Isle of Lismore

Scotland > West of Scotland > Argyll > Isle of Lismore

Located in the waters of the Sea Loch, Loch Linnhe about 6 miles from Oban. Lismore is about 11 miles long and 1.and a half miles at its widest point. It is nowhere any higher than 416 feet and is a fertile island of deep loam on a limestone base. It is ideal for cycling and walking with fantastic views over the sea and across to the mountains of Benderloch, Appin and Morven, with the heights of the island of Mull to the south west. As the historian Ian Carmichael said, 'the island provides a grandstand veiw of some of the finest scenery...in Scotland'.
Lismore's name comes from the Gaelic meaning 'Great Garden' but more probably - 'Great Enclosure'. Numerous ancient historical remains on the island are testiment to the length of human settlement on the island. A Neolithic stone axehead was found, thought to date from around 3500 B.C. Bronze Age cairns and Iron Age duns can be seen. Tirfuir Broch is one of the best preserved galleried Pictish brochs in Scotland. St Moluag brought Christianity to the island in the 6th cent. The ruined Castle Coeffin, a 13th cent. hall-house built by the MacDougalls of Lorn and the Bishop's Castle, Achadun Castle, built in the 13th cent., was the base for the Bishops of Argyll until the 16th cent. The Cathedral of St Moluag was founded in the 12th century. All that remains is the choir, which is incorporated in to the Parish Church.
It has a good harbour at Port Ramsay