![]() “White-tailed eagles became extinct in the UK in 1918 following hundreds of years of persecution. “There is now a healthy population on Mull but that wasn’t always the case,” explained David Sexton of RSPB Scotland, a wildlife preservation organization. But I learned that for almost 100 years, nary a White-Tailed Eagle could be found on Mull.Ī white tailed eagle in flight. ![]() Given Inner Hebrides Isle of Mull’s nickname of “Eagle Island,” it wasn’t long before I got a glimpse of this cousin to the American Bald Eagle. In the folds of valleys, crumbling remains of occasional stone houses stood sentinel. The MacLeans didn’t buy the ruin back until 1911 and it’s now fully restored as the seat of the current clan chief.” Why Isle of Mull Known as Eagle Islandįrom the ferry, we turned onto the A849, otherwise known as “the road to Iona.” This 35-mile, single-lane track, in use since ancient times, meandered across steep hills covered in pine, birch and larch. Pointing left at a dramatic silhouette on Mull’s craggy coast, he said “Duart Castle: the power- base of the MacLean clan from the 14th-century, though it passed into the hands of the ‘top dog’Ĭampbells in the 17th century. “These are the old sea-roads of Argyll, when powerful clans patrolled their territories in oared birlinns,” said Gilbert Summers, a Scottish travel writer. My quandary deepened when a traveling companion began to provide color commentary. Just moments out of the mainland port of Oban on the ferry bound for the Isle of Mull, I found myself rushing from one side of the deck to the other, torn between the vistas of both port and starboard. Isle of Mull Ferry Traverses Sea Road of Scottish Clans On the Isle of Mull and Iona, the compelling history and spectacular scenery compete for your attention at every turn-if you aren’t eagle-eyed, you are sure to miss a magic moment. The ferry ride from Oban to the Isle of Mull and Iona offers a dramatic view of Duart Castle, stronghold of the MacLean clan. ![]() Today, these mere specks in the Atlantic are drawing a new generation of seekers: some are among the Scottish diaspora’s 50 million members, others are modern-day pilgrims visiting the spot where Christianity reached Scotland, and many come to see the abundant wildlife of red deer, sea eagles, otters and puffins. ![]() Sites scattered across these islands tell Scotland’s story culturally, politically and spiritually. The Isle of Mull and neighboring Iona are two of the Inner Hebrides, islands off Scotland’s western seaboard, and a microcosm of more than 1,500 years of successive waves of settlers and invaders. ![]()
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