The Isle of Mull
Source: Speak Up
Standard: British Accent
Speaker:Justin Ratcliffe
The Hebrides are a group of islands off Scotland’s west coast and the Isle of Mull is one of their best kept secrets. Visitors to the island are enchanted by its tranquility and the mysterious beauty of its landscape; while the mild climate makes the island a wildlife sanctuary for an incredible 250 species of birds. Visitors arrive by ferry at the island’s capital Tobermory. The town’s main street has brightly painted building that look onto the busy harbor with its fishing boats and yachts. Treasure hunters come to search the bay for a Spanish galleon that sank here in 1588. Escaping after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the ship was blown up by the local people and sank, taking its gold to the bottom of the sea.
MOTHER NATURE
The island offers wildlife tours which take visitors into the mountains, or along the coast, to see a wide variety of birds, from golden eagles and buzzards to owls and ravens. Boat trips pass seals, dolphins and whales on visit to the nearby island.
Mendelssohn, the composer, was inspired to write his well-known overture The Hebrides during a tour of the islands; his visit is commemorated by Mull’s annual Mendelssohn Festival.
LEGENDS
Would you like to spend a night in a Scottish castle? Glengorm Castle, located high in the green hills just north of Tobermory, offers bed and breakfast. There are also hotels, and cottages for rent all over the island. The local people are friendly and happily recount the legends of giants and dragons, murderous clan chiefs, witches who sank boats, and the MacLean chief who was decapitated in battle but rode on for six miles.
Travel Info (no sound)
The island has several medieval castles, including the 13th century Duart Castle which is the ancestral home of the McLean Clan – rules of the island for many years. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell visited Mull in 1773 and describe it in their Journey to the Western isles of Scotland. Deserted cottages on the island still stand as reminders of the terrible years of the 18th and 19th Century Highland Clearances, when landowners forced their tenants off the land, and the population fell down 10.000 to less than 4.000.
How to get there?
There’s a ferry service from the mainland port of Oban (which can in turn be reached from Glasgow by train or coach).
Discover Mull Tour Info
Pam & Arthur Brown Ardrioch Farm, Dervaig isle of Mull, Argyll PA75 6QR Tel: +44 1688 400415
Like this post? Please promote twit it, thank you for your help advanced.
Um comentário:
A very informative article, thank you Carlos
Postar um comentário