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Isle of Mull |
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Second largest of the Inner Hebrides, Mull lies just off the coast of Argyll, south of the Morvern peninsula. It's a stunningly beautiful island, with high mountains and some spectacular coastal scenery. Its capital is Tobermory, a picture-postcard town tucked into a natural harbour at the end of the Sound of Mull. Tobermory harbour is of course the resting place of the Spanish galleon Florida which called there for shelter in 1588 having survived the defeat of the Armada. Ever the opportunist, MacLean of Duart did a deal with the Spanish captain - he would supply food and water in return for 100 Spanish sailors and two cannon to help him settle a blood feud and attack Mingary Castle, just across the sound. Neither seems to have done well out of this arrangement; the attack on Mingary failed and, whether by accident or otherwise, the galleon blew up, taking itself and £300,000 worth of gold to the bottom. Tobermory is still a mecca for treasure hunting divers, though few seem to have had much success in recovering the treasure. There can be few more impressive castles than Duart, a daunting fortress strategically overlooking the Sound of Mull, Firth of Lorn, and the head of Loch Linnhe. Duart was acquired by the MacLeans, strong supporters of the Lords of the Isles, in the 14th century, and they remained there until 1674 when the castle fell to a Campbell siege. There was no love lost between these two clans - one MacLean chief, Lachlan, chained his Campbell wife, Catherine, to a rock in the Firth of Lorn in the expectation that she would be drowned when the tide rose. In fact, she was rescued and a month later the Campbells had their revenge when one of Catherine's brothers murdered MacLean as he slept in his bed in Edinburgh. In 1911 the MacLeans regained Duart when it was purchased and restored by Sir Fitzroy MacLean who celebrated his 100th birthday by planting a rowan tree in the castle courtyard to ward off evil spirits! The castle remains the seat of the Clan Chief. Major General Lachlan Macquarrie, the first Governor of New South Wales who is sometimes seen as "the father of Australia", came from Ulva, an island just off Mull's west coast. He is commemorated on Mull by a mausoleum at Jarvisfield which is cared for by The National Trust of Australia. The Mearnscraft map of Mull measures 12½ x 11¼ inches (315 x 290 mm) when stitched on t27-count Linda evenweave and includes several surrounding islands, e.g. Ulva, Iona, Staffa, and the Treshnish Isles. The map has 9 buildings, three different ferries, sailing boats, place names, compass and crest. Stitch count is 174 x 156.
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Mearnscraft |
