Lismore Ridge Walk

Even though I've only done it once, the Lismore Ridge walk is an amazing day-out. The right way to do it is to spend a few days on Lismore, so you can take your time, wait for good weather, and then enjoy the walk at a relaxed pace. It is possible to do it as day trip from Oban, but you will always be thinking about making the last ferry. Although I call it the Lismore Ridge, it is actually a series of limestone ridges: Druim Mor (big ridge), Garbh Dhruim (rough ridge), and Druim nan Damh (deer ridge). 

When I made the walk I was staying in a B&B at Achinduin, at the south end of Lismore's west-side road. I set out on foot from the B&B early in the morning, then, after paying a visit to the ruin of Achadun Castle, I headed cross-country to the south, avoiding the top of Druim Mor until I reached Tom na Faire (look-out hill), at the southern tip of Lismore.

Achadun Castle

From the top of Tom Na Faire there is a direct view south to Eilean Musdile and its lighthouse. This particular island is seen by thousands of people every year from passing ferries, but it is rarely visited.  In the next photo, just beyond and to the left of the lighthouse, you can see Lady's Rock. This was where one of the chiefs of Clan Maclean is said to have stranded his wife, the daughter of the Earl of Argyll. He left her there to drown, as the rock is submerged at high tide. As one version of the story goes, she was rescued and the Campbells had their revenge. 

Eilean Musdile and Lady's Rock seen from Tom na Faire.

Eilean Musdile - Tom na Faire on Lismore to the right

From Tom na Faire I turned north to start the ridge walk to the north. There are many hills with "Faire" in their Gaelic names, which means "watching". And many of the 'Fairy Island', or 'Fairy Hill' place-names you come across are incorrect English translations of the name.

The next two hours of walking was magic as I made my way up the spine of the island; amazing sea-views in all directions.

Along the way you can also see low-lying Eilean Bernera off to the west; also know as Bernera of the Noble Yew. See this link for descriptions of visits to Bernera.

Bernera

As you continue north, placid Loch Fiart appears down the slopes to the east. Having covered nearly three miles you eventually reach Lismore's highest point, the Barr Mor.

Loch Fiart

Atop the Barr Mor

Many years ago, I've lost track of when, I was inspired to visit Lismore and climb the Barr Mor after reading Campbell Steven's The Island Hills (1955). It is a charming book, and one that every Scottish island-lover should read. In it, the author has this to say of the climb up the Barr Mor:

It provides no meal for the mountianeer, not even a boulder problem to whet the cragsman's appetite. It is in fact a real lazy man's paradise, like Iona's Dun I, or Windy Hill on Bute; the way to its cairn, from whichever direction one approaches, is no more than a stroll. Yet your Lismore resident is as proud of his hill as any Chamoniard of Mont Blanc.'

Looking southwest from the Barr Mor 

From the Barr Mor you can descend west to Achinduin, or east to the main Lismore road at Kilcheran. Kilcheran is an interesting place. It was a Catholic college for 30 years (1792-1822), and more recently the last home of Isabel Bonus (1875-1941), who illustrated many of MEM Donaldson's books. See this link for a photo of Kilcheran House.

When I made the Lismore Ridge walk I descended west from the Barr Mor to return to the B&B at Achnaduin to complete one of the best island hikes I've ever made. The hospitality of the Walkers, who ran the B&B, was wonderful. Unfortunately the B&B is no longer running, so I have no recommendations on a place to stay. But a long visit to Lismore is a must. So take a look at the Lismore Accomodation website, pick a place, and go explore.

A Lismore Wander

I arrived in Oban on May 17. The ten-day cruise I was guiding did not leave until the 20th, so I had a full day to wander, followed by a day of packing. The wander had to be on an island. I had some unfinished business to attend to on Lismore - and so Lismore it was. The unfinished business was to find the grave of Alexander Carmichael, the author of that amazing collection of Gaelic culture: Carmina Gadelica. This is the Wikipedia entry on Carmina Gadelica:

Carmina Gadelica is a compendium of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, literary-folkloric poems and songs, proverbs, lexical items, historical anecdotes, natural history observations, and miscellaneous lore gathered in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1860 and 1909. The material was recorded, translated, and reworked by the exciseman and folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912).

Over the years I'd been to Lismore several times, and on a couple of those visits I searched the burial ground at Clachan trying to find Carmichael's grave. I think I examined every readable tombstone, but was never able to find it. Although I did find a lot of Carmichaels, a common name on Lismore. In each of those visits there was no one around to ask where the grave was. But a recent internet search turned up a photo of his tombstone and, with the photo in hand, I set off to visit Lismore.

Lismore ferry at Oban

In spring the Oban ferry runs to Lismore four times a day. I caught the 2pm run, and was afoot on Lismore at 3. From Achnacroish the shore path was followed north towards Tirefour Broch, and after a half-mile of walking I left the path at Balnagown. (See the September 16, 2015 post for a description of the walk to the broch.)

At Balnagown I wandered around its intact corn mill; its waterwheel still in place. I wanted to take a look inside, but the structure was plastered with 'keep out' signs.

Balnagown corn mill

From the mill I followed the road to Clachan, and entered the cemetery of Lismore Church. With the photo of Carmichael's tombstone in hand, I walked up and down the hilly burial ground looking at every stone. The photo showed that Carmichael's stone is unusual; a large, rectangular, bright grey upright slab. When I found it, near the south wall of the cemetery, it was obvious how I'd missed it in the past. Its shallow, incised lettering, was mostly unreadable. But a close look at the lettering on top revealed that it was Carmichael's grave. 

Alexander Carmichael's grave

The inscription was lengthy, and when I find the grave of a famous author I like to write down the complete inscription. But after several minutes I had to give up. The worn, lichen covered letters, were just too hard to decipher. Even so, finding the grave was exciting. The Celtic cross design carved on it is an exquisite monument to an amazing man. But his true monument is Carmina Gadelica, which you can find here: Carmina Gadelica.

I still had time before the last ferry of the day left for Oban at 6pm, so I headed down the the side road (unmarked) to take a look at Castle Coeffin (13th century). It is an amazing ruin, jagged stumps of walls and towers that look different depending on which side you're on. 

Castle Coeffin from the west (2017)

Castle Coeffin from the east (2017)

Castle Coeffin from the southeast (2006)

I spent a bit too much time climbing through the castle ruins and taking photos. A look at the watch showed I only had an hour before the last ferry back to Oban, and the ferry dock was three miles away. But it was three easy miles of (mostly) road walking, and I made it with five minutes to spare. Once back in Oban I started packing for my ten-day Hebridean cruise. The planned itinerary was to head west to Mingulay, north to the Flannans, and back to Oban, possibly via the Shiants or the Small Isles. Little did I know the wind would have other things in mind, and that the trip would be turn out to be one full of surprises.

Last ferry of the day arrives at Lismore

A Day on Lismore & Back to Bernera

Back in 2006 I spent the better part of a week on Lismore. On one of those days I waited until low tide, and then crossed over to the tidal island known as Bernera of the Noble Yew. There was once a giant yew there, said to have sheltered hundreds, where Saint Columba once preached. 

Although the giant yew was cut down many years ago, I still wanted to find the site of the tree, as I'd wondered if there were still yews to be found there. And so once on Bernera I made my way to the old burial ground and chapel ruin said to be built on the site of the yew. I found the chapel ruin in a small glen above St Moulag's Well. There were several trees growing around the glen, which I thought, at the time, were yews. This photo is from that visit in 2006.

Bernera chapel ruin and trees (2006)

So let's jump ahead nine years. Two months ago Mavis Gulliver sent me a message questioning whether the trees I found were yews. She was preparing a story on Bernera for Scottish Islands Explorer, and had noticed that there were graze lines on the trees in my photo, indicating that animals may have been munching on them. If they were yews, whose foliage is poisonous, it would be unusual to have graze lines. I had no close up photos of the trees to confirm what they were, and so I decided a return to Bernera was needed.

As it turned out, I was shortly going to have a free day in Oban before an upcoming trip to St Kilda; a day that could be spent getting to Bernera. But there was a complication. You need a low tide to get to Bernera, and on the only day I could go to Lismore low water was at 6:30pm. The complication was that the last ferry back to Oban was at 6:15. Since the distance from Bernera back to the Lismore ferry dock is four miles, I'd have to cross to Bernera no later than 3:30pm, three hours before low tide.

To attempt a crossing three hours before low tide would be a close call. But I decided to see if I could do it. Since it would be so late in the day, I also decided to take an early ferry to Lismore and spend some time exploring the island as I worked my way to the Bernera crossing.

The route around Lismore to the Bernera crossing

There were only 5 passengers on MV Loch Striven as I made the 9am crossing to Lismore. It was threatening to rain, but as it turned out I would have a dry and sunny day afoot. As the ferry approached the pier at Achnacroish I noticed how much the old pier house has deteriorated since the first time I saw it in 1998.

Achnacroish pier house (Lismore) in 1998

Achnacroish pier house in 2015

MV Loch Striven at Achnacroish

From Achnacroish I decided to walk the shore path up the east coast to the broch of Tirefour. I'd tried to do this several years ago, but decided not to back then as I was not sure about walking so close to the homes there. But this time I noticed a sign with a giant arrow whch left no doubt about the way to go.

The arrow points the way

It was an easy path, and once past the houses it carved its way north through swaths of tall bracken, wet with the morning dew.

Through the wet bracken

A half mile up the path I came to this memorial cross that had been erected "by his sorrowing father" to Waverley Arthur Cameron. Cameron was an editor of the Oban Times who drowned near here on a visit to Lismore in 1891 (see this link for the newspaper report of the drowning).

Memorial cross to Waverley Arthur Cameron 

The path was a bit vague at times, but I eventually came to a sign indicating the way to the broch.

This way to the broch

A bit beyond the sign I made a wrong turn, and ended up in the middle of a boggy field south of Balure farm. But I could see the broch from there, and eventually reached it after marching through an unpleasant stretch of bracken and brambles. 

Tirefour broch is one of the best preserved in the country. Its inner courtyard is nearly 40 feet in diameter, and it must of been an impressive structure in its day. See this CANMORE page for more info on the broch.

Tirefour Broch

Inside Tirefour Broch

I was a bit tired of bracken bashing, so from the broch I followed the farm track up to the north-south road that traverses the spine of the island. I then followed the road south to the church at Clachan, passing, along the way, the old school and Bachuil House. A house on this site has been home to the chiefs of the Clan Maclea since the days of St Moluag.

Old schoolhouse

Bachuil House

I then came to the church at Clachan, once known as the cathedral church of the isles. It has several stained glass windows; one that depicts Saint Moluag holding a crozier (his staff), which is still held in safe-keeping on the island, and another that shows Saint Columba standing in front of the Bernera yew. 

Clachan Church

Stained glass in Clachan Church- St Moulag (left) and St Columba under the yew (right)

Columba under the yew

A half mile south of Clachan I came to the Lismore Heritage Centre, where I took a break to have lunch. Then it was time to head cross-country to the west coast of the island, where I crossed another stretch of bracken and brambles to see the giant abandoned lime-kilns (early 18th century) and pier at Grogan Dubh and Salen.

Lismore Heritage Centre

Old pier at Grogan Dubh

Lime-kiln at Salen

From Salen it was a long road-walk south to Achaduin, where I had stayed in a B&B during my visit in 2006. Then it was cross country to Achaduin Castle before dropping down to my final destination, the tidal crossing to Bernera.

Achaduin Castle -1

Achaduin Castle -2

The Bernera crossing (3 hours before low tide)

It was three hours before low tide, and the crossing to Bernera was still flooded. So I sat down and made myself comfortable while waiting for the tide to drop. I was getting a little disillusioned, thinking I'd not be able to cross over - I needed to start back to Achnacroish in 90 minutes or I'd miss the last ferry. After 45 minutes of waiting the tide had dropped a bit, and I decided to go for it. So I put on my rubber kayak shoes and started wading across. It was slippery going, but was only about three feet deep in the middle.

Time was short, so I put my boots back on and hurried down the east coast of Bernera along the same route I'd followed in 2006. It was not pleasant going; steep terrain with tall grass, bracken and brambles hiding slabs of sharp limestone. I then came to Bernera Bay, where I climbed up past Saint Moluag's Well to reach the ruin of the chapel.

The glen of the chapel

It was now discovery time. The trees I'd seen in 2006 were still there, and I walked up to the one next to the chapel ruin to take a close look.

Chapel ruin and tree

It was definitely not a yew, and all the other trees in the small glen were the same. When I showed samples of the foliage to someone a few days later they told me it was probably a hawthorn. 

Close up view of one of the trees

I was disappointed, not only in that I'd mistakenly thought they were yews nine years ago, but that it looked like there were no yews on Bernera. Mavis Gulliver had mentioned to me that there may be a few on the cliffs on the northeast side of the island. And as I returned to the crossing I looked all along that area, but saw nothing that looked like a yew. When I reached the crossing the tide had significantly dropped, so I did not need my kayak shoes, which I'd left on the shore, to cross back to Lismore.

The Bernera crossing an hour or so before low tide

At that point I had less than two hours to make it the four miles back to the ferry. The first mile or two was across trackless terrain to climb back to the road. When I reached the road a look at the watch showed I had 45 minutes to cover two miles. It would be a close call, but as I passed the side-track up from Salen a car came along. I stuck out my thumb, the car stopped, and I was soon on my way in comfort. Martin, who was visiting friends at Salen farm, kindly dropped me at the road down to the ferry, where a short walk took me to the ferry terminal with 15 minutes to spare.

Loch Striven arriving at Lismore

Oban seen on the way back from Lismore

I'd had an excellent day on Lismore, covering 12 beautiful miles. I'd also confirmed that I'd made an error about the Bernera yews. It turns out they are hawthorns. The hawthorn, like the yew, was a tree sacred to the early people of the isles; so perhaps they also graced the landscape of Bernera fifteen centuries ago when Saint Columba preached on Bernera of the Noble Yew.

Cathair Moluaig - St Moluag's Chair

One of the ways to make a day trip to Lismore is to take the Port Appin Ferry to the north end of the island. That was how my wife and I first visited Lismore, and after seeing the church at Clachan we followed a track down to see the dramatic ruin of Castle Coeffin. On our way back to the ferry I jumped over a wire fence to take a seat on St Moluag's stone chair. The tradition is that the saint rested here often, and people suffering from back pain once came here to sit in the chair. It used to look more like a chair, but at some point the arms were broken off.

St Moluag's Chair - Lismore

Lismore Day Trip - 4

After my failure to get to Bernera of the Yew I started the climb to the Barr Mor, the highest point of Lismore. From the settlement of Achinduin, where I would stay at a Guest House eight years later, I made the easy climb to the top. 

Trig Pillar atop the Barr Mor

The Barr Mor stars in one of the chapters of Campbell Steven's wonderful book, The Island Hills; a chapter that had been one of the driving forces that made me want to visit Lismore. Steven has this to say of the climb up the Barr Mor: '...it provides no meal for the mountianeer, not even a boulder problem to whet the cragsman's appetite. It is in fact a real lazy man's paradise, like Iona's Dun I, or Windy Hill on Bute; the way to its cairn, from whichever direction one approaches, is no more than a stroll. Yet your Lismore resident is as proud of his hill as any Chamoniard of Mont Blanc.'

After having walked some four miles, and still having a few more to get back to the ferry, I was glad it was a lazy man's stroll to get to the top of the island. Even though it was overcast, the view was expansive, and just offshore to the east I could see the 60-foot tower-rock on little Eilean na Cloiche. 

The next photo is the same view on a bright spring evening eight years later.

From the Barr Mor I descended to Kilcheren, and then followed the coast north to the ferry. It was difficult terrain: ridges of limestone hidden in tall grass that made for an ankle twisting obstacle course. It took an hour to cross the final mile to the ferry terminal, and I made it there just in time to catch the last ferry to Oban.

I'd had an amazing day afoot, and it remains one of my fondest memories of solo hiking in the islands. For a complete description of my walk on Lismore see chapter 25 of book 1.

MV Bruernish arriving at Lismore

Drying off in MV Bruernish on the way back to Oban