History of the Isle of Mull

A Small and Brief History of the Isle of Mull

It is widely understood that Mull was inhabited shortly after the end of the last ice-age, from around 6000 BC. Bronze Ageinhabitants built menhirs, brochs and a stone circles on the island with examples of burial cairns, cists, standing stonesand stone circles still evident today – pottery and knife blade archaeological finds are evidence of this and you can visit the little museum in Tobermory for more information.

Between 600 BC to 400 AD Iron Ageinhabitants 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.

In 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada, Florenica, was moored in Tobermory Bayand blown up there, reputedly with £300,000 of gold bullion on board – divers still search today for the treasure. In 1773 Mull was also 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 from Easter to September. The mausoleum of Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales from 1809 to 1822, may be found in the village of Gruline on the island (Macquarie had been born on the nearby island of Ulva).