Traigh na Cille walk - Black Beach walk

Route: Traigh na Cille

Area: Isle of Mull, Scotland

Date of walk: 11th September 2026

Walkers: Andrew and Gilly

Distance: 1.0 mile

Ascent: 100 feet

Weather: Weak sun, very hazy

We’ve not visited the Isle of Mull since our honeymoon, 42 years ago, far too long an absence for such a wonderful place. We were lucky to be able to catch an earlier ferry from Oban than the one we’d booked and, having checked into our holiday accommodation, we had sufficient time for a short evening walk – an unexpected bonus. We decided to visit nearby Traigh na Cille, The Black Beach, so named on account of its black sands formed during volcanic eruptions around 60 million years ago

We made the short journey along the narrow B8073 and parked by a small stone bridge, where there is limited parking for a couple of cars (make sure to keep the access free and the passing place unobstructed).

We passed through a deer gate and followed an easy track through a small woodland of broadleaf trees. This opened out into a grassy area grazed by sheep and highland cattle. After crossing a bridge next to a ford we descended to Traigh na Cille, enjoying lovely but very hazy views across Loch Tuath to Ulva and Gometra

Thanks to the ferry schedules and the distance we’d travelled today, we had no choice in our timing. We’d arrived at high tide, so there was little to see of the dark sand which gives the beach its name, nor did we spot any otters which often come ashore to eat their catch. We wandered around the beach for a while, but further exploration along the coast isn’t possible thanks to the rough terrain. We then retraced our steps back to the start of a short, simple, but satisfying walk

Postscript: we returned to the beach on the final day of our holiday in the hope of spotting otters, which had eluded us all week, and had a good sighting of one which, needless to say, disappeared before I could get the camera out of the bah

Click on the icon below for the route map (subscribers to OS Maps can view detailed maps of the route, visualise it in aerial 3D, and download the GPX file. Non-subscribers will see a base map)