THE BURG AND THE FOSSIL
A 7 mile all day
strenuous hike requiring proper footwear - see important safety
advice at bottom of page.
Information supplied courtesy of
The National Trust for
Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage.
Burg was bequeathed to the Trust in 1932 by Mr. A Campbell Blair of
Dolgelly, and was one of the first properties to come into the care of
The National Trust for Scotland. The outstanding natural history and
geology of this 617 hectare property are recognised by its designation
as a National Scenic Area and Environmentally Sensitive Area. It also
falls within a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The remarkable volcanic features displayed along this
coastal area represent the eroded edges of a succession of horizontal
lava flows from a great volcanic complex in the centre of Mull, active
around 50 million years ago. The broad table-topped hills of the islands
of Staffa, Lunga and the Dutchman's Cap (a few miles to the north-west)
and the distinctive step formation profile of Burg were formed during
this period. Detailed references are made to specific features in the
walk information which follows.
The volcanic rocks of Burg have weathered to form rich soils suited
to wildlife and agriculture. Grassy slopes support many varieties of
wild flowers, such as wild thyme, grass of parnassus, gentian, wild
carrot and northern bedstraw. Where bracken has invaded the grassland,
NTS Conservation Volunteers work to keep it at bay, with help from
grazing cattle. Red deer and feral goats forage on the hillsides of
Burg, keeping the vegetation relatively short. This gives ideal habitat
conditions for butterflies and moths, both rare and common.
such as small copper, dark green fritillary and the common blue and
painted lady can be seen, as well as the transparent burnet moth, with
its striking black and crimson wings. Along the paths through the
bracken look out for the chimney sweep, a tiny black moth with white
wing tips, and on sprigs of heather you may find the northern eggar
moth, with distinctive eye spots on its wings to ward off hungry birds.
Birds such as meadow
pipit, stonechats and wheatear nest in the scree slopes close to this
plentiful food supply. Buzzards are common, hunting on rabbits and other
small prey, and ravens are also resident, cleaning up carcasses of red
deer or goats fallen from the high cliffs. Late summer often brings
golden eagle, kestrel, merlin and peregrine passing through the area,
with snow bunting and twite breaking their migration journey south for
food and rest. Golden eagles and Mull's famous white tailed eagles are
often seen above these cliffs, circling on the thermals.
Along the shore, the native otter and the introduced
North American mink can sometimes be seen, together with oystercatchers
and rock pipits.
There is evidence of human activity on Burg dating back to the
Neolithic period. Dun Bhuirg , the remains of an Iron Age dun or
fortified house with defensive earthworks still visible in places, sits
above the site of two Bronze Age burial cairns at Port na Croise.
Well-preserved remains of sheilings originating in medieval times and
built turf walls can be seen at Airigh nan Caisteal. Around the
present-day bothy and corrugated iron house at Burg extensive remains of
an earlier township and its associated cultivation are evident.
A WALK AROUND BURG
Follow the track from the NTS car park to Burg Farm (about 5 miles).
Not long after leaving the car park at Tiroran is Scobull School,
originally built in 1898 and remained a school until 1946. Four cairns
about a mile and a half from the car park mark the spot where the
coffins of past generations of the MacGillivray family were rested on
the way to their burial at Kilfinichen (east of Tiroran). On either side
of the track, though perhaps hidden by bracken during the summer months,
the ruins of several deserted villages can be seen. It is estimated that
the Ardmeanach peninsula was home to around three hundred people during
the 19th century and the ruins of their dwellings still remain.
Lazy-beds, the wide ridge-and-furrow pattern on the landscape around the
settlements, are the last remnants of the agricultural system which
supported this population.
At Tavool, a little less than a mile from Burg Farmhouse, the track
veers left through a gate at the edge of the wall around the garden of
Tavool House. Less than a mile further on, Burg Farmhouse sits above the
end of this easy track, as the way begins to become rough and uneven in
places. The small house with a sloping roof just after the farmhouse was
built in the 1880s for the late Chrissie MacGillivray's parents. It is
now a National Trust for Scotland bothy. Chrissie MacGillivray lived in
Burg all her life, and became the local representative for The National
Trust for Scotland at the time the property came into the Trust's care.
She is fondly remembered by local residents and regular visitors to
Burg. On the hillside behind the bothy, the remnants of ancient woodland
can be seen with many trees growing in unusual shapes blown by the
Continue heading west
past the bothy, passing close to the site of the Iron Age defended
farmstead of Dun Bhuirg. A monument erected by Mr. John Hamilton
Turner, a former proprietor of Burg, has a touching inscription to Daisy
Cheape. At this point the track winds down to the beach level, following
a grass-covered flat showing traces of earlier cultivation. The path
rises again where the hill slope closes in on the beach, and for the
next half mile is narrow. Care is required where the track crosses scree
and in a few places where it has slumped down the slope.
Towards the end of this section some interesting rock formations begin
to appear on the beach about 100 feet below the track. At two places the
typical columnar structures of the basalt lavas have opened out like the
sticks of a fan. Another is circular with columns radiating outwards
like wheel spokes. It is possible to reach the shore here, via a stream
beside a steep rock rib, although this is impassable at high tide,
when the sea reaches well up the rock and bars all progress. There
is another route to the shore, continuing a few hundred metres along the
cliff top path until reaching a steel ladder attached to the cliff. The
approach to the ladder is steep and visitors must exercise extreme
care and caution if taking this route. It is not advised for anyone
suffering from vertigo or afraid of heights.
Once on the shore again,
the beach is relatively easy going until it becomes littered with huge
boulders eroded from the upper cliffs, some of them pitted by cavities
with quartz crystals. The cavities were originally formed by gas bubbles
within the lavas, subsequently filled with silica-charged solutions
which percolated through the rocks and crystallised on the walls of the
cavities. Pebbles of agate (a variety of quartz) may be found in the
beach shingle, where they have eroded from the rocks by sea action and
Just beyond the second of two waterfalls, in a cove at the end of the
beach, lies the Fossil Tree, first noticed by John MacCulloch in 1819.
All that is left of the 50 million year old tree is its tall impression
in the cliff, with the small remaining section of the 'trunk' capped
with cement intended to preserve it. The general distortion of the
surrounding rocks indicates that other trees were overrun by the lava
flow and remains of three trees have been found in the vicinity.
Visitors are requested not to chip away the parts of the remaining
fossil: the two-inch coating of charred wood lining the impression
at the time of discovery has steadily been destroyed by souvenir
The Trust's property
extends for some distance north of the tree, but the route around the
next headland in this direction is negotiable only when the tide is at
its lowest. There is a route to bypass the headland, but it is
advisable only for those who are experienced and properly equipped for
this hazardous terrain. To access this path, it is necessary to return
to a wide stone-shoot a few hundred yards south of the Fossil Tree,
where a steep goat track zig-zags uphill to the left of the shoot, then
traverses the slopes above the coastal cliff. This poorly defined track
crosses the upper stream beds of the twin waterfalls and eventually
descends a steep crumbly slope to the wide bay beyond the headland.
At the end of a shingle beach, a sheep-fank marks the beginning of
a stretch of shales containing an abundance of fossils. The low
headland, Aird na h-Iolaire (point of the eagle), is the Trust's
northern boundary: beyond lies the area named 'The Wilderness'.
Important Safety Advice
The distance from the car park at Tiroran to Burg
farm (5 miles) then on to MacCulloch's Fossil Tree (a further 2 miles)
totals almost 7 miles, and due to the rough terrain, visitors should
allow 5-6 hours for the return trip. Strong foot wear must be worn. Part
of the path lies below cliffs and during and after stormy weather rock
falls may occur. It is recommended that walkers have a copy of Sheet 48
of the Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 series of maps or Sheet NM42/52 O.S.
1:25,000 or a copy of Map O.S. Explorer 375 Isle of Mull East.
An emergency telephone has been installed close to Burg Bothy, allowing
calls to be made direct to the emergency services or to the Trust's
regional office in Oban. Remember mobile phones will not necessarily
receive a signal at this location and generally only O2 and Vodaphone
will receive a signal on the Ross of Mull peninsula.
Special places are
often special because they are inaccessible and this is true for many
properties in the care of the NTS. The risks of visiting these places
can be minimised by:
|being properly equipped with waterproofs|
|having strong footwear and spare clothing|
|carrying a torch, whistle, compass and map and
knowing how to use them|
|taking ample food and drink|
|checking the weather forecast and tide times|
|letting someone know where you are going, your
route and expected time of return|
|turning back if you encounter problems or poor
The National Trust for Scotland was
established in 1931 to promote the care and conservation of the Scottish
landscape and historic buildings, while facilitating access for the
public to enjoy them. You can support the valuable work of this charity
by becoming a member, making a donation or arranging a legacy. Further
information can be obtained by contacting The National Trust for
Scotland, 4 George Street, OBAN, Argyll Pa34 5RX Tel: (01631) 564710
© 2000 - 2013