found in Britain, which includes the widely recognised Fly Agaric. ‘The Blusher’ is common in both deciduous and coniferous woodland on the island and is edible after cooking. It does, however, resemble other more poisonous species that could kill with one taste!

The Lazy Hum of Summer

2010-07-11T23:04:00.008+01:00

The dry weather of the past six months, that brought drought to the Isle of Mull, would appear to be a thing of the past. In time honoured tradition, the heavens opened over Tobermory at the beginning of the Scottish schools’ Summer holiday! Initially, the recent rain did little but darken the surface of the parched ground, but days of heavy, persistent wetting has penetrated deep in to the soil, ensuring the return of muddy footpaths across the island.

Warm sunshine, befitting of the season, has been at a premium, but when the sun has managed to shake off the grey rain clouds, the air has taken on the lazy hum of Summer. The ambient droning of honey bees, bumble-bees and hoverflies, along with the colourful sight of butterflies indulging themselves on sugar-rich flowers encapsulates the heady days of July on the Isle of Mull.

The long, arching branches of the bramble thickets that adorned the paths we followed during today’s walk in North Mull were festooned with flowers. Full of nectar, they are a honey trap for many species of insect, while the soft fruits that will develop later are beloved of Blackbirds. These fruits are delicious and have a high nutritional value, being rich in antioxidants, as well as Vitamin C and Folic Acid. You have to be quick to reap the true benefit of these luscious treats, however, as after the 29th September you should leave brambles well alone. Superstition has it that the devil takes possession of the fruit after this date and marks his property by urinating on the leaves!

Hoverflies are highly attractive insects that, despite their excellent mimicry of bees and wasps, are not harmful to humans. The bright warning colours and similar behaviour to unpalatable or poisonous insects offers this Striped Hoverfly protection, as it gets drunk on its nectar fix: ‘Look at me, I taste nasty, so keep away!’ Hoverflies, because of their resemblance to stinging insects, are greeted with a certain antipathy by the general public, which is a great shame, as they are among the most colourful and spectacular of flies.

Stopping off for a breather and a blether, we were amazed to find a Dark Green Fritillary feeding on a thistle head, only a few metres from where we were standing. This gorgeous orange and black butterfly was so engrossed in its nectaring duties that it appeared oblivious to our closer approach, when we were permitted as instructive a view of this species’ diagnostic underside markings as we could ever have wished. This was the best view that we have ever enjoyed of this fast flying insect and one that will live long in our memory.

The recent return to rain has provided the island’s population of Black Slugs with conditions more to their liking, much to the dismay of local gardeners. At Mull Magic, we are forever championing the role of the overlooked and hidden wildlife of the island and slugs fall in to that category. ‘Surely not!’, we can hear you cry, yet these slimy gastropods play a very important and undervalued role in gardens and woodlands on the Isle of Mull. Much of this mollusc’s time is spent recycling waste matter and helping improve garden and forest soils. They may eat some desirable garden plants, but they also have a taste for more unsavoury ‘treats’, helping get rid of unsightly cat and dog faeces, recycling it as more acceptable slug poo. A slug’s tongue has as many as 27,000 teeth on it. Ever wondered why you never see slugs kissing! Yeuch!

Mull Magic Back Home

2010-07-11T13:35:00.007+01:00

We have returned home to the Isle of Mull with a severe dose of post-Cairngorm blues, feeling that we haven’t really been away! These feelings won’t last long, though, as we realise only too well how very privileged we are to breathe the life that we do, here on this marvellous island, surrounded by such fantastic scenery and wonderful wildlife. After all, it is always a pleasant journey that ends amongst old friends!

A week is a long time in wildlife terms at this time of the year, as different flowers fade and bloom and insects emerge to take advantage of the seasonally abundant nectar rush. The sweetly-scented flower clusters of Common Valerian that flanked our route through the damp, coastal woods of North Mull are proving a god-send to hoverflies and sawflies. The roots of this perennial have long been used in herbal medicine to reduce anxiety, to counteract insomnia and to relieve intestinal colic. As a sedative, it was used during the Second World War to help calm the nerves of civilians distressed by frequent air-raid activity and continues to be used in alternative stress-busting drugs today.

Among the various insects taking advantage of these honeyed flowers was a rather robust Club-horned Sawfly. Looking like it was wearing a coat of metallic green and gold armour plating, this insect is as distinctive as it is beautiful. Largely feeders of both nectar and pollen, it derives its common name from the club-shaped tips of its antennae, which can be clearly seen in this photograph.

The sawfly had better watch out, as sharing the same flight path through this woodland glade was a male Golden-ringed Dragonfly. A voracious predator of other insects, it cut an intimidating figure as it patrolled its highway in a rather automated fashion. This, our largest dragonfly to be commonly encountered on the island, is unmistakeable owing to its black and yellow banding and bulging green eyes. With those looks, it wouldn’t look out of place in a scary, sci-fi blockbuster or in an episode of Doctor Who!

Basking Sharks have been appearing close inshore around the North Mull coast earlier than usual this year, so it was with hopeful optimism that we scanned the open water of the bay. Our search didn’t take long and proved exceptionally fruitful when a huge, dark dorsal triangle broke the surface of the tranquil sea. These benign ‘monsters’ of the deep have become a huge draw for eco-tourists on local whale-watching trips, as they are easier to spot than similarly-sized Minke Whales and tend to hang around for a whole lot longer!

A pair of Wheatears had nested in the vicinity of the old settlement we visited, deserted at the time of the infamous Highland Clearances in the early half of the 19th Century. One of their fledged youngsters proved to be a bit of a poser and obligingly stayed still long enough for us to obtain some good photographs. It is a steep learning curve that this juvenile has started out on, one which will see it lay down sufficient stores of body fat over the next couple of months before it flies South to sub-Saharan Africa for the Winter. It’s great to be back home, again, on the Isle of Mull. As we said, its like we’ve never been away!

Preparation and Opportunity

2010-07-09T21:19:00.008+01:00

What an amazing nest location the Dotterel had chosen: around 900 metres up on the Cairngorm massif and with a dizzy view over the Lairig Ghru. We only hope that the chicks have a good head for heights!

Following an ancient line of weakness in the granite, the Lairig Ghru , a mountain pass, with its origins in the last Ice Age, links Aviemore in the North with Braemar to the South. We stood overlooking the extensive debris flows, but have yet to walk in to the Lairig Ghru. The closest we have come was, during a previous visit to the area, when we walked through the Chalamain Gap, a boulder strewn ravine in nearby Glen More, where we caught glimpse of the only herd of Reindeer in Britain. Around fifty of these impressive Arctic mammals roam freely in the Cairngorm National Park.

A warming soup ‘n’ sarnies lunch was sufficient to re-energise our minds (and legs!) for what would be one heck of a long way back for a short cut on our return to the Ski Centre car park. With seemingly boundless reserves of energy, bordering manic proportions considering the truncated nature of our recent sleep patterns, we set off towards Cairn Lochan and a return to some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the country.

We paused awhile to admire the vertical and horizontal nature of the granite joints at the cliff edge of Cairn Lochan before continuing on our merry (weary?) way along the headwall of Coire an t-Sneachda (Corrie of the Snow), at the end of which we faced a steep scramble up to the summit of Cairn Gorm. Negotiating a series of self-made switchbacks over the rocks and gravel proved to be a wise move and, in no time, having encountered little difficulty, we were back again on top of our little world. Cairn Gorm...twice in two days...deja vu!

En route down to the Ptarmigan Rest and our well-earned ride on the Cairn Gorm Mountain Railway, we thought to push our luck and attempt to relocate the pair of Ptarmigan that had accommodated us so well the previous day. After our fifteen minutes with the family of Dotterels prior to lunch, wildlife on the mountain had been at a premium, so our expectations weren’t high. Needless to say, the birds weren’t where we had found them the day before, but we didn’t have time to feel disconsolate about our luck changing, as another hen Ptarmigan was spotted on the other side of the path.

It was a ‘brown’ breeding-plumaged bird, quite different to the previous ‘grey’ pair and, what’s more, she had a brood of seven recently-hatched chicks in tow! For the umpteenth occasion on our trip to the Monadhliaths and Cairngorms we had been blessed with a huge stroke of good fortune. Yes, we thought that if we put in the leg work and climbed up to where these birds could be found, then we stood a good chance of seeing both Dotterel and Ptarmigan. Luck is, indeed, a crossroads where preparation and opportunity meet!

With Privileged Gaze

2010-07-08T21:59:00.007+01:00

We had really caught the Cairngorm bug and a particularly virulent strain it was too! We wanted to make the very most of our week off-island and, with the weather remaining kind to our aspirations, we couldn’t resist another venture on to the slopes of Cairn Gorm. This time, though, we thought to avoid the ‘crowds’ by traversing part of the moss heath plateau between Cairn Gorm and Ben MacDui, a well-known area for nesting Dotterel. Our hopes were high after the success of the previous day, but we never could have imagined topping our experiences of the day before. You know what? We did!

Our idea of trying to avoid the ‘crowds’ was excellent in principle but poor in reality, as we found that other likeminds had thought along the same lines. It so happened that many of these walkers were birdwatchers, who were on the mountain for the same reason as ourselves, so we all benefited from each other’s observational skills. The Cairngorm plateau is a large, wide expanse and can take a bit of searching. It can also absorb a lot of people, although, unlike our days on Creag Meagaidh, we never quite had the feeling that we had the place to ourselves!

Our intention was to follow the path towards Lurcher’s Gully and to roam the tundra-like environs overlooking the Lairig Ghru, before skirting the imposing cliff edge of Cairn Lochan and heading back to the summit of Cairn Gorm (then that promised ride down on the funicular!) It had the making of a long, yet, hopefully, profitable day to remember. The weather is capricious, to say the least, in the mountains, even in June and, despite it remaining dry and sunny, the wind had picked up and was blowing from a very chilly, northerly direction. Unlike the day before, we weren’t going to get away with wearing t-shirts for long!

Stopping every so often to scan the boulders and moss heath for potential sightings of Ptarmigan and Dotterel, we had drawn a blank and were contemplating huddling behind a small cairn to find some shelter from the cold wind, in order to have lunch. Then, as if out of nowhere, there it was, a male Dotterel! On seeing us, had it slipped off its nest unnoticed? We edged closer and closer, until we were at a discreet enough distance to view the bird well without disturbing it. Only then did we realise that this bird was tending three chicks, sufficiently small to have only recently hatched. It was difficult to curtail our excitement, but we did, and spent some fifteen minutes watching in wonder at a safe distance and with a privileged gaze.

It wasn’t that long ago that the British population of these role reversal (the dowdier-plumaged male undertakes the incubation duties and the caring for the young) mountain plovers was thought to be only 100 pairs. Recent studies have shown this figure to be nearer to 900 pairs in some years, but there can be considerable movement between breeding hills in Scotland and...Norway! Birds that have failed in their initial attempt to breed on Scottish mountains have been known to lay a replacement clutch in nests, not on an adjacent hill in Scotland, but across the North Sea in the Norwegian mountains.

Mull Magic in the Cairngorms

2010-07-08T21:39:00.006+01:00

After our close encounters of the Ptarmigan kind, we rather elatedly picked out a granite slab on which to park up and have lunch in the sun-soaked, rarified atmosphere of the Cairn Gorm summit. Talk about feeling on top of the world! At that moment, there really was nowhere on this Earth that we would rather have been. Despite its popularity, the top of Cairn Gorm is a truly fascinating and spectacular place and we sat awe-struck by the majesty of the mountain scenery that was unfolding in front of our eyes.

To the immediate South, the dark shadows of the dramatic, ice-eroded cliffs of Stacan Dubha and Carn Etchachan stood prominent, with Loch Etchachan beyond. At 3,025 feet, this is the highest water body of any real size in the whole of Britain and remains frozen for nearly six months every year! This was a really wild, rugged and truly inspiring landscape which was calling out to us and, no doubt, the subject of a future adventure.

Over our shoulders and a little way to the North-East lay the tourist destination of Aviemore, beyond Loch Morlich and the wonderful, aromatic remnant Scots Pine woodlands of Rothiemurchus, with their understory of juniper and blaeberry. We had explored the native pine forests around Glen More and Loch an Eilean during a previous late Summer visit and have retained such fond memories that tell us that we will do it all again sometime...soon!

We could have chosen the easy option and a ride back down the mountain on the funicular railway, but our adrenalin was still pumping strongly after our chance meeting with the Ptarmigan, so we decided on the walk back to the car park. Cairn Gorm mountain is the most popular visitor attraction in the Cairngorms National Park and the volume of human traffic visiting the area outwith the skiing season, means that a Visitor Management System is in operation. This helps protect the summit area from erosion and its wildlife from unnecessary disturbance. Those who wish to ascend the mountain in Summer on the Cairn Gorm Railway are unable to access the wider summit area and have to return to the car park on the funicular. The 2 kilometre journey lasts only 8 minutes, but sounded like a whole lot of fun, so we decided that next time we would give it a go. Little did we realise that the next time would be the next day!!!

Back at the car park, after yet another day that words just couldn’t possibly describe, we found it difficult to take in that we had been watching Ptarmigan in t-shirt weather on top of the 6th highest mountain in Britain. Incredible when we recall that we were stood in the same car park less than four months previous watching a flock of Snow Buntings fly around the feet of skiers during the most severe Winter in living memory!

On Top of the World in a T-Shirt!

2010-07-06T19:49:00.009+01:00

Undeterred and buoyed by the excitement of our time spent in the Monadhliaths, we now turned our attention to the Cairngorm massif, one of the most renowned and majestic of montane landscapes in the British Isles. A rather static looking cloud base had draped itself over the shoulders of Cairn Gorm (4,084 feet) on the day that we chose to walk to the top of Britain’s sixth highest mountain. However, we decided to trust the weather forecast and set off up the initially steep climb from the Ski Centre car park, hopeful that the sun was going to burn through the thin veil of cloud by the time we ventured nearer to the summit. And, as if by (Mull) magic, that’s exactly what did happen, with the last wisps of cloud dissipating in time for a lunch rendezvous that left us, quite literally, on top of the world!

Thousands upon thousands of people appear to want their little bit of the Cairngorms and arrive each year to walk, climb, ski...and birdwatch! This can put a whole lot of unwanted pressure on an already fragile environment, jam-packed with some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland (outside of the Isle of Mull!) and of enormous importance for nature conservation.

Pink or red granite is the bed rock which has been shaped by monumental natural forces over hundreds of millions of years to form the present day Cairngorm mountains. The extreme climatic conditions that prevail on Cairn Gorm continue to shape the contours of this amazing landscape and influence the unique wildlife that resides there. Thin, poorly developed, acidic soils are common and, consequently, a highly specialised lower plant community of mosses and lichens exists in the Cairngorms. We found rather few plants in flower as we made our way up the mountain, but one that we did encounter was rather special. The Trailing Azalea is a mini-shrub that was festooned with a mass of beautiful pink flowers. Carpeting the gaps between the outcrops of granite boulders, it is well-adapted to the fierce winds and bitingly low temperatures that are often a feature of Cairn Gorm.

Late lying snow is not unusual near the summit of Cairn Gorm in mid-June, although we must have cut rather incongruous figures as we trudged through the snow in our t-shirts. The temperature was in the mid-50’s Fahrenheit and with little or no wind to mention it felt positively balmy at 3,700 feet! As predicted by our friends at the Met Office, the cloud on the tops really was ephemeral in nature and, by the time we had the weather station and summit cairn in our sights, it was sunshine and blue skies all the way.

We call the Ptarmigan Mull’s mythical white grouse, as the island appears to have little more than a relic population of this peculiar bird of the high tops and, try as we have, we never ever see them! With a British population of around 10,000 pairs they are not uncommon, it’s just that their choice of montane habitat rather restricts the opportunities that most birdwatchers have of seeing them on a regular basis. We didn’t think that a walk up the tourist track to the top of Cairn Gorm offered us the best chance to get to grips with this fabled bird, yet how wrong we were to be proved!

Close to the summit and even closer to the path, we saw an unmistakable head and neck sticking up between the cold, grey lichen boulders. Excitement took over and trying to keep our binoculars steady proved difficult, as we revelled in these views of a hen bird, still in what looked like the grey and white plumage of Spring. For the next 20 minutes, if not more, we were treated to the most amazing close-up views of a pair of these magical birds. The delicate grey, black and white plumage could not have been better camouflaged, as the birds fed among the similarly coloured rocks, barely 20 metres ahead of us. All this and we hadn’t even had our lunch yet!

Wild Mountain Time

2010-07-03T08:58:00.008+01:00

The mid-Summer nights at Laggan never seemed to get truly dark and the still of night was forever being punctured by the noise of farm animals and breeding waders that were nesting in the rough pasture. A fitful sleep is never the best preparation for anything, let alone the prospect of a full day’s walking and watching on Creag Meagaidh, yet we shared the concerns of the wheezing Lapwings and irked Oystercatchers, as we knew that they had youngsters to protect from the jaws of hungry foxes.

With the weather set fair, we readied ourselves for a marathon day out in a wild, beautiful and rugged, yet readily accessible, part of our Highland heritage, where we were to enjoy a mosaic of upland and montane habitats on a truly marvellous mountain. As aesthetes, we rarely target individual species, whether it be bird, plant or animal, forever content to appreciate a representative slice of what an area has to offer. However, we had come to the Monadhliah mountains and Cairngorms hoping to catch up with two birds that are decidedly rare on the Isle of Mull: Dotterel and Ptarmigan.

Extending from the shore of freshwater Loch Laggan, with its incongruous golden sandy beach, to the wide, near summit, plateau of rock and wooly-fringe moss heath, the Creag Meagaidh complex is one of the most diverse and thus important upland environments in the country. Rather than retrace our steps of the previous day, we decided to tackle the mountain from an alternative route along the Moy burn. Although, quite literally, an uphill struggle at times, the hardest part was accessing the ridge that was to lead us all the way to the summit cairn of ‘Craig Maggie’. Any reluctance in our legs, however, gave way to unbridled exuberance when, after a re-energising lunch, we found ourselves alone on our very own private mountain for the day.

Dotted along the path, which cuts through dwarf shrub heaths of blaeberry, crowberry and cross-leaved heath, are miniature forests of clubmosses. It is not difficult to imagine a scene, some 300 million years earlier, when giant clubmosses would have dominated the Earth’s vegetation. During the Carboniferous period of our geological past, such primeval forests would have attained heights of up to 100 feet. Today, these non-flowering plants are much more vertically challenged, but that doesn’t take anything away from their appeal.

With a branch system of upright, fertile stems, the Alpine Clubmoss had a distinctive look about it. The paler terminal spikes contain the spore-bearing organs. Another species of these erroneously named plants (they are not mosses, rather a primitive type of fern) that we came across was the Fir Clubmoss, which are often found growing below the zone in which true alpine plants occur. Interestingly, the dust from the spores of clubmosses were previously used as one of the earliest forms of baby powder, presumably in days before nappy rash was a problem!

The high altitude and extreme exposure to the elements make life difficult for those plants, birds and animals that make their home on the wide expanse of plateau that exists below the summit of Creag Meagaidh. Much of this area is covered in low growing woolly-fringe moss, interspersed with bare patches of loose rock and provides a perfect Summer retreat for one of Britain’s rarest and highly specialised breeding waders. Few birds live at such altitudes, so any strange and unfamiliar sounds are always worth investigating. As if on cue, a soft ‘pweet-pweet-pweet’ call could be heard breaking the silence of the near wind-less day and we were able to feast our eyes on our first ever Dotterel before completing the final ascent to the summit cairn with a noticeable spring in our step!

Monadhlaith Magic

2010-07-02T20:56:00.010+01:00

Mull Magic has recently returned from a week- long trip to the Cairngorms National Park, where we spent two days walking and watching in the Monadhlaith mountains, before venturing on to the Cairngorm plateaux, in search of the unique and highly specialised wildlife that resides on the roof of Scotland in Summertime.

Our initial base was established at the Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve, near Loch Laggan, on the immediate periphery of the National Park. This area provided the setting for the popular BBC TV drama series ‘Monarch of the Glen’, where several Munro summits (mountains over 3,000 feet), a great whale-backed ridge and ice-forged scenery combine to provide the “complete mountain experience” for climbers, naturalists and walkers.

Creag Meagaidh, at 3,701 feet, is the 30th highest of Scotland’s 283 Munro’s and a strenuous walk, so we decided to build up our stamina with the ascent of a neighbouring mountain in the range to test our leg muscles and lung capacity first. All be it, our decision to climb Carn Liath, a mere hillock at only 3,300 feet, was both impromptu and unconventional. Having started out along the 3 mile footpath to view Coire Lochan, nestled in the corrie below the impressive cliffs of Coire Ardair, we suddenly felt the urge to scramble up the steep heather slopes for a better view of the surrounding area. Life would have been so much easier if we had only noticed the small cairn depicting the path up to the top. Needless to say, we didn’t make the same mistake on the way down!

Degraded by centuries of grazing by sheep and deer, the ancient woodland on the lower slopes of the nature reserve has been given a welcome and restorative boost by control measures employed by Scottish Natural Heritage in recent years. In damp areas, we were delighted to find several small colonies of the exquisite Globeflower, a large member of the buttercup family. Bright yellow petal-like sepals hide the nectaries contained within the true petals and are curved over the top of the flower in a sphere resembling a globe, hence its name.

The white, star-like flowers of Chickweed Wintergreen were commonly encountered on our walk and not just in the wooded lower reaches. As a woodland indicator, this attractive perennial is also found on acid moorland at Creag Meagaidh, suggesting that woods formerly clothed a more extensive area in the past that has since converted to open land. We noticed that some of the leaves were already showing a reddish tinge, ahead of assuming their characteristic copper hue of mid-Summer.

Another plant that we came across growing in the damp woods and on wet moorland was the Marsh Violet, whose pale lilac flowers are usually borne on stalks that emerge from large, kidney-shaped leaves. The lowest petal of this delicate flower is boldly suffused with darker veins and readily caught our eye as we made our way towards the top of our spur-of-the-moment Munro.

Blessed with fine walking weather, the views from the summit cairn of Carn Liath were impressive: to Loch Laggan, with the largest inland beach in Scotland, and Ardverikie House below; East to the Cairngorm massif and Grampian Mountains; and West to the ski centre at Aonach Mor, with Ben Nevis still holding on to the snow scars of Winter in mid-June - Brrrrr! Our appetites had been well and truly whetted for our week in one of Scotland’s last true wildernesses.

Drought on a Rain-swept Island

2010-06-24T16:01:00.008+01:00

Many people were perplexed when Mull Magic started conveying to the wider world what tremendous weather the island has been enjoying. A lack of rainfall isn’t something that most would associate with the Isle of Mull, yet the island is starting to, quite literally, pay the price for the months of dry weather that have bamboozled and delighted in equal measure. Private water tanks may be running dangerously low, yet, thankfully, the marvellous wildlife experiences that we encounter on our walks show no sign of drying up. Even our local birdlife are getting in on the act of chilling out and soaking up some sunshine. This male Blackbird was oblivious to our approach as it sunbathed, the ultraviolet rays helping to convert the preen oil on the bird’s feathers in to valuable Vitamin D. Or, maybe, it was simply topping up its tan!

Cold-blooded insects, like butterflies, are most active during warm, sunny days, so it was no surprise when a Small Pearl-Bordered Fritillary glided past, fast and low, before alighting on vegetation close to the path that we were walking along in North Mull. These orange and black butterflies are exceptionally attractive inhabitants of woodland clearings on the Isle of Mull, where it is far more likely to be encountered than its rarer relative, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

The same damp wooded areas are home at this time of year to the beautiful flowers of Water Avens, which we always stop to admire. Held on long stalks, the peach-infused petals are supported by purple sepals, which give this plant a certain aristocratic grace, as the flowers nod in the Summer breeze. The feathery seed heads are burr-like, which aids their distribution, as they often get caught in the coats of passing animals. This is a plant that we have a particular fondness for.

Considering the ‘arid’ conditions, we were surprised to come across our first Russula fungi of the season, tucked away in the woodland leaf litter. Past its best, the olive-green cap suggested that it was a variety of the Charcoal Burner, which although common and edible is a highly variable mushroom. Without wishing our lives away, it won’t be long before we will be back in these self-same North Mull woods searching for even greater culinary treats, in the delicious forms of Chanterelle and Horn of Plenty!

The emerging clusters of the funnel-shaped, pinkish-white flowers of Common Valerian are proving to be ‘heaven scent’ to hoverflies. Several large and very attractive Pellucid Hoverflies allowed us a very close approach. So much so, we were able to tell the sexes apart, just by looking at the insects’ eyes: males have larger compound eyes, which almost touch each other in the middle. The Pellucid Hoverfly is a bumblebee mimic and extremely visually aesthetic to us humans. Makes a change from some flies less than endearing habit of feeding by vomiting the contents of their stomach and sucking the liquid back up again. Yeuch!

In Flagrante Delicto

2010-06-21T21:51:00.008+01:00

Where have the past six months gone? Here we are celebrating the Summer Solstice and contemplating the relentless march of time. And, the fact that none of us are getting any younger, irrespective of the restorative powers of the magic Mull mud! Afforded a huge slice of luck, thanks to some beautiful weather, our recent walks have provided us with a wealth of wonderful wildlife memories to re-live as conversation pieces during the long, dark nights of Winter.

The Slender Scotch Burnet moth is found at a handful of locations on Mull and Ulva, where adults are on the wing for a few short weeks in June and July. We were concerned on a recent walk that we may have been too early to view this marvellously confiding day flying moth. Thankfully, our fears were quickly dispelled when we began searching the grassland where we had enjoyed such wonderful experiences with this rare and beautiful insect last year. Not only that, an individual took an obvious fancy to the pink fleece one of the ladies in our group was wearing and promptly settled on her arm, providing her with what was truly a once in a lifetime’s experience!

The grass verges that flank ‘Mull’s Motorway’ are a riot of colour at present. These wildflower strips are not only aesthetically pleasing to the human eye, but assume the role of a life-giving nectar café for many of the marvellous moths and butterflies that inhabit the island. The roadsides are ablaze with Ox-eye Daisies, Red and White Clover and Bird’s Foot Trefoil, within whose ranks we found a solitary Greater Butterfly Orchid. Highly scented, this exquisite and delicate plant relies on long-tongued night-flying moths to aid its pollination. As the insect sips nectar from the orchid’s flower, pollen glues itself to the moth's eyes, in another fascinating example of how the eyes of Mull’s wildlife remain open, long after we humans have turned in for the night!

Walking amongst the carpets of Heath Spotted Orchids that had sprung up almost overnight on the island’s moors, we were suddenly stopped dead in our tracks by a fast moving caterpillar. Looking more Porcupine than the alluring Garden Tiger Moth that it was destined to become, this ‘Woolly Bear’ certainly lived up to its nickname. Seeming out of habitat, it wasn’t for hanging around and stayed just long enough to pose for our camera before making good its escape to the sanctuary of the bogland heather.

Some of our most cherished wildlife moments are not necessarily those that are shared with the rare and unusual birds and beasts of this wondrous isle. A male Large Red Damselfly had caught sight of an unsuspecting female and had carried her off in tandem to mate on a secluded grass stem. In flagrante delicto! It seems that nothing is sacred, however, as lifting the courting couple on to a finger provided our guests with the most incredible and voyeuristic experience of their trip. It appears that nothing else matters when you are caught in the throes of passion. Ooh, er, missus!

Wildlife Welfare Comes First

2010-06-20T15:10:00.007+01:00

Having been off-island for the past week, it has been disappointing on our return to view the negative publicity that has been generated in the local media regarding “concerns at walkers disturbing wildlife” (The Oban Times, 10th and 17th June).

Late May and early June are particularly stressful times for the shorebirds that breed around the Isle of Mull’s 305 miles of coastline. This tends to be a delicate time in the breeding cycles of most of the island’s ducks, geese, gulls and waders that choose to nest above the high water mark on Mull’s beaches. Many of the nests will have eggs that are very close to hatching and some birds will already be tending young on the ground.

Many of these coastal areas are also attractive to humans, who enjoy the relaxation of walking along sandy beaches, beachcombing and exercising their dogs. Inadvertently, in doing so, any birds that are nesting in the area are likely to be disturbed. Unfortunately, not everyone that enjoys spending time on Mull’s beaches is conscious of the wildlife that their actions may be distressing.

It is a difficult and perennial problem that can only be properly addressed by education. Some birds are more easily disturbed than others and most will return to their nests as soon as the cause of disturbance has gone. When eggs and young are exposed for long periods, particularly during inclement weather, is when nests and broods are in greatest danger of succumbing to the elements or predators.

At Mull Magic, many of our daily walks take us in to areas where shorebirds are nesting. Disturbance is, at times, inevitable, although we always try to keep any distress to these birds to a minimum, preferring to take a quick photograph before retreating to watch from a safe distance. The welfare of the bird must always come first and we would be extremely upset if we thought that our behaviour was causing any bird unnecessary harm.

Wildlife enthusiasts have to tolerate that people visit Mull’s coastline for all number of reasons and not only birdwatching. However, an acceptance of this fact needs to be reciprocated by the greater responsibility of others, particularly dog owners, when birds are nesting in Spring. Increased awareness of this problem may help to alleviate such concerns in the future. As a dog owner, Mull Magic believes that responsibility is the key to unlocking a situation that is neither new nor is likely to go away.

Heads in the Clouds, Eyes on the Ground!

2010-06-20T12:21:00.006+01:00

The month of June has been a whirlwind few weeks for Mull Magic. A hectic walking schedule, coupled with the making and baking of our gourmet packed lunches, has meant that we have had little opportunity (or energy!) to sit down and keep up to date with our Mull Magic blog. However, now that we are sat in front of the computer screen, it could be that catching up will be akin to feast or famine!

Our recent Mull Magic Wildlife Walking Week was a rip-roaring success. Blessed with glorious weather all week, we were able to show all our visitors the very best that the Isle of Mull has to offer: splendid scenery, landscapes and seascapes to die for and, of course, the island’s uniquely fantastic wildlife.

One of our guests had never seen a Crossbill before and hoped that a visit to Mull might allow her to achieve this long held ambition. This chunky, enigmatic finch has enjoyed a good breeding season in the island’s spruce plantations and family parties are now roaming the local countryside in feeding forays. Highly nomadic, these noisy, miniature parrots can be difficult to pin down, as they flit among the tree tops. Amazingly, as if to know of our wishes, a pair alighted on the upper branches of a nearby spruce. Disturbed by a singing cock Siskin on the same branch, the Crossbills flew off, only to re-alight in a tree that was even closer to us, providing one lucky lady with the thrill of a lifetime!

As we walked through the coastal grassland, we were surprised and delighted to obtain close encounters with two rather special, yet very different, Isle of Mull moths. Resting in the long grass, we came across a strikingly beautiful Buff-tip moth. We may never have found this had it been relaxing in a manner more accustomed to its cryptic markings. This large moth bears a remarkable resemblance to the broken twigs of several deciduous trees, in which it can normally be found, as you can see for yourself - the moth is on the left!

The fuchsia-pink and olive-green colours of the Elephant Hawk Moth make it a stand-out amongst the island’s moth population. Extending its range in Scotland, this beautiful moth is shaped like a jet fighter and gets its name from the caterpillar’s apparent resemblance to an elephant’s trunk. Like the Buff-tip, we stumbled across one of these attractive insects as it rested, low down on grass stems, very close to the path that we were walking along. Despite its stunning appearance, it would have been missed had it not been for the eagle-eyed in our group, searching at ground level for flowering plants. Our heads may have been in the clouds after the wonderful sightings during the day but some of us definitely had our eyes closer to the ground!

Those Life-Affirming Moments

2010-06-11T23:49:00.008+01:00

It has been an exceptionally busy time for Mull Magic recently. Barely have we had time to draw our breath, such has been the intensity of our current walking schedule. Luckily, this busy spell has coincided with some of the best weather that the Isle of Mull has enjoyed so far this year. Our Wildlife Walks this week exceeded our expectations and those of our visitors to the Isle of Mull, with rare butterflies and moths out in force – along with the SPF30! Some of our guests admitted that they didn’t quite know what to expect of the island prior to their visit. However, by the time of their departure, all were in raptures regarding the wondrous wildlife and scintillating scenery that provided them with a whole host of life-affirming moments to take back to their respective homes.

Shaped like a battleship, protecting the western approaches to Mull, the Isle of Lunga is the largest island in the Treshnish archipelago. Our visitors were attracted by the not-to-be-missed opportunity of having lunch with the 2,000-plus pairs of Puffins that breed on the island’s plateau of short turf. The popularity of this ‘Puffin Therapy’, where we sat within a few feet of these iconic little Sea Parrots, remains as prevalent as ever.

Mull Magic has never known the Lunga Puffin population look so healthy, but our local birds’ good fortune isn’t mirrored at some other colonies around the coast of the British Isles. Indeed, declining numbers elsewhere have prompted scientists to fit high-tec ‘Sat Nav’ devices on to the feathers of these comical little birds, in the hope of finding an answer to this mystery. With concerns regarding reduced fish stocks and global warming, it is refreshing to know that these avian ambassadors to Mull and Iona are bucking a trend and increasing in number!

The warm sunshine of recent days had prompted many more of the island’s butterflies and moths to put in an appearance. While walking in North-West Mull, we took the opportunity to search the South-facing, herb-rich grassland for the rare Slender Scotch Burnet Moth and were thrilled to find several on the wing. This crimson and black coloured moth is often mistaken for a butterfly, due to its highly attractive colours and day flying habits. Our guests were amazed at its beauty and intrigued to learn that it is only known from a handful of sites on the Isle of Mull and our neighbouring island of Ulva.

Walking along the grass verge that skirts the main road in to the island’s ‘capital’, Tobermory, we stopped to admire the striking magenta-coloured flower spikes of a colony of Northern Marsh Orchids. Recognisable by its deep colour, compact flower head and diamond-shaped lip, these orchids made a vivid statement among the more usual buttercups and daisies.

Our attention was grabbed by a small butterfly that was feeding on one such buttercup. Its checkerboard pattern of orange, black, brown and cream was unmistakeable. It was a Marsh Fritillary, one of the rarest butterflies to be seen on the Isle of Mull. Here we were, crouched, within inches of an insect whose Scottish distribution is restricted to Argyll and the Isles. And, here it was, adjacent to a busy housing development and only a few metres from the Tobermory to Craignure highway! Prone to population booms and slumps, the Marsh Fritillary has to be resilient to survive. In many parts of their former British range they are now extinct. Increased sightings in North Mull in recent days give us hope that 2010 may be a good year for this gorgeous little butterfly.

Big isn’t always Best!

2010-06-03T20:44:00.007+01:00

No matter how many times we visit the same area, we always know that each new day will bring with it a whole clutch of fresh experiences and surprises. We are privileged to call the Isle of Mull our home and never take the wonderful wildlife and landscapes of the island for granted. As you will know, at Mull Magic,humble and inconspicuous is just as important as big and 'in your face' when it comes to our appreciation of Mull’s flora and fauna. Having said that, if anything, we tend to come down on the side of the underdog!

A male Common Heath Moth, displaying it’s feathery antennae, was feeding on the flower spike of a Heath Spotted Orchid, next to the sheep path that we were walking along in North Mull today. Some species of orchid readily dupe insects into thinking that their colourful, patterned flowers are a heady source of nectar. However, the flowers of the Heath Spotted Orchid, that are so widespread on the moors of Mull at present, are not deceitful in this way, so the moth would have enjoyed it’s sugary snack on this occasion!

The flowers of the Early Purple Orchid have no nectar, so offer scant reward to any prospective pollinator. A little further along our coastal walk, we came across a small colony of these beautiful plants, in whose ranks appeared several white-flowered variants. Closer inspection revealed that these aberrant-coloured flowers had purple spots at the base of their lips. A freak of pigmentation (or the lack of), we were interested to find that these white-flowered varieties are rather scarce and that the spotted form is even more unusual!

The acidic and waterlogged soil of Mull’s moorland is an inhospitable place in which to live. In order to survive, many of the plants found in this environment have evolved special adaptations. Our walk today allowed us to get up close and personal with a few of these special plants, including the Common Butterwort, whose funnel-shaped, lilac flowers are borne on a slender, delicate stalk. The Butterwort family is carnivorous in nature. It’s sticky rosette of leaves trap unsuspecting small insects and exude enzymes which break down their bodies, providing this attractive bog plant with the nourishment it needs.

Another insectivorous plant that we encountered was the Round-leaved Sundew. These are highly specialised inhabitants of boggy ground on the Isle of Mull. Their round leaves have tentacles which are coated in a gel-like substance, which ensnares passing insects that are subsequently digested in a similar manner to the Butterwort.

Thousands of wildlife enthusiasts visit the Isle of Mull each year to view our ‘celebrity’ birds and animals. Here, at Mull Magic, we derive as much pleasure from the common, everyday species as we do from the rare and unusual. Too many people walk past quite unbelievable wildlife that frequent their doorstep in search of something more elusive… not Mull Magic!

Damsels and Dragons

2010-06-01T12:27:00.011+01:00

Our May Bank Holiday walk saw us return to the North-West coast of Mull which has brought us so much pleasure in recent weeks. With temperatures soaring into the sizzling sixties, we found that our previously ‘private’ beaches had become somewhat public, as visitors to the island headed to the Costa del Mull for some fun in the sun.

The rising Mercury in local thermometers provided the necessary impetus for a fresh emergence of beautiful, but short lived Large Red Damselflies. With their distinctive red and black markings, this is usually the earliest damselfly on Mull to be on the wing in Spring. The damselflies that flew ahead of us as we walked down the track to the beach will probably live no longer than 7 days. Such a lot of living has to be packed in to such a short time when you’re a damselfly!

The Four-Spotted Chaser is a chunky, medium-sized dragonfly that gets it’s name from the number of spot marks on it’s paired wings. The adults emerge from their two year life cycle in May and we watched as sexually aggressive males patrolled their territorial ponds and ditches with a certain degree of intent. Dragonflies change colour with age and we located an amber-coloured immature as it perched on nearby vegetation. Dragonflies are fearsome predators and, although they are harmless to humans, many people find them rather scary.

Like dragonflies, butterflies are the essence of Summer. The cool temperatures on the Isle of Mull this Spring have meant that these exquisite day flying insects have been in short supply. The Speckled Wood is one of the first butterflies to be seen on the island in Spring and has a very long flight season, with tired looking individuals not uncommon during sunny early October days. Fiercely territorial, a male rose at our feet to intercept an intruder, as we wandered through a dappled grove of Hazel trees. Preferring the sticky honey-dew of aphids, the Speckled Wood is a butterfly with a difference, as it is not a true sun worshipper or an ardent flower seeker.

The warm sunshine that encouraged day trippers to visit the normally deserted beaches and coves of North-West Mull presented problems for the shore nesting birds that usually have such places all to themselves. The eggs of many of the local breeding Common Gulls, Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers have only recently hatched or are about to do so. It is a particularly stressful time for these birds and the Bank Holiday weather brought with it added concerns. Having followed their fortunes over these past few weeks, Mull Magic has it's fingers well and truly crossed that all their dedication will have the happiest of outcomes.

Iona's Rasping Rascal!

2010-05-29T23:52:00.009+01:00

Lady Luck really was shining on Mull Magic’s walks on our neighbouring island of Iona this week. It may only be a hefty stone’s throw across the mile-long Sound of Iona, yet the cultural and spiritual ambience of a visit to the Holy Isle really is tangible, regardless of religious preference or none! The weather, like the island, was blessed. Having travelled from Tobermory in low cloud and rain, the dismal skies miraculously parted to reveal the Ionian port of Baile Mor bathed in glorious sunshine. Later, as the blue skies stretched to Mull, the view back to Ben More, peeking over ‘the wedding cake’ scenery of Ardmeanach was just heavenly.

Our lunch stop was at the idyllic The Bay at the Back of the Ocean on Iona’s West coast. This is one of Mull Magic’s favourite spots (yes, another one!), where contentment and relaxation are assured, far from the madding crowd. Here, over the last 8,000 years, wind and wave action have combined to produce a habitat that is extremely rare outwith the Hebrides. Built on the crushed shells of marine creatures, the fertile, low-growing, herb-rich grassland is known in Gaelic as machair and is home to a myriad of wildflowers in Spring and Summer.

The white, shell sand beach dazzled in the late May sunshine and provided a valuable staging post for many migratory waders en route to their Arctic breeding grounds. We enjoyed the intimacy of getting up close and personal with a mixed flock of Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Sanderling, as they re-fuelled before setting off on the next stage of their migrational journeys. We were enthralled by the activity of these little birds and marvelled at their ability to undertake such incredible feats of inter-continental navigation.

While walking along the strandline a member of our group found a Mermaid’s Purse, the casing that houses the fertilised eggs of a small shark, the Lesser Spotted Dogfish. Attached to seaweed by tendrils positioned at the corners, most egg cases washed ashore are empty, being doomed to perish after being dislodged from their anchorage.

The emerging sword-like leaves of the herbaceous Yellow Flag provide early cover in Iona’s wet meadows for the first returning Corncrakes in April. Sprouting irises in early Spring barely conceal these skulking land rails, yet, by the time of our visit in late May, this robust perennial is over two feet high and about to burst in to flower. Damp field margins and ditches on the island come alive with the colour of Yellow Flags in June and provide the perfect hideaway for Iona’s tenuous population of rasping ‘crakes.

Our group were hopeful of catching a glimpse of these rare and skulking birds, which have been in historical decline in the British Isles for over 150 years. Agricultural changes have banished this endearing and infuriating (in equal measure) land rail to breeding outposts in the Hebrides. The unmistakable, ratchet-like ‘song’ of a Corncrake assaulted our ears from within a patch of irises, yet, try as we might, could we see it? After much scanning with binoculars, our patience was finally rewarded when we caught sight of our target. Unbelievably, we were to enjoy watching this amazing little bird for fully 20 minutes through our telescope. Apparently, male Corncrakes can sing up to 500,000 times in a season. We reckon that our bird has only some 499,875 rasps to crake before it flies to Mozambique for the Winter!

The ‘Made On Mull’ Stamp of Excellence

2010-05-28T18:50:00.007+01:00

Although we know that, sometimes, it is unfair to compare, it doesn’t stop us from doing so. It may come as a surprise to many of our followers to learn that the Isle of Mull is blessed with some of the most breathtakingly stunning white sand beaches that you could ever wish to see. What’s more, many of them are just far enough off the beaten track to deter most human visitors, guaranteeing the peace and solitude that would come with having your very own private beach.

Our walks this week in North-West Mull have allowed us to share some of our favourite sheltered coves and beaches with visitors making their first journey to our wonderful island. On encountering the shell sand beaches and aquamarine waters many have felt as if they had been transported to a Greek isle or some exotic paradise in the Caribbean Sea. However, Mull Magic has been quick to dispel any such lingering thoughts in their minds, as we know that beaches in Barbados, the Maldives and the Seychelles were created from a template that has ‘Made On Mull’ stamped on it!

Between beaches, we tramped across stretches of boggy coastal grassland and moor, where colonies of orchids were beginning to reveal themselves. The Heath Spotted Orchid is, probably, the most common member of this rather aristocratic family of flowers on the Isle of Mull. The first spikes of this prolific orchid open in late May and soon local moorlands will be carpeted with these aesthetically pleasing, if rather variable, white-pink flowers. Orchid enthusiasts on the island have identified no fewer than 18 different species. These are fascinating plants which rely on an intimate relationship with fungi in order to obtain the necessary nourishment to thrive in wet, nutrient deficient soil.

Smaller than hoped for numbers of butterflies have been on the wing this Spring on Mull. The cool, northerly winds that have been a feature of late on the island haven’t helped, so we were delighted to come across our first Small Heath of the season. This tiny butterfly, with its attractive orange-brown forewing, is common in grassy areas and heaths on Mull and may be seen flying in habitats that it shares with the Heath Spotted Orchid.

Nesting Common Gulls breed in isolation or in colonies around Mull’s coast. It is a stressful time for these noisy gulls, as parenthood beckons. The eggs in the gullery that we visited this week will soon hatch and parents will have the responsibility of trying to protect their offspring from marauding Buzzards and Ravens, as well as from other Common Gulls that have nested nearby!

The cooler, polar airstream provided one advantage. The temperatures may not have been suitable for deck chairs and ice cream, but the wind direction helped give our views across the sea to Rum, Eigg and Skye a greater clarity. The seascapes around the Isle of Mull, in every direction, are second to none and our walks this week have further emphasised what we already know, that ‘Made in Mull’ is best!

Mull's Musical Maverick

2010-05-21T21:42:00.009+01:00

Here at Mull Magic, we believe birdsong to be one of Mother Nature’s greatest phenomena. We would simply be bereft without the free of charge musical accompaniment that emanates from every Tobermory garden each Springtime. Whether it be the simple, some say monotonous, song of a House Sparrow or the more complex and mellifluous refrain of a Blackbird, birdsong is something that we greatly enjoy and would never take for granted. It is beyond our comprehension to hear of people who conduct their lives oblivious to the various avian outpourings that assault our ears at this time of year.

‘International Dawn Chorus Day’, which was held on 2nd May this year, comes a little too early for the Isle of Mull, as many of our returning migrants have not yet put in an appearance, to help swell the sound of the island’s resident songsters. Mull Magic believes that setting your alarm for a pre-dawn awakening on a mid-May morning is something that every nature lover on Mull should do, at least once in a lifetime!

Our own Mull Magic alarm clock is administered by several male Blackbirds that compete for territorial rights in our Tobermory garden. The island’s ‘Dawn Chorus’ is like a huge avian orchestra. Resident Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Dunnocks, Robins and Song Thrushes commence their song cycles early in the year and use the weeks before the return of our Summer visitors to fine tune their performances in time for the start of the Proms season – bird style!

At Mull Magic, in case you didn’t know, we don’t play favourites. However, we do admit to having a soft spot for our resident male Song Thrush, who keeps us entertained with his vocal repetition. Not for him the flutey romanticism of his Blackbird neighbours. Rather, if our Song Thrush has something to say, he makes sure that the whole of Tobermory is going to know about it!

If the Blackbird is the Jean Sibelius of the Tobermory ‘Dawn Chorus’, then the Song Thrush is Igor Stravinsky. Something of a musical revolutionary, it’s rant is packed with stylistic diversity. The Isle of Mull’s equivalent of a Nightingale, the Song Thrush is said to have as many as 220 variations to it’s song. That makes the bird that is singing in the garden as we write this more prolific than Lennon and MacCartney. Some say that their songbook only contains 200 ditties. How pop-tastic is that?

Mull’s Ethereal and Exquisite Glamour

2010-05-21T16:37:00.009+01:00

The Treshnish headland is a remote, wild and rugged region of North-West Mull, which offers fabulous walking all-year-round, with the added bonus that the views are simply to die for! The location for today’s walk is one of our favourites on the island and one that we never tire of. The drizzle and mist of yesterday had decided to hang around a little longer, yet this allowed us to view the Treshnish archipelago in all its ethereal beauty, which is something that only the most seasoned of walkers get the chance to appreciate.

On climbing up to the flat top of Dun Haunn, an Iron Age fortification, we had a bird’s eye view out over the sea. The dark hulk of Lunga, the principal member of the Treshnish group stood head and shoulders above the smaller Cairn na Burgh islands, which lie at its North-East fringe. Today, the larger island is home to thousands of nesting seabirds and is something of a ‘Puffin Central’ in these waters. Unlikely as it may seem today, Lunga previously housed a human population of around 20 residents, the last of whom departed the island in 1857. The remains of the black houses can still be seen and leave us to reflect on the life and times of a bygone age, when seabirds and their eggs would have been an important part of the islander’s diet.

Sitting in our lofty position within the fort allowed us to scan the stony beach below, where a pair of Oystercatchers and Ringed Plovers had chosen to nest, far above the high tide mark of decaying seaweed. The nests were little more than a shallow depression in the ground, which were decorated with broken shells. The background colour of the eggs of both species is similar and blends perfectly with the pebbly environment of the nest location. This cryptic camouflage greatly protects the nests from being found by potential predators.

The female Oystercatcher had laid three eggs in her clutch, whereas the Ringed Plover had four eggs in its scrape. Oystercatcher’s tend to lay two or three eggs, although complete clutches of four eggs can be found. After locating the nests, we were mindful not to outstay our welcome and paused only to take a photograph before leaving both pairs to continue with their incubation duties.

The orchid season has well-and-truly begun on Mull and we were delighted to come across a few small colonies of Early Purple Orchids as we walked among the coastal grassland at Treshnish. Orchids are our ‘celebrity’ flowers, here on the island, as each species has a particular beauty and glamour of its own.

These exquisite flowers are special to many and Mull Magic always experience a special delight when we come across these beautiful plants. The Early Purple is the first of our orchids to come into flower and, on the nearby moorland, we notice that it won’t be long before the Heath Spotted Orchid follows suit. Shortly, we won’t be able to walk far for fear of trampling on these most prolific of local orchids!

To share more wonderful photographic memories of our walk along the coastline at the Treshnish headland, click on the following link http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/album.php?aid=170081&id=62130039800&ref=mf

Where have all the Stonechats gone?

2010-05-21T00:05:00.007+01:00

Strange as it may sound, it has been raining here on the Isle of Mull these past couple of days. Nothing heavy, of course, but the gentle breeze has found it very difficult to shift the drizzle and accompanying scotch mist, which, on occasion, has reduced visibility to a premium. At Mull Magic we have been blessed with a rather fecund imagination. Not only can we see the sun on the cloudiest of days, our palette allows us to paint a vivid portrait of our island’s life-affirming sea and landscapes, even when they are shrouded in mist!

Our walk today had its origins in the picturesque village of Dervaig, located at the head of Loch Cuin, in the North-West of the island. Established in 1799 by MacLean of Coll, Laird of the nearby Quinish Estate, the village is dominated today by the white, pencil-shaped, steeple of Kilmore Church, which was built in 1905. Similarly shaped churches, though not uncommon in Ireland, are rare in Scotland.

Despite some earlier misgivings on account of the day’s weather, our extended walk through the estate to Quinish Point proved to be exceptionally fruitful, with over 60 species of birds recorded. While it is always more comfortable to watch wildlife in fine weather, sometimes it is the days when conditions seem less than ideal that provide you with the best sightings and experiences!

For its largest part, the Isle of Mull is an upland environment. Beginning to show itself on the local Quinish moorland were the pink and white flowerheads of the downy perennial, Mountain Everlasting. Considering its name, it is somewhat incongruous to think that this attractive member of the daisy clan should be found growing barely a stone’s throw from the sea, here on Mull!

Having emerged from their Winter hibernation in recent weeks, the large and attractive caterpillars of The Drinker moth are conspicuous on the island at present. Locally common in areas of rough grassland and moorland, it is hard to avoid these colourful larvae, such has been their widespread abundance. Named after the caterpillar’s supposed habit of drinking dew from a variety of its food plants, it is not until later in the Summer that the adult moths will be on the wing.

Local nature lovers have been lamenting the lack of sightings of one of Mull’s favourite small birds. One of a triumvirate of chats that breed on the island, the Stonechat is the only member of the trio that is resident all-year-round on Mull. Its close relatives, the Wheatear and Whinchat, both choose to migrate at the end of the breeding season to overwinter in warmer climes in Africa. Stonechats can be particularly susceptible to prolonged cold spells and their population can be decimated as a result. The Winter past has been officially recognised as being the most severe in living memory on the island and it seems that many of our local Stonechat population have paid the ultimate price for their sedentary lifestyle. We thought ourselves lucky to be able to get such good views of this delightful wee bird today and very much hope that our remaining Stonechats enjoy a successful season.

When Best Kept Secrets Are For Sharing

2010-05-18T15:36:00.011+01:00

Sometimes, here at Mull Magic, we are not very good at keeping secrets. Especially, when we feel that the ‘secret’ in question deserves to be shared with the rest of the world. One such ‘secret’ that we have found is the wonderful Drimnin Ferry, run by Ardnamurchan Charters, that operates twice weekly during its Summer timetable, enabling passengers from Tobermory to visit the nearby Scottish mainland on Morvern.

We often wondered just what ‘our’ island looked like from across the Sound of Mull. Being so used to living and walking on the Isle of Mull and gazing over to Auliston Point and the entrance to Loch Sunart, it has been fabulous to see our home from a fresh perspective and to enjoy the views in reverse!

The woodlands were alive with bird song as we stepped from the boat after our short sea crossing from Tobermory. The sound of newly arrived migrants, such as Wood Warbler and Blackcap, competed for airspace with the tunes of resident songsters, like Blackbird and Chaffinch. Jousting for the right to forecast the forthcoming Summer’s weather, the canopy of oak and ash was contemplating bursting into leaf, allowing light to penetrate to the woodland floor, which was carpeted with the flowers of Dog’s Mercury, Dog Violet, Lesser Celandine, Primrose, Wood Anemone and Wood Sorrel.

The well-known and often cited ‘Oak before Ash, in for a splash’ saying really bears no significance as to how much rainfall we can expect in the Summer months, here in Argyll and the Islands. Scientists maintain that, being more responsive to warmer temperatures than Ash, the Oak will normally come in to leaf sooner. At Mull Magic, we like to promote the wonderful weather that our little corner of the world enjoys and take with a large pinch of salt the findings of science, on this occasion!

Spring has brought some magnificent weather to these parts, although our most recent venture to Morvern was marked by a very chilly Northerly airflow. The cold wind decidedly took the edge off the temperature we could otherwise have hoped for, considering the glorious sunshine. Owing to its colour, the Green Hairstreak is a very distinctive butterfly that is usually on the wing in early May. Extracting whatever early nectar that they could find, the first two insects that we encountered must have got one heck of a shock when they emerged in the Arctic chill that has been masquerading as our Scottish Spring!

April is the month when Blackthorn hedgerows are at their blooming best in the West Highlands, yet the cooler conditions seem to have prolonged this prickly shrub's flowering well in to the fifth month and afforded us something of a ‘Blackthorn Winter’. With a long association of dispelling dark forces and malevolent spirits, various parts of the plant are used to make tea and other medicinal beverages. Mull Magic enjoys harvesting the bluish berries when ripe and delights in pleasantly absorbing the protection that drinking a glass of sloe gin can provide!

Meeting Ourselves Coming Backwards

2010-05-16T20:55:00.006+01:00

It is said that as history moves forward, our knowledge of it travels backwards. The past 10 days have been something of a whirlwind for Mull Magic and, in writing of our recent past, it really does feel like we have been meeting ourselves coming the other way!

Speinne Mor is the highest summit in North Mull. At 1,457 feet it is less than half the height of our island’s only Munro, Ben More (3,169 ft). Nonetheless, the 360 degree panorama that the ascent up to the cairn of this ‘half Munro’ affords is truly spectacular, with incomparable views as far as the eye and mind can see.

To the North, beyond the Isle of Mull’s principal town, Tobermory, lies the Ardnamurchan peninsula, where the Cuillin hills of Rum and Skye tower in the distance above the village of Kilchoan. Travelling clockwise, the eye is guided East along much of the length of the Sound of Mull, past the green and fertile island of Lismore, marking the entrance to Loch Linnhe. Beyond, the hills of the West Highlands dominate the skyline, stretching from the twin peaks of Ben Cruachan and culminating in the range of mountains that includes Britain’s biggest, Ben Nevis. Away to the South, the sandy beaches on the holy Isle of Iona glistened in the Spring sunshine - shame they did not do so on Thursday for our Corncrake Walk on the island. However, that’s another story!

The cairn on top of Speinne Mor is idiosyncratic, to say the least! Rather than the usual heap of stones, inserted in to the rock pile is none other than a broken mountain bike frame. This metalwork within the masonry commemorates the many gruelling hours that Tobermory mechanic, Steve MacInnes, put in over the years while training for major Cyclocross competitions. In all weather, Steve could be seen running up and down Speinne Mor with the bike frame on his back, in order to develop the necessary level of fitness required to compete at the highest level in his chosen sport.

Should anyone feel compelled to pack a few tools, handlebars and a couple of tyres in their rucksack, the descent down Mull’s mini-mountain would be interesting. Unfortunately, we had to carry lunches, soup, water, first aid kit, extra clothing etc. etc, so had to forego the bike ride home!

An Island Fit For Kings (and Hitler’s Groupies).

2010-05-04T12:36:00.010+01:00

It’s not every day that you are party to a little piece of history in the making, but Sunday past was one such day for ‘Mull Magic’. The venue was the privately owned island of Inch Kenneth, which lies on the bottom lip at the mouth of Loch na Keal. The occasion was the first ever commercial landing to the island, organised by local company, ‘Mull Charters’, operated by husband and wife, Martin and Judith Keivers.

Very few of the world’s population of 6,818,700,000 have even heard of Inch Kenneth, never mind set foot on the island, so we really did feel very special to be among the chosen few on this inaugural visit.

Dominated by the forbidding hulk of the 200 metre high cliffs at Gribun on the nearby mainland of Mull, Inch Kenneth occupies a truly quintessential Hebridean setting. Only one mile in length and half that distance at its widest, the island provides easy walking surrounded by some of the most heart-stirring scenery on the Isle of Mull.

Composed of sedimentary conglomerates and limestones, Inch Kenneth is a fertile oasis amidst the volcanic lava flows that predominate much of Mull’s landscapes. The island’s fine, sandy soil promotes flower-rich grassland in Spring and Summer, while providing nourishment for a 200-strong herd of Barnacle Geese that arrive each Autumn from breeding grounds in Greenland.

Once regarded as second only to Iona in its ecclesiastical importance during Medieval times, Inch Kenneth has found a certain notoriety more recently which, no doubt, adds to the island’s allure. Once the home of the song writer and philanthropist, Sir Harold Bolton, who penned the lyrics to the ‘Skye Boat Song’, the island became (in)famous during the Second World War due to its connection with the Mitfords, a minor aristocratic English family, who purchased the 19th century mansion house in 1938.

One of six sisters, Unity Mitford was a staunch supporter of the Fascist movement and an admirer of Adolf Hitler, with whom she became a friend. Held back in her early life by her prettier and more clever sisters, Unity craved attention and developed a desire to shock. An exhibitionist, with a coarse sense of humour, Unity discovered that her love of Nazism allowed her to stand out from the crowd. Having attempted suicide, with a pistol given to her by the Fuhrer, when the Second World War was declared, Unity returned to Britain and spent her last years on Inch Kenneth. There she spent her time improvising religious services in the medieval chapel and planning her own funeral.

Unity was only one of a highly colourful family full of stylish ideals and controversial political alliance. The Mitford’s association with Inch Kenneth has given this idyllic little island a mystique that many would find hard to believe. However, there is much, much more to the beautiful and lush island of Inch Kenneth than the Mitfords and, having finally set foot on its hallowed turf, ‘Mull Magic’ can’t wait to go back on a further voyage of discovery and enlightenment! For more photographs of Inch Kenneth taken on this momentous occasion, go to the Mull Magic Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mull-Magic/62130039800

The Unnatural Side of Nature

2010-04-28T20:13:00.009+01:00

The news that the Isle of Mull’s ‘celebrity’ White-tailed Eagles, ‘Skye’ and ‘Frisa’, have failed with their breeding attempt this year is very sad news for the island. The Loch Frisa birds’ first egg hatched during particularly cold and damp weather and the young eaglet wasn’t able to withstand the low temperatures it experienced during the first hours of it’s life. Mother Nature can be cruel, but nests, eggs and young are lost to the elements every year. So much time, effort and expertise are invested in our Sea Eagles, making it much more difficult for people to comprehend when things don’t turn out as planned. To many, ‘Skye’ and ‘Frisa’ have become ‘part of the family’ and their misfortune will be sorely felt, given that 2010 marks the 25th anniversary since these majestic raptors returned to breed on Mull.

A pair of Blackbirds chose to nest in the ‘Mull Magic’ garden this Spring. Throughout March and April, the mellifluous tones of ‘Bertie’(the male) has greeted the dawning of each new day and acted as our alarm clock. We watched with tremendous respect and no little admiration as his mate, ‘Bessie’, laid the foundations necessary for their first breeding attempt of the season. Just where did she get all that energy from? Whenever we looked, ‘Bessie’ could be seen rooting about in the garden, collecting a beakful of moss, mud, leaves and grasses that she would weave in to her unique feat of avian architecture. ‘Bessie’ put her all into making a house and home fit to cradle her eggs and chicks, while ‘Bertie’ serenaded the love of his life from a lofty perch in a cherry tree.

Within a day of putting the finishing touches to her nest, ‘Bessie’ had laid the first of her beautiful blue-green, speckled with warm brown, eggs. Every morning for the next two days, she would sit tight on her nest and add to her clutch. That ‘Bessie’ completed her egg-laying after the third egg was unusual, as Blackbirds usually lay four or five eggs in their first clutch of the season. The likelihood is that ‘Bertie’ and ‘Bessie’ were first-time buyers and inexperienced at the mating game.

We sat back in anticipation of young Blackbirds parading around the ‘Mull Magic’ garden in late May. For once, the thought of being ‘parents’ again (at our age) didn’t fill us with dread! However, as ‘Bessie’ settled down to brood her eggs disaster struck. ‘Bessie’ was off-the-nest and nowhere to be seen. On closer inspection, we found that the nest had been toppled and the eggs lay smashed on the ground. Peering guiltily up at us from the base of the ornamental conifer was the culprit…a marauding domestic cat!

Around 8 million cats live in Britain. Not every cat hunts wild birds or likes to bring home ‘gifts’ of mice or voles to its owner. However, pet cats account for a minimum of 100,000,000 bird deaths in Britain each year. ‘Mull Magic’ likes cats, but realise that they often represent the unnatural side of nature. ‘Bertie’ and ‘Bessie’, like ‘Skye’ and ‘Frisa’, will get another chance at success!

Tobermory’s Link to St. Columba Unearthed

2010-04-27T17:53:00.005+01:00

We always knew that our wonderful Isle of Mull was just that wee bit special. An island enveloped by the most breathtakingly stunning scenery to be found anywhere in the British Isles, we’ve always believed Mull to possess remarkable restorative powers that help heal the stresses of everyday life. Now, thanks to a remarkable archaeological discovery, highlighted during last weekend’s ‘Time Team’ programme on Channel Four, it appears that the whole world has awakened to the importance of the island as being part of a medieval template of Christianity in Scotland.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims make their way to the Holy Isle of Iona each year to absorb the island’s unique cultural and spiritual ambience. The monastery at Iona was founded in the late 6th century by Irish missionary monks, whose leader, Saint Columba, is hailed as the founding father of Christianity in Scotland. With the discovery of an early monastic cell, what was previously a pile of grass and moss covered boulders, hidden away in a spruce plantation on the outskirts of Tobermory, has suddenly assumed huge significance.

Dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries, the stone chapel and piece of carved Celtic altar cross that were unearthed, suggest that the land which now houses the island’s ‘capital’ would have previously been occupied by an early Christian community. In pursuit of their faith, these hermits would have lived an ascetic existence in often harsh conditions. Closely allied to Iona and the teaching bequeathed by Saint Columba, this settlement would have had its own leading monk, the fragmented skull bones of whom were uncovered during the archaeological dig. These bones have survived the ravages of 1300 years of acid erosion in Mull’s waterlogged soil.

Present day Tobermory is barely 200 years old, but the surrounding area bears testimony to a Neolithic past. In a field, adjacent to where the monastery was discovered, rise the Baliscate Standing Stones, erected by early Muileachs during the Bronze Age. The Isle of Mull is alive with myth and magic, where legend, at times, blends seamlessly with reality. Sometimes, that reality can appear even stranger than fiction! Today, in 2010, Tobermory is celebrating the news that the town has its very own Saint, a character mentored in the fashion of the Irish monk who brought Christianity to this previously pagan island.

Tom Thumb and the Awesome Giant

2010-04-25T21:00:00.008+01:00

You couldn’t think of two more contrasting birds on the Isle of Mull than the tiny Goldcrest and the enormous White-tailed Eagle. The former, measuring barely 9cm from tip of bill to base of tail, is the smallest bird on the island, whilst the Sea Eagle (as it is often called) sometimes appears to be larger than life itself, with it’s 2.5 metre wingspan and weighing in at a hefty 7 kilograms.

We had the unusual prospect of rain to contend with as we set out on today’s walk, which took us in to the heart of one of the ten territories of Mull’s White-tailed Eagle population. It has been a fractious last few days for everyone involved in ‘Eaglewatch’, the scheme set up to protect these magnificent raptors here on the island. Concern has been expressed that all may not be well with some of our ‘celebrity’ eagles and we fear the worst that this breeding season may not prove to be as successful as was hoped. We were pleased and just a little relieved that all appeared to be well with the local pair on today’s walk and our guests were thrilled to bits with their first ever encounter with this awesome giant of Mull’s birds.

Despite the low cloud and intermittent drizzle, the air was alive with the sound of birdsong, as we made our way through the Sitka Spruce plantation, near the head of Loch na Keal. The most severe Winter in living memory on Mull must surely have had an impact on the survival chances of the island’s smallest birds, yet all-around was heard the thin, high-pitched, spiralling song of the tiniest of them all, the Goldcrest. Specially adapted to glean an existence at the tips of conifer branches, the Goldcrest is our ‘Tom Thumb’ bird, yet what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in heart!

The hills and moors of Mull are inhospitable places to live and those plants and animals that choose to do so have to have something special about them. The Lousewort is one such plant. Despite its rather unattractive name, this is a plant that really does what it says on the tin! As a hemi-parasite, it obtains much of its nourishment from the roots of neighbouring moor grass. However, as it has green leaves, it is also able to manufacture its own food by harnessing the energy of the sun. The pink flowers are sugar-rich and used to be a common between-meals snack for children in days of old.

Blue Fades to Grey

2010-04-23T14:41:00.011+01:00

It was a grey day yesterday in North Mull, although the already parched ground continued to be denied the April showers that usually fall from the clouds at this time of year. It’s not often that gardeners on the island cry out for rain, but a little moisture from the heavens would prevent watering cans from being over-worked this early in the growing season!

The estate at Glengorm provided the venue for our walk and the overcast sky did nothing to dampen our enjoyment or enthusiasm for this magnificent setting, with it’s marvellous outlook North across the Sound of Mull. It is an area rich in local history, with a suggested human occupancy dating back over 4,000 years.

The imposing baronial castle was built during the period of the infamous Highland Clearances in the mid-19th century. The landowner, James Forsyth, evicted the incumbent tenant farmers, in order to finalise plans to make the estate suitable for hunting, fishing and stalking. It is said that one elderly woman that suffered eviction placed a curse on the landowner saying that he would never live to see the castle finished. Forsyth died in a riding accident before the building of the castle was completed in 1863. The castle at Glengorm takes it’s present name from the Gaelic ‘gorm’, meaning ‘blue’ and commemorates the days of the clearances when smoke from the burning homesteads would have filled the glen.

The Standing Stones at Glengorm were erected in a commanding location, looking out to sea. Their position is believed to be aligned with Ben More, the highest mountain on the Isle of Mull. One of the stones fell over and has been re-erected, but not in what was thought to be its original position. The stones are surrounded by an enclosure of rocks that also appears to be more modern in its make-up.

The ancient castle of Dun Ara sits impressively atop a rocky promontory, offering stunning seascapes to the North and West, as far as the eye can see. Yesterday, however, the blue of the sea had merged as one with the grey sky, reducing visibility and all but removing the Small Isles from our view. Occupied by the Mackinnon clan in the Middle Ages, this fort dates back to Iron Age times. If only the rocks of these settlements could speak, what a story concerning man’s involvement on the island would be told. However, like those of the notorious Clearances, perhaps we had better cover our ears, for fear that we might not like what stories we may hear!

Where The Sun Shines On The Cloudiest Of Days

2010-04-20T18:53:00.008+01:00

Our guests to the island in recent weeks have been amazed at how well the weather has behaved itself. The temperature may have taken a dip, but Mull has basked in wall-to-wall sunshine of late, helping to keep a smile on everyone’s faces and their early tans topped up.

Some people have the ill-informed notion that the West Highlands and Islands are among the wettest places in the British Isles. Many will be astonished to learn that Tobermory has barely seen a drop of rain since before Christmas. Should Mull enjoy the warm Spring and hot Summer that many hope for, it may not be too long before the island suffers a water shortage and calls for a hose-pipe ban. The Isle of Mull really is the one location where the sun shines even on the cloudiest of days!

Ben More (3,169 ft) is the only Munro on the Isle of Mull and the highest mountain in the Hebrides outside of the Isle of Skye. As a result of it’s island status, Mull’s ‘Matterhorn’ is often the last of Scotland’s 283 Munros to be bagged by hillwalkers. The views from the top, north to the peaks of Rum and Skye, southwards to the Paps of Jura, have been particularly clear and impressive recently, as very little cloud has flirted with the summit. However, anyone walking along the scree slopes of Mull’s magnetic mountain yesterday would have encountered the rare phenomenon of a passing shower, temporarily obliterating any view from the island’s loftiest perch.

A high percentage of the diet of Mull’s earliest settlers would have been plant based. Gorse is a rather prickly shrub that grows throughout the island. It is a profusion of vibrant, yellow flowers, which are deliciously coconut-scented. As well as providing woody stems that could be used as fuel, the sweet flowers may have been used to flavour the drinks of the island’s first inhabitants. Visitors, however, shouldn’t expect to see such a liquid being proffered from the optics of any of the island’s bars or hotels today!

A Haunting Reminder of a Shameful Past

2010-04-16T09:49:00.006+01:00

Our walk yesterday took us to the West side of the Isle of Mull, where a five minute boat journey landed us on the Isle of Ulva, another of our fabulous ‘get away from it all’ locations. Described as an open air museum of social and natural history, this little island really is unique and well worthy of it’s claim to be ‘A World Apart’. Ulva is a step back in time, where early hunter gatherer-fishers would have lived in local caves and Bronze Age people raised megaliths that continue to defy explanation. Purged by the infamous and inhuman Highland Clearances, a time when sheep were preferred to people, the ruins of 16 former settlements dot the island, where a once thriving community of 600 crofting folk lived during the heyday of the kelp industry in the early 1800’s. Today, 200 years on, the island retains a population of only 11 residents, who live without many of the public services most of us take for granted.

Early settlers, who lived on the island around 3,500 years ago, erected Standing Stone monuments that remain a mysterious legacy to a pre-Christian era. We visited both of the settings of these fascinating structures on Ulva and pondered their archaeoastronomical significance. As strange as it may seem to us today, the island’s Bronze Age inhabitants were committed sky watchers, who used the position of the sun, moon and stars to align these stones, which may have acted as a calendar for their lives.

The deserted villages of Ormaig and Cragaig are a haunting reminder of an unhappy period of Ulva’s past. Today, the ruined remains of these settlements provide a shameful lesson in Mull and the Isle of Ulva’s social history. When the bottom that fell out of the kelp boom was exacerbated by the failure of the potato harvest in 1846-47, the island was forcibly depopulated of people. The memory of those relocated to other parts of Scotland, North America and Australia lives on in the spine-tingling beauty of the location of these townships, looking West to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles, and South to the holy Isle of Iona. It is hard to imagine such human cruelty and hardship of the past amid the sunshine and shimmering silver seas of the present.

Mull Magic Abroad - The Sequel

2010-04-14T22:59:00.007+01:00

You could be forgiven for thinking that we were overlooking an idyllic, sun-kissed bay in Antigua or the Azores. However, the reality is that for Antigua, West Indies read Ardnamurchan, the most westerly location on mainland Great Britain! With an azure blue sky and a shimmering, aquamarine sea, there is no better place in the world to be, than here in the West Highlands when the sun is shining.

The Ardnamurchan countryside, which is founded on an ancient collapsed volcano, provided us with some wonderful wilderness walking, despite the fact that we were never more than a couple of miles from habitation at any time. Spring had yet to arrive in the Ardnamurchan hills, with the brown colours of Autumn in need of refreshing and in complete contrast to the canvas painted by a dazzling blue sky.

Little stirred as we climbed to our rocky viewpoint, high above the Sound of Mull, where we were treated to the most incredible vistas, West to Ardnamurchan lighthouse and East to a line in the distance depicting the Isle of Mull’s three highest mountains, Dun da Ghaoithe, Ben Talaidh and Ben More. As we settled down for lunch, our eyes were attracted to the natural art that adorned the rocks and, in particular, to the distinctive blood-red fruiting discs of Red-Eye Lichen.

As we walked among the fields and gardens of the local village, our ears were assaulted by a cacophony of birdsong. April is the month when the intensity and diversity of the West Highland ‘Dawn Chorus’ increases. Resident songsters, like Blackbird, Song Thrush, Dunnock and Robin, find their airspace invaded by returning Summer migrants, including Willow Warbler and Blackcap. The Chaffinch may be the most ubiquitous bird in this part of the Highlands, yet its cheery demeanour and rollicking, staccato warble never fails to put a smile on our faces. ‘Mull Magic’ may be used to seeing ‘celebrity’ birds and animals on our walks on the island, yet we have a truly egalitarian approach to our wildlife watching. The cheeky Chaffinch gives us just as much pleasure as a majestic Golden Eagle (and it has a far better singing voice, to boot)!

Mull Magic Abroad

2010-04-13T21:12:00.006+01:00

Spring had barely arrived on the Isle of Mull when it was leapfrogged by Summer. At least that’s how it has seemed these past few days, as the mercury has soared towards an unseasonal 70 degrees Fahrenheit throughout Argyll and the Islands. Not for the first time, the weather here on the island has been the envy of many elsewhere in the British Isles. Who says it always rains in this part of the world?

Taking full advantage of the area’s newly acquired continental climate, ‘Mull Magic’ slapped on the Factor 30 and headed off-island on a ‘busman’s holiday’ to the nearby Scottish mainland. The rugged coastline of Morvern is, in many ways, even more remote than the Isle of Mull and offers us the ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of the thriving metropolis that is Tobermory!

The short sea crossing of the Sound of Mull gave us the chance to relax and soak up the outstanding views back to the island’s picturesque ‘capital’. The broad shoulders of Ben Hiant loomed large over Ardnamurchan, while Mull’s third highest summit, Ben Talaidh, appeared suitably atmospheric in the hazy morning glow.

Despite being separated by only a few nautical miles, the wildlife communities of the Isle of Mull and its mainland neighbours show several differences. The island boasts a large population of Red Deer, as well as two small herds of introduced Fallow Deer, but no Roe Deer. Early in our walk yesterday, we startled a pair of Roe bucks in a sunny glade and they sprinted off to find suitable cover in a fashion that would have left Usain Bolt standing!

‘Mull Magic’ has been concerned about the effect the snow and ice of last Winter will have on the island’s population of butterflies and moths. During our visit to the adjacent mainland, we were delighted to be entertained by several Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies that have recently shaken off the torpor of hibernation. Our fingers are crossed that this coming Summer on the Isle of Mull will be to the liking of these beautiful creatures.

Winter With Leaves On

2010-04-10T22:30:00.006+01:00

With the sun returning to the Northern hemisphere on Saturday 20th March, this officially marked the ‘First Day of Spring’ in 2010. If things were only that simple, here on the Isle of Mull! The six week period between the beginning of May and mid-June were previously regarded as being the best of the year, weather-wise, in the West Highlands. Consequently, these weeks became known as Springtime on Mull. However, with the advent of global warming, the seasons now appear to run into each other. So much so, ‘Mull Magic’ believes that only two seasons can be safely separated on the island - Winter and Winter with leaves on!

You don’t have to venture far from the island’s principal town, Tobermory, to enjoy an exhilarating walk, amid some of the most breathtakingly beautiful scenery in Scotland. The lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall (‘Strangers’ Point’) is a strategic landmark that marks the Western entrance to the Sound of Mull. Built in 1857, by the grandfather of the author, Robert Louis Stevenson, the location offers exceptional views across the Sound to the village of Kilchoan, on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. In the distance, the Troll mountains of the Isle of Rum raise their heads high above the village. These mountains have Norse names, which are a present day reminder of the influence Vikings held in these Isles of the West, 1,000 years ago.

The Wheatear is one of the first Summer migrants to reappear on the Isle of Mull each Spring. Often showing face before March is out, the males are resplendent in their smart, nuptial attire. Looking like miniature highwaymen, with their black face masks, the all-singing-and-dancing males bring fresh colour and vitality to sheep pasture that has been all-too-quiet since their departure last Autumn.

Aros Park is a glittering jewel in Tobermory’s crown, from where our guests today enjoyed the multi-coloured façade of the town’s waterfront in the warm, afternoon sunshine. Formerly an active estate, the park fell into neglect, but was purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1959 and opened to the public in the late 1960’s. A programme of scrub clearing, re-planting and general maintenance has reclaimed some of the park’s glory from the past.

The extensive woodlands are home to a pleasing variety of local flora and fauna, including one of the island’s earliest Spring flowers, the Lesser Celandine. A profusion of these attractive yellow-flowered plants, with heart-shaped leaves, carpet woods throughout the island in April. Plants in times gone by were used to treat parts of the body which they resembled. One of the colloquial names for this member of the buttercup family is pilewort, but, try as we might, ‘Mull Magic’ has failed miserably to see the connection!

A Glowing Complexion, Mull Magic Style

2010-04-05T15:56:00.009+01:00

Although Mull Magic walks all-year-round, the Easter holiday weekend traditionally heralds the start of the tourist season on the island. Typically, April on the Isle of Mull is a month when the weather has difficulty making its mind up. Being on the cusp of the seasons, April can often be more Winter than Spring, but the weather for our Easter Weekend walks threw a little bit of everything at us!

The landscapes and scenery of the Isle of Mull and its surrounding area are exhilarating and inspiring, as well as being breathtakingly beautiful. Mull Magic is, of course, naturally biased, but we believe that the seascapes around the island, are not only unsurpassed in Scotland, but among the finest in the Western World. Our island views are steeped in social and natural history, dating back some 60 million years. Cast your eyes over our pages on Facebook to see some of the stunning scenes we managed to capture this past weekend on our walks around the island.

The Isle of Mull is, ostensibly, an upland environment which, at times, can appear hostile and unforgiving. Whether human, plant, bird or animal, you have to be made of stern stuff to live out your days on the hills and moors of the island.

Sphagnum moss is a plant that ticks all the right boxes and a strong case could be argued for it being the most useful plant on the island. Its uses have been championed throughout the millennia for a wide range of medicinal and household purposes. The thatched heather or bracken roofs of early settlements may even have had an insulating layer of sphagnum, in order to mop up the, at times, excessive Mull rainfall. Soaked in antiseptic and antibiotic properties, sphagnum was, amongst other things, the Isle of Mull’s original toilet tissue and disposable nappy. A handy thing to know if you ever get caught short in the Mull countryside!

The island’s cool, maritime climate and clean, unpolluted air make for a wonderfully healthy environment in which to live. Add the special ingredient of marvellous Mull mud and it’s easy to see why local residents have the cleanest skin and most glowing complexions of anyone living in the British Isles. Mud is a commodity that the Isle of Mull possesses in abundance and plans are currently afoot to export some of our best squelchy stuff to the mainland, such is its new found popularity as a cosmetic!! Cleopatra used to bathe in black mud from the Dead Sea, so why not think about the benefits you could derive from a face pack of our magnificent Mingary mud?

Many health spa’s offer pricey treatments combining water, salt, wind, mud and weightlessness. Unfortunately, a walk with Mull Magic cannot offer you weightlessness – carrying your own backpack with our gourmet packed lunch is essential!

In Like A Lamb, Out Like A Lion …!

2010-03-30T21:10:00.008+01:00

What a difference a day makes! It may only have been “24 little hours”, to quote the song, yet the contrast in the weather, here on the island, has been of chalk and cheese proportions. The idiom of March coming in like a lion, going out like a lamb looks as if it will be turned on its head this year, as Mull has received a snowy reminder that Winter hasn’t finished with the island just yet!

It is difficult to imagine, but up to the time of the infamous Highland Clearances and potato famine, the Isle of Mull supported a population of over 12,000 inhabitants. Today’s appointment with the past took us to the rough, exposed coastline of the North-west of the island where, in the 19th Century, cattle from the Small Isles, Coll and Tiree were landed to begin their long drove to markets on the mainland.

Huddled for shelter behind the ruins of the clachan at Ardantairbh, we pondered the inhumanity and injustice served upon families by bullying landowners who preferred to put sheep before people. Such clearance evictions, in the early half of the 19th Century, have become a brutal indictment of Mull’s history, foretelling the destruction of a previous way of life.

Clambering over rocks, blackened with tar lichen, we arrived at an impressive remnant of the island’s volcanic past. Moulded some 55 million years ago, the cast of an ancient tree’s rootball and trunk has been preserved on the shore. Having only been discovered as recently as 1984, this ‘fossil tree’ has largely escaped the ravages of time and the attentions of man. Thankfully, not being a true fossil, it will be safeguarded from the hammers of collectors, allowing visitors to marvel at its creation for some time to come.

Before returning to base, we made the short and not too steep climb towards the grassy plateau of one of several Iron Age fortifications that are found in the area. The wind’s icy blast dictated that we did not, on this occasion, make the final ascent to the top and the (quite literally) breathtaking panorama it affords. The views to Skye, the Small Isles, Ardnamurchan Point, Coll and Tiree are life-affirmingly spectacular on a good day. As this is one of our favourite walks, we know that those good photo days are just around the corner!

A Wallace and Gromit Trilogy

2010-03-26T12:28:00.008Z

Faced with the prospect of an empty page in the Mull Magic diary, we thought we’d do something a bit different with our free day. Hard as we tried, we couldn’t think of anything we would rather do, so we laced up our boots and headed out into the wonderful Mull countryside for A Grand Day Out!

Spring tends to stir late in the hills and glens of Mull and having just endured the most severe Winter in living memory the local countryside has been somewhat reluctant to shake off the shackles of its enforced hibernation. Today’s walk, through the hostile environment of wet, boggy moorland, led us to the foot of one of the island’s highest summits, Ben Talaidh (2,300 ft), where we paid our respects to the victims of a tragic wartime accident.

Birds, plants and animals have to be rather special to cope with the bleak and unforgiving conditions that exist in the uplands of Mull. The small groups of Red Deer stags that we encountered may be used to surviving on the meagre rations doled out on the hill, but the long weeks of snow and ice this Winter have taken their toll. Many of the stags, some of which were beginning to shed their antlers, looked thin and scruffy and in need of a pick-me-up that only the fresh growth of Spring can provide.

A fine herd of Highland Cattle were feeding at the edge of the track as we passed by on our route up the valley. There were many young, suckling calves within the group and we were keen not to cause their mothers any distress with our presence. Highland Cattle may be hefty, long-horned animals, yet they are remarkably docile in temperament – normally! One calf-less cow had obviously taken on a matriarchal role within the group and showed its displeasure at our presence. In doing so, it incited a frightening reaction from other members of the herd and, before we knew it, we were surrounded by an angry horde of baying animals, keen to protect their offspring. Having experienced A Close Shave, this was an experience that we didn’t wish to repeat, so we gave the beasts an even wider berth on our return!

With both respiration and acceleration rates quickened, we soon reached our lunch stop at the memorial cairn which commemorates the night of 1st February 1945, when a disorientated Dakota Mk IV aircraft crashed into the Ben Talaidh hillside. The mournful, bubbling call of a Curlew took on the role of a lone piper’s lament, evoking poignant memories of the passengers that perished on that fateful night.

The Wrong Trousers need no explanation but, all in all, it was A Grand Day Out!

Deluded Seal Tries To Bite Off More Than It Can Chew!

2010-03-23T20:40:00.006Z

Trash or treasure? Canada Geese may be regarded as pests throughout much of their British range, but, here on the Isle of Mull, they are still something of a novelty. Their numbers are steadily increasing on the island, yet they were unheard of as a breeding species locally as recent as a decade ago!

Common Seals are marvellous creatures, supremely adapted to their waterworld existence. As well as having an attractive cuteness that endears them to most, they also have a rogue-like side to their nature that has brought them into conflict with man in the West Highlands. They may be generalised fish-eaters, but Common Seals are opportunistic hunters and not averse to varying their diet with the occasional water bird.

As we descended from our walk today to the shore of the sea loch, our attention was aroused by an inquisitive seal that appeared to be stalking a pair of Canada Geese. Canada Geese are among the largest and heaviest of British birds, weighing in at a hefty 5 kg. Known to catch and dismember birds as large as Eider (2.5 kg), this seal may have been thinking of biting off more than it could chew.

Becoming increasingly agitated by the presence of this mammal, the geese weren’t for taking any chances and, rather wisely, decided not to hang around for any post mortem!

A Step Back in Time

2010-03-22T19:46:00.008Z

A Buzzard mewed, as the mist swirled and shrouded the hilltop, in a way befitting the mystery and intrigue of a place that once held far greater importance than it does today. A short walk from the pot-holed Salen to Tobermory highway had brought us to one of the most important prehistoric sites on the Isle of Mull, where a large number of Bronze Age sites can be explored in a small area.

Only one stone remains erect today, where once would have stood two sets of three impressive Standing Stones. It is interesting to note that the recumbent rocks may have been an act of early Christian vandalism, in an effort to hide the pagan stones. These stones would have been an important focus for the community of early Muileachs that once lived here. We speculated as to what their significance may have been in earlier times, during religious festivals or as primitive calendars.

The views along the Sound of Mull were commanding, where to the East, the characteristic outline of Ben Talaidh, Mull’s third highest summit, dominates the skyline on a clear day (but, not today)!

The wild, evocative music of a cock Mistle Thrush entered in to defiant battle with the elements as we made our way across the fields to an impressive kerb cairn, one of several early burial sites found in the area. When the rain relented, Skylarks, returning to their breeding grounds, were quick to seize the opportunity to mesmerise us with their towering song flights of pure, liquid sunshine. Hail to thee, Blithe Spirit!

We wandered towards the coast to the dilapidated stone walls of one of only two brochs that are known on the Isle of Mull. Iron Age duns and forts are common features on the island, but brochs were structures rarely built as far south as Mull. Little remains of what must have been an impressive building and we are left to wonder of a time that we can only ever return to in our imagination.

Keeping in Touch with Old Friends

2010-03-19T19:45:00.003Z

Our walk today gave us the chance to catch up with some old friends, the Isle of Mull’s most famous birds, the White-tailed Eagles at Loch Frisa. It is a fractious time of year for the island’s celebrity eagles, as well as for the mini-army of personnel, both professional and voluntary, that help to ensure their continued well-being. We dropped in to see how the most famous pair of White-tailed Eagles on the planet are getting on and were pleased to learn that they have settled down to nest after what has been an exceptionally cold Winter.

As we watched, the head of the incubating bird rose above the nest turret. It was obviously aware of something that we weren’t. Some way distant of the nest, we spotted another White-tailed Eagle, high in the sky. Soaring effortlessly on its huge, flat wings, it appeared to be showing no intention of coming anywhere near the nest site. Perhaps it was an adult bird from a nearby territory or simply one of several immature eagles that are occasionally seen in the area?

In what seemed seconds, the distant bird dropped from its lofty position in the clouds and glided towards the direction of the nest. Surely, this was the partner of the bird that was on nest duty?

The flight path to the nest was not without obstacles and a further few languid flaps of those enormous wings brought the eagle into the territory of a prospecting pair of Buzzards. Unannounced, the male Buzzard exploded from its perch and, with talons outstretched, clattered an almighty thump on the back of the passing eagle. Ouch! The hawk, tiny by comparison, rose quickly and made good to repeat its offensive. This time, the White-tailed Eagle had its wits about it and, with a deft shrug of its shoulder, managed to avoid being stung a second time. Talk about once bitten, twice shy!

The Buzzard, realising that the element of surprise had passed, retreated to its perch. The White-tailed Eagle continued on its way towards the nest tree but, instead of initiating a possible change-over with its mate, flew to a tall Spruce tree, where it was able to compose itself after its ordeal with its anti-social neighbour.

Birds of prey are continually being mobbed by smaller birds during their everyday lives. To most, it is a mere inconvenience, being little more than nuisance value. It has been likened to a human being bothered by midges on a warm, damp Summer evening on Mull. However, knowing the strength of a bird the size of a Buzzard and just how sharp its talons are, we don’t doubt for a second that, on this occasion, the White-tailed Eagle will have genuinely felt the presence of its smaller relative!

Mull Magic never fail to be impressed by these magnificent raptors and are fully supportive of all the effort that is made to ensure the continued well-being of the White-tailed Eagles at Loch Frisa and elsewhere on the Isle of Mull. Good luck to everyone involved with this year’s ‘Eaglewatch’ and not least to the great birds themselves!

Mull's Myths and Magic

2010-03-18T20:34:00.000Z

There was a bluster about today that we’d forgotten this Winter.
Not only was it pelting down with rain, but the wind had regained some of its lost vigour. We have been spoiled this Winter, as little rain has fallen for the past three months and it has seemed that Mother Nature’s bellows had run out of puff.

Mighty Oaks sheltered us on our walk to the Iron Age fort, in the hills above Salen. The trees were festooned with the natural art of a myriad of mosses and lichens, fascinating organisms that are among the oldest life forms known to man on Mull. We stopped to appreciate the colour, shape and texture of several species and to marvel at the ways that these versatile plants have been put to use by man for their purgative and astringent properties.

The climb to the fort is not arduous and the vistas are usually quite spectacular on a clear day, with views to Mull’s only Munro, Ben More, as well as Loch Frisa, the largest freshwater loch on the island. Today, the low, murky cloud shrouded our view back to the Sound of Mull and Aros Castle.

The full story of Mull’s human and natural history can be explored from the hill fort’s rocky terraces. Today, aided by the elements, the fort tried not to reveal its secrets, nor the surrounding landscape its magnificent splendour. However, the power of imagination should never be underestimated, for it often holds a key that will unlock such hidden treasures. We may not have seen all that we may have liked, yet in our mind’s eye we missed nothing. That is the myth and magic of Mull!

Today hasn’t been a day for taking photographs, but, in timeless Blue Peter fashion, please let us show you a couple that we made earlier. And, surprise, surprise there’s not a piece of sticky-backed plastic anywhere to be seen!

Feisty and Vibrant Showstoppers

2010-03-17T21:01:00.000Z

My boots are on, but the laces untied....

I haven’t had to walk very far to get my daily ‘fix’ of the wildlife that abounds on this wonderful island. As I write, I am absolutely transfixed by the manic mayhem that is taking place around the niger seed dispensers that are situated barely a few metres from my sitting room window, here in my Tobermory garden.

Today, there is a record number of Siskins fighting for their share of these power-packed little seeds. It is difficult to be sure, but I have counted 40 of these feisty and vibrant showstoppers, as they come and go. They seem to spend more time trying to prevent other birds from gaining access to an energy-rich snack than they do feeding themselves!

I feel sorry for the buzzy and even more exotic little Goldfinch that finds itself outnumbered, as it tries to sneak a beakful of goodies when the quarrelsome Siskins let their guard down.
It doesn’t stand a chance, and probably wastes more energy trying to fight its corner than it derives benefit from what food it manages to gulp down.

It is fantastic entertainment and what colour and noise. I find it difficult to know where to look, as my senses are bombarded with the vivid yellow aggressive display flashes of the cock Siskin’s wings and tail and the incessant chattering of birds that sit in the nearby cherry tree awaiting their turn.

It is amazing to think that the Siskin would have been very much rarer in these parts only a few decades ago when the prospect of sharing space with forty of these tiny and highly attractive finches would have been unheard of.

Time I got those laces tied!