 Leaving
from Seaview's white gate, cross the main road and walk down the wee road
opposite Seaview. At the bottom of the hill on the left is Fionnphort
beach. On the right you will find the old graveyard, still occasionally used,
which has
interesting granite steps outside the boundary wall which were used for
mounting your 'trusty steed' in times gone by. Fionnphort's (meaning white beach
or port) beach has white sands with a large split rock in the centre of
it. At low tide you can walk to 'Fingal's Rock', where legend has it that
Fingal the giant (who stayed here on his journey from Ireland to Staffa),
woke up one day in a poor temper, picked up the rock and threw it in the
air and smashing it onto the bed rock which caused it's present day split. From
the beach you can see a panorama of the Village, pier, Iona
and the Abbey.
Crossing
north from the beach, walk across the back of the beach and climb up the
rocks onto the hillside passing the 'big rock', and
pick up a rough but well worn path (sheep trail) heading around the
coastline from the far side. The path soon becomes clearer as it weaves
between rocky knolls, always staying some distance from the sea. It is
very wet underfoot in places. Take time to look around and admire
the increasingly spectacular views of the pier, beach, Iona and Abbey.
Continue following the trail over a burn and up and through the craggy
and rocky landscape. You are basically following a sheep trail - keep
the coast and sea to your left. You will eventually start to descend
quite sharply - mind your footing the track can be wet and slippery at
times.
 There
are a couple of blue arrow way markers along the route but they are easy
to miss especially during the summer months when the bracken has grown
nearly 6 feet tall. As the trail starts to descend down to Tormore there
are three houses visible by the sea -two are holiday homes and one is
home to a resident. On the left there is a lovely sandy beach and to the
right is the pier used for taking the pink granite from the nearby
quarry.
Near to the Tormore pier and above
the sandy cove,
hidden amongst the rocks is a cave called 'The Cave of the Dead', (Uamh na Marbh), large
enough in size to hold a coffin containing an ancient Scot's king. The
perfect place to shelter in bad weather for the final journey of burial to
Iona. The sandy cove is an idyllic spot for a picnic and a wee snooze on a
sunny summer's day.
 At
the partially ruined Tormore Quarry Pier you look across Bull Hole to 'Eilean
nam Ban' (Island of the Women) where it is said Columba banished women
from Iona
because he thought they were troublesome! The anchorage of Bull Hole to
the north is a safe anchorage for the Iona Ferry and
local fishing boats in the area.
From the old pier follow the track
uphill, eastwards and into the quarry. This track had a tramway which
carried the quarried red granite down to the waiting boats at the pier to
be exported all over the world. At the top of the track, climb the steep
granite steps taking care with the 'makeshift' handrail or take the easy
route and carry on along the track and round to the top.
The
quarry contains the magnificent red granite which is unique both in colour
(almost pink) and also that large slabs can be quarried without any flaws
or cracks, and when polished makes superb facing stone on buildings.
 There
is a sample of the polished granite on the gate pillar at Seaview. This
stone, which the Abbey and Seaview were built of, was used all over the
world. On top of the hill above the quarry you have a spectacular
panoramic view of Iona, Staffa, Erraid, the Ross of Mull, Tiree, Coll,
Jura, Islay, Little Colonsay, Gometra, Ulva, north west Mull
and the Burg on the Ardmeanach peninsula.
After taking these breathtaking views proceed
south out of the quarry and down the hill following the sheep trails back
to Fionnphort village. Alternatively you can walk the longer road
route back and go through the metal fivebar gate signposted
The
Ninth Wave Restaurant (Mull's Destination Restaurant) and walk the
track down past The Ninth Wave and Bruach Mhor, to the bottom of the
track, through the gate
and follow the road round turning right onto the main road. Fionnphort Village
is just a 5 minute walk.
Wildlife Watch:
Seals, dolphins, hooded crows, buzzards, kestrel, ravens, otters,
corncrake, sea eagles, seabirds including
kittiwake, terns, shag and eider ducks
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