Old Boats final resting place at Salen Bay on the Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides, Scotland. SCO 6703
It is widely understood that Mull was inhabited shortly after the end of the last Ice Age, from around 6000 BC. Bronze Age inhabitants built menhirs, brochs and a stone circle with examples of burial cairns, cists, standing stones, stone circles, pottery and knife blades providing compelling evidence. Between 600 BC to 400 AD Iron Age inhabitants were building protective forts, duns and crannogs. The early Christian period began in the 6th Century, with 563AD being a pivotal point as it is believed that Christianity was returned to mainland Britain by St. Columba, when he arrived from Ireland to set up a monastery on the Island of Iona just off the south-west point of Mull. In the 14th century Mull became part of the Lordship of the Isles. After the collapse of the Lordship in 1493 the island was taken over by the clan MacLean, and in 1681 by the clan Campbell. Legend has it that the wreck of a Spanish galleon, laden with gold, lies somewhere in the mud at the bottom of Tobermory Bay - although the ship's true identity, and cargo, are in dispute. By some accounts, the Florencia (or Florida, or San Francisco), a member of the defeated Spanish Armada fleeing the British fleet in 1588, anchored in Tobermory to take on provisions. Following a dispute over payment, the ship caught fire and the gunpowder magazine exploded, sinking the vessel. In her hold, reputedly, was £300,000 in gold bullion. Other sources claim the vessel was the San Juan de Sicilia (or San Juan de Baptista), which, records indicate, carried troops, not treasure. Whatever the true story, no significant treasure has ever been recovered in Tobermory Bay. In 1773 the island was visited by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell during their famous Tour of the Western Islands. During the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries, the population fell from 10,000 to less than 4000. Mull boasts such historic buildings as Duart Castle and Torosay Castle, both open to the public
Size: 3732px × 5619px
Location: Salen, Isle of Mull, Inner Hebrides Argyll and Bute, Scotland. UK
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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