TheSound of Mull is asound between theInner Hebridean island ofMull and mainlandScotland. It forms part of theAtlantic Ocean.
The Sound of Mull Project is a Scottish Sustainable Marine Environment Initiative (SSMEI) spatial plan ofArgyll and Bute Council which sets out details on the marine, environmental and coastal activities in the Sound.[1]
The largest settlement on the Sound isTobermory on Mull, which lies near the northern entrance of the Sound.
There are several ferry routes that use the Sound, most of which originate from Oban. These include the ferry between Oban andCraignure, the main ferry port on Mull, whose main pier was built in 1964.[2][3] Other ferry routes across the Sound include Tobermory toKilchoan andFishnish toLochaline.[3]
The Sound has long been used for navigation, linking ports such asOban and Tobermory with the Atlantic. As such, there are a number of wrecks in the Sound. TheSS Thesis was a cargosteamship which was wrecked in October 1889 in the Sound.[4]
TheSS Hispania, was aSwedishcargo ship that sank on 18 December 1954 after striking a rock.[5]
The wreck of theSS Shuna is located in the Sound.[6] The Shuna was a Glasgow steamer, owned by Messers Glen & Co., that was carrying a cargo of coal and iron from Glasgow toGothenburg when it struck on the Grey Rocks during a storm in May 1913 and subsequently became a total loss.[6]
TheSS Rondo was aFirst World War US cargo ship that sank in the Sound on 25 January 1935 whilst seeking shelter from a storm.[7]
In 1973, divers from Bristol discovered the wreck ofHMS Dartmouth, afifth-rate ship of theEnglish Council of State.[8] On 11 April 1974, the 1690 wrecksite was one of the first to be designated under theProtection of Wrecks Act. It was redesignated on 25 June 1992. The site became aHistoric Maritime Protected Area in 2013.[9]
Settlements on the Sound include:
There are several islands in the Sound. These includeCalve Island, an uninhabited low-lying island.[10]
Bays on the Sound includeArdtornish Bay andInninmore Bay on the Morvern peninsular.
The western edge of the Sound is guarded byRubha nan Gall, a lighthouse operated by theNorthern Lighthouse Board. The name means "Stranger's Point" in Scottish Gaelic. It was built in 1857 byDavid andThomas Stevenson.[11]
The eastern edge of the Sound is marked by two lighthouses, one on each side.Eilean Musdile (Lismore Lighthouse) built in 1833 is on the Isle ofLismore andDuart Point built 1900, in memorial to Scottish novelistWilliam Black on Mull.[12][13][14][15]
Traditionally, the local economy was based on fishing and agriculture. There are three castles that face the Sound, these areArdtornish Castle (a 14th-century castle ruin ofClan Donald) andAros Castle (a ruined 13th-century castle originally of theClan MacDougall).[16][17]Duart Castle (Caisteal Dhubhairt) dates back to the 13th century and is the seat ofClan MacLean.[18]
There are twoScotch whisky distilleries sited adjacent to the Sound, these areNc'nean distillery on theMorvern peninsular andArdnamurchan distillery on theArdnamurchan peninsular ofLochaber.[19]
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
