A Walk on Ulva and Gometra

The ferry journey from Mull to Ulva only takes a few minutes and the ferry operates on demand by sliding a coloured board on the wall overlooking the Boathouse on Ulva. The Boathouse has a superb Tea Room and the food is excellent and well prepared and served by the two very attractive ladies working there. We were lucky with the weather for this 11 mile walk from here to the next island of Gometra which is separated by a few yards of the Atlantic and a short swing bridge.

About 20 minutes walk from the Boathouse is this church build by our own Thomas Telford. He was commissioned by the Church of Scotland to build 32 churches and 40 manses at a cost of no more than £1500 for both church and manse. There are still 16 of these churches in use throughout the Highlands and Islands. This one is still in use but is sadly in need of some improvements and I doubt if it will be open for much longer if it is not repaired.

This must be one of the remotest occupied cottages in Scotland. It is about 4 miles from the Ulva Boathouse on the remote road to Gometra but has some spectacular views accross to Mull.



The small bridge over the Atlantic between Ulva and Gometra. In the 2001 census there were 16 people lived on Ulva and 5 on Gometra but I am sure there will be a few less when the 2011 census for Scotland is published. The present absentee landlord is not keen to allow vehicular access to Gometra so this bridge replaces the more substantial one that used to be there and it is too narrow and not strong enough for most vehicles and can be raised and lowered at his convenience. In 1845-1851 Ulva and Gometra suffered at the hands of the owner Mr. Francis William Clark who because of overpopulation (604) cleared the land of over three-quarters of the total poulation. His factor and men turned some of the families out of their cottages without warning by setting fire to the thatch. They were not even given time to collect their few possessions and their livestock was forfeited to pay their fares to America or Canada.

Some of the many destroyed cottages on the Island of Ulva

The narrow strip of sea between Ulva & Gometra shown at low tide.