|
The village of
Fionnphort which means 'Port of the White Sands', and
pronounced 'fin-ny-firt' is on the south west peninsula
of Mull, known as the Ross of Mull. The name Fionnphort refers
to the splendid, white, sandy bay which is overlooked by Seaview
providing a wonderful foreground to the Isle of Iona and its
many stunning sunsets. Many of our guests comment on the views
we have from Seaview and they often tell us that by staying with
us they have the best of both worlds – not least our very
welcoming hospitality but also the amazing views they have of
the Sound of Iona and the Abbey, whilst enjoying breakfast and
dinner. We agree with them – as inviting as Iona is, the view
from Iona isn’t quite the same!
Fionnphort
today
Fionnphort is
a small thriving community and is more than just a passing
through point for the ferry across to Iona and the boat trips
out to the Treshnish Isles – it is also the home and workplace
to approximately 100 people. With only 35 homes in the village,
Fionnphort and her residents support an astonishing number of
visitors from around the world who travel through Glen More from
Craignure to the Ross of Mull, whatever the weather, 365 days a
year. The land and coastal waters around the Ross of Mull,
(including other villages and communities) supports the
traditional farming, crofting, fishing and forestry industries
as well as the diversification of tourism, hospitality, service
and retail. Further information about the fishing industry,
click here.
21st
century Fionnphort
 For such a
tiny hamlet, Fionnphort is pretty cosmopolitan in its own unique
and hardy way. Visitors staying at Seaview come from around the
world and despite its island location, our guests have always
been delighted at the diverse range of services we personally
offer along with the facilities and services offered in and
around the village. Fionnphort isn’t chic, trendy or fashionable
in a ‘slick city’ kind of way but it has a lot more to offer
than one might expect. Long term plans for this small, vibrant
and bustling Hebridean community include a
harbour
as well as forming the epicentre of the UK’s first National
Marine Park.
One renowned
tourist information guide published a rather short sighted
comment that Fionnphort was ‘merely for passing through……after
all what was there to stop for?’ Had the writer stopped to find
out, he or she would have discovered for themselves…………………………..
Recent guests
of ours commented that the tourist information book referred to
above, that she was reading had got it all wrong – and that in
fact Fionnphort was a gem of a place and well worth stopping
for; not just to observe a real Hebridean community at work and
at play but a rare opportunity to join in with the island life
and sample the warm and friendly hospitality on offer and a
unique and memorable experience to take home with them. One
can’t receive a better accolade than that.
Fionnphort
Community Life
 Our local
grocery store The Ferry Shop is owned and run by Jane & Sandy Brunton along with their staff and sells an amazing array of
goods from fresh produce right through to fresh bread every
morning. A supermarket it isn’t but it offers a diverse range of
food items including freshly baked bread & croissants, takeaway
coffee, delicatessen products, local cheeses and fresh fish. All
this, as well as serving the community as the local post office,
newsagent, art, craft & gift shop. With an impressive range of
local history & interest books on offer as well, plus internet,
email and fax facilities there isn’t much that can’t be bought
here.
 The Keel Row
Pub & Restaurant is a traditional Hebridean pub owned and run by
Marilyn & Brendan and offers a warm and inviting welcome to
everyone; built from a converted stone cottage The Keel Row
offers a comprehensive menu and caters for most tastes – food is
plentiful and outdoor seating offers the opportunity to watch
some spectacular sunsets whilst enjoying a wee dram or two.
There are other places where you can dine including Martyr’s Bay Restaurant on Iona,
and The Reef at Bunessan. For further information
click here.
 The Columba
Centre is owned by
Historic Scotland
(turn left coming into Fionnphort signposted for Fidden) and houses an exhibition
dedicated to St. Columba - displaying the legacy of the
beautiful carved stones and crosses which still remain on
Iona. This is a worthwhile place to visit for those of you interested in
the history of St. Columba, Iona Abbey and Celtic Heritage as
well as the influence early Christianity had in Scotland and
Europe.
There is no charge for admission and there is plenty of parking
outside.
HM Coastguard provides an important role in the
community – the building can be found on the left on the way
down to the pier. Coastguard callouts for search & rescue teams
and medivac operations are all facilitated by local men who
volunteer their services even though they have full time
employment. The team at Fionnphort are called out several times
a year to assist in a number of emergency callouts in all
weather and at all times.
 The RNLI are
equally important and is a charity well supported by the village
through fund raising events and a very popular book stall
located in the garage of Trevor, one of the local posties. (You
can find it on the left on your way up to the Columba Centre).
Other
buildings in the village include the Calmac ticket office for
the ferry across to Iona, and a tea room with public toilet
facilities.
Wild
Fionnphort
Along with the
many white sandy beaches, coves and bays offering visitors hours
of beachcombing and discovery, the surrounding area has bird
life galore, flora and fauna, walks for the uninitiated and the
more experienced, and stunning views and scenery waiting to
capture your heart and hopefully some amazing photographs too.
The folks back home just won’t believe the beauty of the place.
Marine life is
also abundant – Sammy the seal can often be seen in the bay
especially when the fishing boats are in and landing their catch
of lobsters, crabs and fish. Hand fed by the fisherman, Sammy is
easily recognized because he has massive scar tissue around his
body possibly caused by either a propeller or by becoming
entangled in rope or net. Sammy sometimes appears with another
seal but we don’t know if he’s a pal or a girlfriend. We are
still waiting for a baby Sammy.
Dolphins,
porpoise and basking sharks have all been seen in the waters
around Fionnphort swimming up and down the Sound of Iona; line
fishing for crab and mackerel are enjoyed by youngsters (old and
young) on the pier – freshly caught mackerel BBQ’d is something
else.
Here at
Seaview we work on ‘Mull’ time – the pace of life is a lot
slower and much more relaxed. When we are asked what time it is
– we often say with tongue in cheek ‘light o’clock’, ‘dark
o’clock’, ‘eat o’clock’ or ‘sleep o’clock’– time isn’t really
that important to us and we try to enjoy each moment each day.
If we are asked what day it is, we say “We don’t know but it
ends in the letter ‘y’”. We aren’t being cheeky when we say
this, we just believe that there are other choices to how one
can live their life and we choose to
prioritise
‘differently’ to some other folk. It may sound quirky but it
suits us and our guests appreciate our approach as it helps them
to relax, unwind and enjoy their time on the island – and very
often when checking out, guests discover they have ‘lost’ a day
or two!
Fionnphort
Granite
Fionnphort is
the home of the world famous Red Granite. From this robust and
decorative material many important civil engineering works were
constructed and across the Sound of Iona is a lasting monument
and tribute to this material…………..Iona Abbey.
Half a mile
north across the moor land heather is the
Tor Mor Quarry which once produced the unique red granite
building blocks. Our home, Seaview is constructed of this
granite and the superb workmanship of past local stonemasons can
be seen on the front face of the house. The stone was popular
because it was free of flaws and grain and would take intricate
carving as well as a good polish – an excellent example of this
can be found on the Seaview nameplate on the pillar at the front
gate.
Other more
auspicious building works that have used Fionnphort Granite
include Blackfriars Bridge, Holburn Viaduct and the Albert
Memorial in London, along with buildings in New York and
Liverpool docks, Manchester City Hall and many others.
Near to the
quarry on the Mull side of the Sound of Iona is the small island
of Eilean nam Ban or ‘Island of the Women’. Legend has it
that when St. Columba founded Iona he banished the women to this
island – little did he realize what good swimmers the men were! |
