|
Carsaig
 The
road turns off from the hamlet of Pennyghael and takes you to
Carsaig Bay, one of the most scenically beautiful locations on
the south coast of Mull and a haven for geologists, walkers and
wildlife enthusiasts. The hamlet of Carsaig lies enclosed in a
natural amphitheatre of towering basalt cliffs, producing some
of the highest and most spectacular coastal scenery on the
island.
The views from the old pier and during a walk to the
world-renowned Carsaig Arches are breathtaking on a clear day,
when the Paps of Jura dominate the southern horizon alongside
the islands of Colonsay and Islay.
 Cast
an eye across the Firth of Lorn to the south-east, where the
line of the Garvellach Islands (‘Isles of the Sea’) may be
traced. The most southerly aligned of these four enchanting
isles, Eileach an Naoimh (‘Isle of the Saints’), shelters the
bee hive cells of early Celtic missionaries and is the reputed
resting place of St.Columba’s mother, Eithne.
Built upon foundations that stretch back over
unimaginable periods of time, the stunning landscapes present at
Carsaig owe their origins to the complex geology of an island
that continues to attract visitors from all over the world. The
highly dramatic columnar-jointed rock faces of the imposing
cliffs at Carsaig are a comparatively recent example of Mull’s
geological history, being formed during a prolonged period of
volcanic activity around 60 million years ago.
 Successive
flows of lava, over at least a 5 million year period, were
extruded from fissures on to Mull’s land surface, covering an
extensive area of basement rocks. Where the lava has cooled and
contracted, pentagonal and hexagonal-sided columns formed, such
as can be seen in the cliff scenery at Carsaig and elsewhere in
south-west Mull.
The Isle of Mull hasn’t always had a cool,
maritime climate and has been subject to the phenomenon of
continental drift over hundreds of millions of years.
 This
has resulted in Mull travelling northwards from a hot, dry
desert latitude, through warm, tropical regions, close to the
Equator, to its present location in the North Atlantic. Fine
grained sands and muds, deposited in shallow seas during such
times, are exposed as sedimentary rocks on the shore at Carsaig
Bay and contain the fossilised remains of small marine animals.
 Muddy
and rocky paths lead the walker west along the bay towards the
Nun’s Cave and the famous Carsaig Arches, where a variety of
wildlife may be encountered. The cliffs are home to Golden
Eagle, Buzzard, Kestrel and Raven, as well as the area’s
population of feral goats, a relic of a time past when these
animals would have been among the first to be domesticated by
man on the island. Due to the remoteness of the area and the
lack of disturbance, Otters are frequently seen and inquisitive
Common Seals provide amusing entertainment for the visitor.
|
