Mull - Carsaig Arches

[petelynn]

First a note that when we left Mull the road to Carsaig was closed due to a landslip at the Carsaig end. It looked like it would be a while before it was repaired.

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We set off from the pier and walked round the bay - it was pretty low tide at this point.

P9090215 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

Having not bothered to read the walk description on Walkhighlands in great detail we just followed the path after the boggy bit high up over a shoulder and it wasn't too bad. We followed the shore with some interesting volcanic dykes sticking out into the sea

P9090216 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

and we soon came across the first feral goats. There must be about 100 with a good number of kids with them.

P9090219 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

We passed the Nun's cave (no photo) which I didn't go into but was surprised that outside it smelt really lovely. This was because there was a mass of meadowsweet in full flower outside. The scenery became increasingly grand with great basalt columns at the top and sweeping slopes of vegetated debris falling down to the bouldery shore.

P9090221 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

The going is rough as a lot of it is on the rocky foreshore so a bit slow. We passed a couple of spectacular but not very full waterfalls.

P9090222 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

We had already seen one peregrine and now saw a pair of golden eagles soaring along the cliff high up and were entertained for a long time by a couple of juvenile peregrines at play. Eventually we came to the first arch - the start of the path to the second arch can be seen at the top right of this picture

P9090225 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

You can only look into the first arch as a deep inlet is between you and the arch.

P9090229 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

We climbed up the start of the path to the second arch, through the low section of basalt columns. We looked at the sheep trod ahead, the steep slope to the top of the cliff and the long drop into the sea. Then we looked at each other and simultaneously said 'maybe not'. from the photo it doesn't look at all bad and I think on a mountain it would be no big deal, but a big vertical drop into the sea was very unappealing.

P9090226 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

So we set off back the way we came, past the goats again.

P9090231 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

And back to the start.

P9090232 by Peter Lynn, on Flickr

A couple of days later we went over to the Isle of Ulva with our mountain bikes and went along to the end of Gometra - a great ride but not a subject for Walkhighlands. After that on to Coigach and some more walks.

[Sunny Speyside]

Well what happy memories that brought back of long summer holidays spent on Mull some 40 years ago!
We did make it to the second arch on at least one occasion, although I seem to recall we always left Mum and one of my sisters at the first, I now find myself with the same fear of precipitous tracks that my Mum had then ... age doesn't come itself
Cheers and thanks for posting