Lismore Day trip - 3

From Acadun Castle I headed west to the Bernera crossing. Bernera is also known as Bernera of the Noble Yew. As the story goes, Saints Moloug and Columba preached there under the branches of a large yew. My interest to visit the island was peaked when I obtained the Pathfinder Map of Duart Point (Mull).  Way up in the right corner of the map was tiny Bernera island, and marked on it were the words "Chapel and Burial Ground". I had never read anywhere that there had been a chapel on the island so, from that moment on, visiting Bernera became a must.

As I descended from the castle I could see all of Bernera except for the crossing point (to the right in the next photo). The tide must still be low, I thought. So thinking I'd be able to cross to the island I hurried towards the shore.

Looking to Bernera from Acadun Castle

But as I neared the crossing my hopes were dashed. The tide had begun to fill the channel that separates Bernera from Lismore (next photo). I might have been able to cross over, but I knew that if I did, after spending any appreciable amount of time on the island I'd have to wait for the next low tide to cross back. Unfortunately there was only one more ferry back to Oban. If I lingered too long I'd miss it. In a depressed state of mind I had to turn my back on Bernera to start the climb back towards the centre of the island. My next destination the Barr Mor, the tip-top of Lismore. 

Tide filling the crossing to Bernera

Note: I would return to Lismore eight years later to finally cross over to Bernera to find the chapel ruin, St Molaug's Well, and to see if there are any descendants of Columba's Noble Yew (see Book 1, Chapter 27).

Lismore Day Trip - 2

The sea-fog was thick as the ferry approached Lismore. But soon the old pier house at Achnacroish came into sight to announce that the skipper had not lost his way.

Once ashore I made the easy, mile-long climb up to the main road that runs along the spine of the island. There were three things I wanted to do on Lismore: visit the ruin of Acadun Castle, walk to the tidal island of Bernera to see the site of Columba's Noble Yew, and then climb the Barr Mor, the islands highest point.

On reaching the main road I turned left (south) then, five minutes later, came to a small track at Baligrundle. It branched off to the west, and after following it for two miles the 13th century Achadun Castle came into view.

From where I was on the track I could not see any sort of path leading across the field to the castle, so it was time to go cross country. It was raining on and off, and the ground looked boggy, so I donned waterproofs and gaiters, and then set out across the open country to the castle. It was slow going; a mile of wet patches of tall grass set between a series of soupy bogs. As I continued to the southwest the castle, seen against the skyline, began to look quite dramatic. 

Once I climbed the knoll to the castle I could see that it was in a very ruinous state; jagged stumps of walls and towers ready to fall in a strong wind.

Acadun is also known as the Bishop's Palace, as it was once home to the Bishop of Argyll. Which was convenient as his Cathedral lay just a few miles to the north. For more information on the castle see this link, and for a description of a better way to reach the castle than my route back in 1998, see this link.

My next stop was to be the tidal island of Bernera, which lies a few hundred yards west of the castle. From atop the castle knoll I could not see the crossing point, but as I thought the tide was low I set out towards the crossing. I had high hopes to step onto an island I'd wanted to see for many years. But as you'll learn next time, those hopes would be dashed to bits.