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 Of
all the coastal walks on Mull this has to be the most magnificent. The
Carsaig Arches are not only breathtaking in themselves, but the walk to
them, from either direction, passes under some of the highest and most
spectacular cliffs in Britain. This is goat country, eagle country and,
in spring, nesting country for kittiwakes and fulmars. On the walk in,
an interesting side excursion may be made to the Nuns' cave, where the
nuns are reputed to have taken refuge after being driven from Iona. Like
most of the coastal walking in Mull, this is rough going - the stunning
scenery is the result of eroding sedimentary rocks underlying the Mull
volcanics. As the younger rocks crumble, the volcanic cliffs above are
dramatically steepened.
 The
arches themselves are rather different in character - one a massive tunnel
floored with rounded boulders the size of footballs. With any swell running,
the sound of the sea booms through the cave and the boulders roll restlessly
grinding themselves smoother and smother through the centuries. The other
arch is a crazy, 36 metre tower - a gothic freak of nature with a keyhole
slot through its centre made for a gigantic key 20 metres high.
The walk in to the arches is not long, but it is extremely hard going
and there are only two easy access points, the cliffs being unscaleable
for almost all their length.
References:
Olive Brown and Jean Whittaker, Walking in South Mull and Iona (Revised
& expanded ed. 1996)
ISBN 0 9528428 0 7
Mull in the Making by Rosalind Jones
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