Scottish Islands Explorer 45: Sep / Oct 2017

Museums of Mull
Museums of Mull
Museums of Mull
James Petre finds three of them to be remarkable and rewarding
There are a good many museums in the
Highlands & Islands, most of which
naturally focus on the history and archaeology of
their local areas. In the main, they are small and
staffed by volunteers who enjoy being, in a sense,
stewards of the symbols and records of their local
histories, bringing them to the attention of their
communities and to the ever increasing numbers
of visitors.
The large island of Mull is particularly well served
by its museums. The prime one is the Mull
Museum in Tobermory. It began in the 1970s, but
only moved to its present home, Columba
Buildings on Main Street, in 1986. Given the
popularity of Tobermory as a holiday destination
and as a calling point for an increasing number of
cruise ships, it is very likely the most visited
museum in the Hebrides.
Free entry no doubt contributes to this busyness,
so that it is not always easy to manoeuvre within the
compact premises. That said, the staff has worked
miracles in organising the displays of information
panels, artefacts, models and sundry paraphernalia,
into an immensely attractive layout that allows you
to move around and study everything closely. Not
an inch of space is wasted.
Model of a Broch
The variety of the Mull Museum’s possessions is
remarkable. There is, for example, a model of a
broch which allows you to see how the structure was
laid out and inhabited. There is a representation of
an early attempt to poke around the wreck of the
Spanish vessel which famously blew up and sank in
1588, supposedly with its treasure, in the Bay.
The submersible used was clearly very crude by
today’s standards, being a bell-like structure
trapping enough air for its sole occupant to breath
for a while. His feet appear to stick out of its
bottom so he must have had to be careful not to
upset it!
Another striking exhibit is the brass bell from the
SS Aurania which was torpedoed in 1918 by
U 67, 15 miles off the north-west coast of Ireland.
The Museum’s explanation retells how it was
taken in tow with the intention of moving it to the
Clyde, but that it broke free near Mull, drifted
onto Caliach Point, where it smashed to pieces on
the rocks.
Rescue Mission
Perhaps even more dramatic, and from a more
recent period, is a big chunk of the Dakota aircraft
which crashed in poor visibility on Beinn Talaidh
in winter 1945, killing some of its crew and passengers,
leading to an extraordinary rescue mission by
the hardy men and women living nearby. The relic
is fixed high on a wall and at first you wonder what
the twisted metal can be until you read the plaque.
A better known chapter of Mull’s Second Word
War days, enshrined in the Museum, is the story of
Vice-Admiral Gilbert Stephenson, who
commanded the Royal Naval training school based
in the town. Known as ‘the Terror of Tobermory’
for the standards he required and imposed, he is
said to have been an intimidating taskmaster. The
Vice-Admiral is also celebrated these days by
having a beer named after him - the Terror of
Tobermory Ale brewed by the Mull Brewery.
Whether most visitors first come to know of the
Terror via the Museum or the beer is a tricky
question to answer! My personal favourite items
in the Museum are the panels and models relating
to the Clearances on Mull and the castles on the
island and adjoining coastlines from the days of the
Lordship of the Isles.
36 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER 37