by : Douglas Scott

The Isle of Mull is the second largest island of the Inner Hebrides. The main village on Mull is Tobermory. Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the late 18th century. The harbour is always busy with fishing boats, yachts and the ferry to and from Kilchoan.

The BBC children's TV series Balamory features Tobermory. Many of the coloured houses actually exist and are positioned in, and around, the town of Tobermory.

The coastline alone covers 300 miles of the island. Mull is one of those rare and fortunate places which seem untouched by the passage of time. Large parts of Mull are genuine wilderness completely free of human settlements.

The economy is a mixture of farming, fishing, and tourism. Eating out is one of the pleasures of your holiday and Mull offer superb opportunities to enjoy fresh local produce.

It is very popular with divers too, possibly searching for gold bullion from the Spanish galleon Florida which took refuge in Tobermory bay in 1588 and was blown up by the local people.

There is a very small old distillery, it is the only one on the island of Mull. It reopened in 1990 after been closed for a decade. It has continued to market two products a malt and a blend whiskey. The distillery was founded in 1798 and the present buildings were erected during its first period of operation which continued until 1826. The distillery was then closed again for long periods in the mid 1800s and mid 1900s and was twice revived during the 1970s.

Mull is home to a vast range of wild life. It is one of the best places in Europe to see the Golden Eagle and White Tailed Sea Eagle. The centre of the island is mountainous and a haven for wild life and walkers. Ben More is the largest mountain and is traditionally known by walkers as The Last Munro. The highest of the Mull's hills, is the Munro.

MacKinnon's Cave is the deepest cave in the Hebrides. Like many Hebridean caves, it was thought to offer a passage to the under world of fairies even with out the myth and mystery, the cave is worth visiting.

Duart Castle, is the home of the Clan Maclean, dates from the mid 13th Century, it is the first landmark of Mull. The gathering of the clan takes place every 5 years at their ancestral home.