Our Farm
A friendly working environment
Aberdeen Angus & Simmental cattle and Cheviot sheep, with a scattering of chickens too!
The Farm
Situated on the East Coast of Mull with exceptional sea views over the Sound of Mull, Ardnacross is a beautiful working farm of 1200 acres rearing Aberdeen Angus cattle and Cheviot sheep.
Our family have owned and farmed Ardnacross for over eighty years and in addition to the working farm, it is home to four self-catering holiday properties.
Nestled between panoramic views of the Mountains of Mull and the Sound of Mull, only a few miles from the iconic town of Tobermory, Ardnacross has 2 miles of sea frontage which is within easy walking distance of the holiday accommodation.
Working with Nature
In 1840 the owners of Ardnacross constructed a barn with a threshing mill and grinding stones to service grain production in the North East of Mull. This was driven by a water wheel fed by water from the burn at Ardnacross. In 2014 we installed a 100kW hydro system fed by water from the same burn. While the technology is different, the engineering principle is the same as that used 175 years ago. We are using a natural resource, water, to generate green energy which is fed into the National grid to provide enough energy to power up to 50 houses.
'A Place of the Crossing'
Ardnacross, which in Gaelic means place of the crossing, was ideally sited for occupation by prehistoric people. It is fertile ground, near to the sea, a source of food and provided access to other coastal communities. Its importance is underlined by the number of Bronze Age sites (2600-600BC) in a relatively small area.
A boat crossing between the bay below Ardnacross, where the outline of the old boathouse can be seen, to Rhemore on Morvern opposite Ardnacross is believed to have been one of the early crossings between the Isle of Mull and the Morvern area of the Scottish mainland.
The Sound of Mull is a haven to ships during rough weather. The narrow geography of the sound could also present navigational problems in a bad North-Westerly or South-Easterly gale. The wrecks in the area are testament to the unforgiving nature of the wind and the waves.
Wrecks in the Sound
Armada Treasure
According to the Scotsman, the prevailing theory among those who have taken time to study the subject is that an Armada vessel found refuge in the sheltered waters of Tobermory Harbour after the defeat of the 1588. Many claim it was the Almirante di Florencia one of the treasure ships of the Armada. Often known simply as the Florencia, or the Florida, she would have been laden with the most fabulous Spanish gold and treasure. Others say the vessel was the San Juan de Sicilia (or San Juan de Baptista) with plenty of troops on board but little in the way of treasure.
The story goes that either Maclean of Duart or an emissary acting on his behalf (possibly an undercover agent from the English government) boarded the galleon and ignited its powder store causing a huge explosion which sunk not only the boat and the sailors on board – but also the treasure. Over the years some – but very few – valuable artefacts have been recovered. The story among locals is that the galleon has simply sunk into the silt at the seabed.
Other wrecks
There are three wrecks within sight of Ardnacross. The nearest is the “Hispania”, a Swedish registered 640 ton merchant ship built in Antwerp, Holland in 1912.
On the 17th December 1954, the “Hispania” was en-route to Varberg, Sweden from Liverpool with a mixed cargo. In poor weather the vessel navigated north through the Sound only to ground on a reef, the Sgeir Mhor, surviving this grounding but taking on water and with an increasing list eventually sank. 21 crew survived, the captain was last seen going down with his ship. The wreck remains fairly intact and, although it is gradually disintegrating with time, it remains one of Scotland’s finest wreck dives.
The “Shuna” was another Swedish vessel seeking shelter in the relative calm of the Sound of Mull during bad weather on a voyage from Glasgow to Gothenburg with a cargo of coal. Late in the evening of 8th May 1913 in driving rain and poor visibility, she was momentarily grounded in the southern part of the Sound. The captain opted to try to make port in Tobermory but the vessel began to take on water, to the point that she was run ashore on the Morvern coast north of Lochaline. The “Shuna” was battered by the raging waters, with some crew despatched to get help the others made shore before the “Shuna” eventually sank.
The “Rondo” was a 2300 ton late World War I construction vessel in the USA and had passed through a few shipping companies post war. On a northerly transit through the Sound in a gale and snowstorm during January 1935 she was forced to shelter in Aros Bay. She was high in the water as her hold was empty on a voyage to pick up cargo in Oslo. The ferocity of the weather in the bay caused the anchor chain to break and now drifting with the crew unable to fight the weather she grounded on Eileanan Glasa. The vessel ran up the rock and was fast but stable. The crew survived for a couple of weeks during attempted salvage. However, this may have made her still lighter and possibly caused her to slide off the rocks into deep water. Thus the Sound claimed another vessel.
Historic Stones
Ardnacross was ideally sited for occupation by prehistoric people. It is fertile ground, near to the sea, a source of food and access to other coastal communities. Its importance is underlined by the number of Bronze Age sites (2600-600BC) in a relatively small area. On a platform above and to the WSW of the Stables there are three kerb cairns and two parallel rows of three standing stones.
To east of the road 400 yards NNE of the farm is another cairn, in which the kerb consists of large stones up to three feet in height. Two more cairns are to be found above the shore on Rubh’ an t-Sean Chaisteil and just south of these cairns is the remains of a broch which would be of an Iron Age date (500BC-500AD). The broch is in a very ruinous state and only the base of the thick walls, and some of the entrance can be identified. Rubh’ an t-Sean Chaisteal translates as the ‘Point of the old castle ‘probably relating to the broch. A seventh burial cairn lies some 500yds to the South of the farm and is less well defined than the others.
Brochs are circular dry stone forts mostly concentrated in the north and west of Scotland (Ardnacross is somewhat south of the main area). They were built roughly 100BC to 100AD and are also characterised having hollow walls with staircases and small cell like chambers.
The north of Mull is remarkable in that there are seven sites with standing stone rows consisting of three to five stones. These stone settings excited the interest of the archeoastronomers. After excavating the site at Glengorm in 1987-88, Dr Martlew & Prof. Ruggles excavated and surveyed the Ardnacross site Standing Stone, during the summers of 1989 &1991.
The excavations revealed a date of 1260 to 910 BC which is a late date for stone rows. A small bracelet was recovered from close to one of the stones. It was of a copper alloy but interaction with the soil had leached out the metal, it is of unusual design with geometrical lines and chevrons.
Enjoying your Stay
Walking around Ardnacross, the farm animals are a rewarding sight and you can see deer, otters and even golden eagles. We have seen dolphins playing in the bay visible from The Stables kitchen window.
The best time to see deer grazing at Ardnacross is either early in the morning or at dusk.
There is an abundance of sea birds and waders to be seen, including curlews.
This coastline is home to dolphins, porpoises and otters.
In June and July you can take an unforgettable trip out to see the puffins on Lunga.
With two rivers and sheltered coves, in addition to hill walks, all on your doorstep, Ardnacross is an ideal location for a holiday.
Our walks give you access to some of the most beautiful places on the Isle of Mull.
There is a loch at Ardnacross which can be used by arrangement for trout fishing.
Salmon and sea fishing can also be arranged locally, either short trips for mackerel or longer day trips out to catch larger fish.
The largest skate ever caught was in the sound of Mull.
Our Area
Whether your interests lie in simply walking around the farm and playing on the beaches, visiting the Mull theatre, wild life tours, whale spotting or visiting historic castles, you will be ideally located to enjoy all of these activities and return to our warm and welcoming self-catering house and cottages.
