Loch na Keal, Mull, Argyll
Loch na Keal, meaning Loch of the Kyle or Loch of the Narrows, is the principal sea loch on the western coastline of the island of Mull. It extends for over 13 miles inland and almost cuts the island in half as it reaches a point only 3 miles from the east coast.
Loch na Keal consists of a wide triangular shaped outer loch, separated from Loch Tuath to the north by the islands of Gometra and Ulva, leading into a narrow inner loch. The island of Staffa is at the mouth of the outer loch, the island of Inch Kenneth is in the outer loch and the island of Eorsa is in the inner loch. The outer loch northern coastline is made up of basaltic ridges and many rocks and islets with many different types of vegetation. The southern coastline, bounded by the Ardmeanach peninsula, has cliffs, land slips and substantial slopes that are covered in scree. The northern shore of the inner loch is steeply sloped with Killiechronan Wood to the east. The southern shore of the inner loch consists of cliffs and slopes leading to the Munro and extinct volcano of Ben More (3169 feet high) with Scarisdale Wood to the south east.
Loch na Keal has no significant villages. Most of the small settlements are at the head (east end) of the loch where there is a small area of flat land where the River Bà flows into Loch na Keal from Loch Bà. These include Gruline, a small scattered settlement, primarily consisting of crofting and tourist homes. The closest larger village is Salen, located 2.5 miles north east across the isthmus from the head of the loch.
Date: 7th November 2008
Location: view from the northern shore near Killiechronan
Loch na Keal consists of a wide triangular shaped outer loch, separated from Loch Tuath to the north by the islands of Gometra and Ulva, leading into a narrow inner loch. The island of Staffa is at the mouth of the outer loch, the island of Inch Kenneth is in the outer loch and the island of Eorsa is in the inner loch. The outer loch northern coastline is made up of basaltic ridges and many rocks and islets with many different types of vegetation. The southern coastline, bounded by the Ardmeanach peninsula, has cliffs, land slips and substantial slopes that are covered in scree. The northern shore of the inner loch is steeply sloped with Killiechronan Wood to the east. The southern shore of the inner loch consists of cliffs and slopes leading to the Munro and extinct volcano of Ben More (3169 feet high) with Scarisdale Wood to the south east.
Loch na Keal has no significant villages. Most of the small settlements are at the head (east end) of the loch where there is a small area of flat land where the River Bà flows into Loch na Keal from Loch Bà. These include Gruline, a small scattered settlement, primarily consisting of crofting and tourist homes. The closest larger village is Salen, located 2.5 miles north east across the isthmus from the head of the loch.
Date: 7th November 2008
Location: view from the northern shore near Killiechronan
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Also in: Sea and sand
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