Kilvickeon Cemetary & Beach  and
The Lost Townships of Scoor & Shiaba

A day out exploring the southern coast of the Ross of Mull. Grand cliff top views, remote beaches, and an abandoned Highland township.

Route Details

OS Pathfinder 341,342 and 353 1:25,000; MAP OS EXPLORER 373 Iona, Staffa and The Ross of Mull.
Car required. An all day excursion, 9 miles in distance (including return).

The starting point lies 2 miles south of the village of Bunessan on the Ross of Mull. From Seaview travel eastwards along the A849. On leaving Bunessan take the sharp bend at the east end of the village and drive up the hill. At the hills crest, turn right at the sign for Assapol and Scoor. Travel along the tar road past Loch Assapol. Open and go through the gate onto a reasonable dirt track road.

Follow the road up the hill and park at the side of the track (car park marked) opposite Kilvickeon cemetery. This is lying in the fields to the right (west) below you.

Kilvickeon Cemetary & Beach

From your car turn west off the main dirt track and walk down the small track to the bottom of the 1st little slope. Turn right through the gate, across the field to Kilvickeon church and cemetery. This site can be seen all the way down from the car park.

This is the only medieval parish church dating from the 13th century on the Ross of Mull, of which there are many worthwhile remains. Believed to have been built on a pre-existing Christian site, Kilvickeon translates from the native Gaelic as 'Church of the son of Eoghan' - Eoghan was a nephew of St Columba. With Iona, the cradle of Christianity, so near at hand many of the missionaries would have passed through the area as they went off on their travels.

Kilvickeon was linked or united with many other local parishes in its history, ending up as the Parish Church of Kilvickeon with Kilninian which served the whole Ross of Mull, before its final demise in 1804 when the present Parish Church in Bunessan was built. We know from the First Statistical Account (c 1792) that the original building had been in dire straits for some time. Today, the ruin stands in the midst of its burial ground, in a bleak and windswept part of the island, but with an atmosphere all of its own.

The entrance to the church is still there. The original door of the arch must have been secured by a drawbar as the deep socket onto which the bar slid can be seen on the right hand wall of the arch. To the left of the door above you is a piece of carved sandstone, now weathered. It could have been known as what was called a 'sheela-na-gig', a lewd or suggestive figure placed on a wall as a mark of defiance. Inside the church there is a tombstone lying flat on the ground upon which the words HIC IACET MARIOTA FIL IA… (here lies Mari(o)a, daughter of….) are inscribed. This is known as the Mariota Stone - carved on it you can just make out the shape of an early sword. For a personal view of the church yard visit The Hazel Tree

Return to the track and continuing down you come to a picturesque beach divided by an island at low tide. A splendid spot for a family picnic and swim or a beachcomb.

Return to the main dirt track at the top of the hill and turn right following the road to Scoor House, leaving your car at Kilvickeon car park. Go left past the front of Scoor House through the gate and follow the track through the fields to the gate at the top of the field. On passing it, you climb to the top of the ridge then turn left and follow the ridge towards the forest across the valley.

Soon you will spot the track to the deserted township of Shiaba below you. Follow the rough path through the moorland watching out for grouse and birds of prey as you go. Soon you see the gable end of a building with other ruins around it sitting on a fertile grassy mound above cliffs.

Over three hundred and fifty people lived here at the end of the eighteenth century and the remains of their round-cornered houses and boundary walls marking their croft lands can be seen.

In 1841, 126 people lived in 22 cottages, by 1881 two old and ill people remained. John Campbell, the Duke of Argyll’s factor raised rents, took the people’s pasture land and forced them from their cottages, not only in Shiaba but throughout the area. His cruelty and harshness aroused ill feeling and hatred that is still felt today in the memories of the Ross of Mull people.

The Highland clearances came and the emigrant ships took people away from the beaches below. Follow down past the houses to the deer fence near the shore and follow it east back up the hillside. Here you are likely to see deer, eagles and wild goats. At one point you are fairly near the cliff edge so please be careful of your footing! Continue onto the high ground and look east across to the 1000ft cliffs at Malcolm's Point with the Carsaig Arches just visible at their foot. The scenery and atmosphere is so special to this area that you are likely to stop often and gaze in wonder at it all. The seascapes in the distant south and east are that of the islands of Islay, Colonsay and Jura. This is a walk John and Jane have done on a handful of occasions with Megan and enjoyed many a picnic amongst the ruins enjoying the sunshine.
For a personal view and some great photos of the walk visit WalkingHighlands

Turning inland return to the deer fence and follow it until you reach a gap which brings you to higher moorland. Find the trig pillar and climb to Cruachan Min. From here you can see a whole host of islands: Islay, Jura, Scarba, Lunga, Luing, Mull, Colonsay, Staffa, Coll, Tiree and Iona.

Return home south and west through the wide firebreak which has a gate at each end. At the bottom of the firebreak is a

Wildlife Watch

Red deer, wild goats, buzzard, kestrel, golden eagles (along the skyline) and seabirds on the cliffs. Woodland birds including woodcock, wood pigeon, jackdaw and rooks. Moorland birds include whinchats, skylark, wheatear and red grouse.

Last amended 24/01/2013
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