We are lucky to be right by the sea and the wonderful Calgary Bay. Calgary is a combination of beach, art, nature and great food.
The name for Calgary can be traced back to the gaelic for “beach of the meadow” or “pasture”, which is still valid today as immediately off the beach is a vast expanse of grass, where tiny flowers grow in the summer months. The bay was also used to transport sheep to pasture to and from the Treshnish Isles across the Bay, hence the link to pasture. It is said that Calgary means ‘the haven by the wall’, due to a local stone formation.
Up the hill from the beach lie the ruins of a small village left during the 19th Century Highland clearances. This is a very atmospheric site and a reminder of an important if sombre chapter in Mull’s history. And yes, the city of Calgary in Canada (province of Alberta) is named after Calgary on Mull, as a summer guest of the Calgary House Estate (an officer in the Mounties), took the idea back home with him.
Today, it is a haven of white shell sand and blue sea, a picture perfect impression of what a beach in the Hebrides should look like. It is a safe environment where adults and children can relax and enjoy themselves in stunning surroundings.
Just by the beach is the Robins Boat, distinctive by its roof, made out of an upturned boat hull. If you need refreshments or more importantly Isle of Mull ice cream on a warm day, this is the place to go.
