Over 350 people lived at Shiaba at the end of the eighteenth century. Now, like many other cleared villages on Mull and across the Highlands, there are only sheep wandering around the ghostly ruins of this haunting spot.
Bog Factor
Rough track, pathless section and then final path to the ruins. A little boggy in places.
Rough parking area at track junction near Kilvickeon Cemetary.
None.
NM413194
Reaching the parking area can be a bit of an adventure in itself. Take a minor road south from the A849 just to the east of Bunessan. The road passes to the north side of Loch Assapol - a surprisingly large sheet of fresh water - before becoming a very rough and bumpy track. If your car can stand it, continue very carefully along this track, passing some caravans and a house at Tir Chonnuil and climbing slightly before reaching a small parking area where the track forks. Leave your vehicle here; an information board gives details about both this walk (red arrow) and one to Kilvickeon beach (blue arrow). Over to the right can be seen the remains of an old cemetery.
Take the left hand (red marked) track; it soon leads to the group of houses at Scoor. Keep left past the first cottage and then left again in front of the larger Scoor House. Continue on the track as it heads through a gate and soon curves to the right uphill. After another gate the track peters out in a field with a large sheep fank over to the left. Pass just to the right of the fank to reach an old gate and stile at the top of this rough pasture. The track is then clear for a few feet further before forking - both branches soon give out. Pass to the left of the low grassy knoll to where the ground in front of you falls away slightly to the flat moor beyond. Head left here, keeping this grassy drop on your right and aiming towards an obvious fire-break in the forestry plantations. There are traces of a path in places.
Soon the path drops down a little to the right and eventually meets a clearer - but still a little indistinct - track. Turn right along this; it soon becomes much more obvious. The track leads to Shiaba; one building still has two gable walls still standing and is prominent on the horizon. Soon the first ruins are reached, old black-houses with low stone walls and rounded corners.
Continue across a small burn to climb up to the house with the gables. Reputedly this belonged to the village schoolmaster. Looking around many further remains can still be seen - the village was said to have been the home to 350 people. The Highland Clearances saw all leave, with emigrant ships calling at the beaches below. Today only the silently munching sheep and the beautiful sea views remain. The return walk heads back the same way.
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