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Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave


Postby HighlandSC » Sat May 14, 2011 8:43 pm

Route description: Carsaig Arches

Date walked: 08/03/2011

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 6 km

Ascent: 50m

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Date - Tue 08/03/2011
Title - Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave
Route - Park above Carsaig Pier. Walk W then SW along shoreline to cave. Retrace steps to return
Weather - Cloudy / some drizzle
People - Me / Michelle
Time - 3h
Distance - 6km
Ascent - 50m


Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave (8 Mar 2011) Route GPX.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



After a short stay in Ballachulish & Glencoe we decided to head over to Mull for a couple of days. In our usual style, we didn't decide this 'til an hour before. After phoning to check the ferry times we were on our way. Crossed on the Corran Ferry then caught the last ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline. Some googling on the phone on the way, and maybe a dozen calls later, we were booked in at a great B&B (Brockville) in Tobermory. Really nice couple that own it, fantastic rooms and food. It was early March and very few B&B's, etc open until April. The bonus is that the island was nice and quiet.

In the morning we decided to go down to the south coast of the island to Carsaig Bay. The Walk Highlands route here(Carsaig Arches) extends the walk we did to visit the Carsaig Arches- we didn't go to there- just half way down the coast to Nuns Cave before returning. The arches look well worth visiting though.

Plenty of interest on this walk, especially all the geological features mainly due to all the volcanic activity Mull has seen in the past.

Carsaig Pier & Bay
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Black volcanic sand
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Some parts of the way are a little rough, and small sections that cut through landslide debris above the shore. You could bypass these parts by sticking close to the shore, but it's not really necessary.

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Basalt columns
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Not too far from Nuns Cave there was a family of goats (2 adults and 1 youngster). They were walking along the beach nibbling on bits of seaweed.
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Rocky shores near the cave
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You can't see into the cave until you're right on a small bump of ground infront of it. When I got sight of the cave entrance I discovered the entire local wild goat mob were hiding out in here!
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An evil looking goat with one horn had sneaked out of the cave and was scoping us out!
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Not keen on sharing the cave with the goats we left them to it and returned the same way back to the start.

Didn't get any pics but we spotted several eagle-looking birds (I can't ID birds well!) hovering above the cliffs topped with basalt columns
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Some huge chunks of volcanic rock are dotted around the bay
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Ready to shred your fingers
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Took a detour along a narrowing rocky spur jutting out into the sea
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A great walk :D
=======================================================================
Unable to see it due to cloud on in the morning, the weather had cleared a bit when we returned up the Carsaig road, revealing Ben More.
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The poor car took a pounding from pot holes on the way back to Tobermory! But we got there in one piece for a meal and to try out The Terror
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:D


More pics in flickr set

=======================================================================

Tomorrows walk: Tobermory & Crater Lake (Lochans Airde Beinn)
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HighlandSC
 
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby BlackPanther » Mon May 16, 2011 9:33 am

I've never been to Isle of Mull. But I see it is full of surprises :D
You should call yourself lucky - you saw a unicorn (a goat version of it). Few people achieved this :lol: :lol:
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby ChrisW » Mon May 16, 2011 10:58 am

Good stuff HSC - I love a coastal wander, your 3rd pic is a real cracker seems as if I could just step up on to that boulder.....carefully though it looks a bit slippery :D the unicorn goat looks like he wants you to leave.....no 'butts' :lol:
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby Dresdner » Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:12 pm

A good description and nice pics, bringing up some good memories. We made this walk in September 2010. Due to the sunny weather the cave was empty and the goats not inside. Nice to see this "unicorn" again, I remember his quite awful smell very well... :crazy:
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby HighlandSC » Fri Apr 18, 2014 8:18 pm

It's a great place. I'm glad you posted - it meant I got to relive the memories :)
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby litljortindan » Fri Apr 13, 2018 9:04 am

Love the photos of the goat herd sheltering in the cave.
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby HighlandSC » Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:24 am

litljortindan wrote:Love the photos of the goat herd sheltering in the cave.


Yeah, its not something you usually find on a walk! :D
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby malky_c » Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:34 am

Missed this one, but nice coincidence as I'm on my way there right now :D .

Torn between this and the fossil tree as a walk - too much to do and not enough time!
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby HighlandSC » Fri Apr 13, 2018 11:39 am

Good problem to have!

I'm on the road for work- my typically American problem today is deciding which steakhouse we are hitting for lunch :D
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Re: Isle of Mull - Carsaig Bay & Nuns Cave

Postby litljortindan » Fri Apr 13, 2018 10:22 pm

HighlandSC wrote:
litljortindan wrote:Love the photos of the goat herd sheltering in the cave.


Yeah, its not something you usually find on a walk! :D


Good to see that our, erm, hardy mountain goats know what to do when there's a bit of drizzle.
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