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Mull: Latest Posts

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Lochbuie Outlier 1 (Standing Stone / Menhir) — Images (click to view fullsize)

<b>Lochbuie Outlier 1</b>Posted by texlahoma texlahoma Posted by texlahoma
9th October 2019ce

Lochbuie Kerb Cairn (Kerbed Cairn) — Images

<b>Lochbuie Kerb Cairn</b>Posted by texlahoma<b>Lochbuie Kerb Cairn</b>Posted by texlahoma texlahoma Posted by texlahoma
9th October 2019ce

Dun Bhuirg (Broch) — Folklore

By the Rev. Thomas Hannan.

The recent announcement that the proprietor of the small estate of the Burg has given or bequeathed it to the National Trust for Scotland recalls to my mind many journeys which I have made from my summer quarters at Lochbuie, on the south shores of Mull, to the wild and interesting peninsula on the west side of the island which bears the name of Ardmeanach. The western end of that peninsula is easily the wildest part of Mull - rugged in the extreme, in many parts terrifying in aspect; the last and almost inaccessible home of fairies, glaistigs, and grugachs. The Burg is on the southern side of the peninsula, very near the western end; Tavool or Tapul, another house famous in fairy lore, is on the way to Burg from Tiroran, the residence eastward of Brigadier General Cheape; and the wonderful fossil tree is about the middle of the western end of the peninsular.

... At Tavool the farmer's wife was much troubled by the officious help of the fairies, who seem to have lived at Dun Burg; and "the rhyme of the goodman of Tapull's servants" - that is, the fairies - is a testimony to their desire for work -
Let me comb, card, tease, spin;
Get a weaving loom, quick;
Water for fulling on the fire;
Work, work, work.

Of course, all that is in Gaelic, which is the language of the fairies as well as of the people, and the results of their work were seldom equal to their zeal.

An example of this unfortunate trait is associated with The Burg, which is nearer than Tavool to Dun Burg. The good lady of the house had seen her husband and family to bed, and had sat up to do some weaving in the quiet of the night. But she had already spent a busy day with the farm and the cows and the hens and the children, and was tired. So she sighed and said - "Oh that some one would come from land or sea, from far or near, to help me with the work of weaving this cloth." This was quite enough, for the fairies are inveterate eavesdroppers.

A knock came to the door at once, and a voice said - "Tall Inary, good housewife, open the door to me, for so long as I have, you will get." Inary opened the door, and a woman in green entered and sat down at the spinning wheel and got busy. That was satisfactory enough; but knock after knock came, and fairy after fairy entered and set to work, until the room was full of fairies, all making the most awful noise. Then they wanted food, and the more they ate the hungrier they became, so that Inary was veritably being eaten out of house and home. At last, when she had baked the last of her flour and meal, she went and stood on a hillock outside the door, and cried - "Dun Burg is on fire." That fetched the whole tribe out of her house to save their own.

As they rushed out, she rushed in and barricaded the door. But they came back, very angry; and she had a terrible business to prevent the spell-bound spinning wheel, distaff, wool cards, fulling water, and other things which the "good people" had used, from admitting the crowd again. As fully told it is a very long story.
In 'The Scotsman', 2nd April 1932.
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
29th April 2019ce

Balliscate Stones (Standing Stones) — Images

<b>Balliscate Stones</b>Posted by GLADMAN GLADMAN Posted by GLADMAN
17th March 2016ce

Lochbuie Stone Circle — Images

<b>Lochbuie Stone Circle</b>Posted by ironstone ironstone Posted by ironstone
17th November 2015ce

Balliscate Stones (Standing Stones) — Fieldnotes

Visited 24.7.15

When visiting the very nice town of Ballomory, sorry I mean Tobormory, you can't help but visit these standing stones. We parked, as before, at the pottery and I headed up the path with Sophie in tow. Dafydd decided to sit this one out.

Where the path ends and becomes a rough track it became increasingly muddy. The last time I visited this track was brilliant white with freshly laid scallop shells. Now it was quite overgrown with most of the shells hidden by grass. It didn't look like many people had been along here recently. (I noticed when I re-visited the museum on the harbor front that the stones were no longer being promoted)

We climbed up and over the wall via the very rusty steps and straight into a bog-like field. It was very, very wet and very, very muddy. Luckily Sophie had her ever present pink wellies on whilst I attempted to jump from one (relatively) 'dry spot' to the next.
At least it wasn't raining!

We soon squelched our way to the stones and admired the views. Well, I admired the views, Sophie hid behind the stones to try to keep out of the cold wind. There is no change to report on the stones since my last visit. They are still here, keeping watch. Before long it was time to go - time and tide and ferries wait for no man - or woman.
Posted by CARL
10th August 2015ce

Suidhe (Standing Stones) — Fieldnotes

Directions:
On the road to Iona (A849) Park at the cemetery about 1 mile west of Bunessan. Go through the gate and up the steep but short hill. When you reach the top you will see the ruined, deserted buildings and the two standing stones.

The views north across Loch Na L'Athaich over to the mountains are breathtaking. We stopped of here on our way back from Iona. You should do the same.


Canmore states:
There are two standing stones on the NNE side of the barrow. One stone measures 1.1m high x 0.6m and the other 1.95m high x 0.6m. The smaller stone has a hole 0.4m from the top but this does not seem to be an ancient perforation. 1974.
Posted by CARL
4th August 2015ce

An Dun Torrens (Stone Fort / Dun) — Miscellaneous

Drive-by

This fort is very easy to spot when heading down the A849 towards Iona. It is a large rock outcrop. Unfortunately I didn't have time to stop.

Canmore state:
On the summit of a rocky knoll situated 350m N of Torrans farmhouse, between the road and the shore of Loch Scridain. The remains of the Dun measures 30m x 14m. The wall of the dun is now reduced to a grass-grown band of rubble about 0.3m high. The only feature within the interior is a modern stone-walled enclosure. 1972.
Posted by CARL
4th August 2015ce

Lochbuie Stone Circle — Fieldnotes

Visited 23.7.15

From the parking area head for the the kerb cairn within the trees. Visible from parking area. Follow the (infrequent) white painted stones next to the fence on your right. Keep walking and you will see a large, old wooden gate (with equally old, wooden sign on it) which gives access to the field where the circle resides. This is to your left as you walk keeping the fence to your right. I hope this makes sense?! The circle is not visible from the parking area but it is only a short, if wet, walk. Well worth the effort.

This is a good spot for a stone circle (I assume this area was drier when it was built) It is in a natural amphitheatre which reminded me (a little) of Castlerigg. Some of the stones were harder to get close to than others due to the standing water.

There were several other visitors which surprised me a bit as this is well off the beaten track. One was a car load of Americans and I tried to explain what the standing stones, kerb cairn and stone circle were about - given my limited knowledge. They had previously visited the Orkney sites and the Clava Cairns so knew a fair bit anyway. Not your average American tourists then! :)
Posted by CARL
4th August 2015ce
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