The Isle of Mull. Terry Marsh

of Duart Castle to retrieve her husband from the attentions of a beautiful Spanish princess on board the galleon, called up an army of fairy cats, which swam out and savaged the crew. One, in pursuing a sailor, set off loose powder in the magazine with sparks from its fur, and so destroyed the galleon. While there can be little doubt that such a tale is perfectly true, Alison MacLeay gives an alternative version in The Tobermory Treasure, to which contemporary thinking ascribes greater veracity. The wreck was long thought to have been the man-of-war, the Florencia, but was, in fact, a Mediterranean carrack, the San Juan de Sicilia.

      Ardmore Bay

WALK 1.3

      Ardmore

Start	Ardmore forest car park (NM 485 558)
Distance	12km (7½ miles)
Ascent	415m (1360ft)
Terrain	Forest trails; some narrow woodland paths; short stretch of coastal path
Map	OS Explorer 374 Isle of Mull North and Tobermory

      Ardmore is the name of a lost village, buried beneath trees during afforestation in the 20th century. Nearby Penalbanach suffered the same fate, but now that the forest is being cleared, fern-clad, roofless dwellings are re-appearing to remind modern visitors that people once lived here. The plantation that remains is predominantly Sitka spruce and Japanese larch, but large swathes of it have been felled so that the whole walk is nothing like so enclosed or gloomy as might be expected. The walk concludes with a long stretch on a minor road, but one that passes through a pleasing landscape. Almost all of the route is potentially shared with cyclists.

      The easiest of starts sets off from the forest car park, heading along a broad trail with mature trees on the left and an open, hillocky prospect on the right decorated with ling and bell heather. After about 800m, the track begins to descend gently, and ahead you can pick out the profile of Ben Hiant on the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

      The on-going trail leads through a large cleared area with fine seaward views to South Uist and Barra in the Outer Hebrides skimming low and blue along the far horizon.

      At NM 476 573, the track divides. Here bear right, following a route waymarked with red-banded poles. After a brief, gentle rise, the track begins a long and steady descent towards Ardmore. When the trail again divides, at NM 475 577, keep forward past a small quarry, still following the waymarked trail, now much less substantial. Although not immediately obvious, there are the remains of village buildings on either side of the narrowing track; one is thought to have been the schoolhouse, which may once have resounded to the cacophony of young voices.

      The path curls downwards to cross the Allt na Criche on stepping stones that can sometimes be submerged, necessitating one giant leap for mankind, or a little paddling. Beyond, you re-enter plantation, among which more ruins of Ardmore appear; today, these are coated with ferns, mainly spleenwort, a poignantly attractive sight.