Burg

Burg is the wild western tip of Mull's Ardmeanach peninsula, basalt cliffs and grassy terraces facing the open Atlantic, bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland in 1932 as one of its earliest properties. The prize is MacCulloch's fossil tree, the imprint of a trunk engulfed by lava about 50 million years ago, reached by a five-mile coastal path from the Tiroran road end and, at the very end, a steel ladder down to the shore, so allow at least eight hours there and back and check the tides. On the way are Bronze Age cairns, an Iron Age fort and the ruins of 19th-century townships, with golden eagles, sea eagles, red deer, feral goats and otters, and in June the rare slender Scotch burnet moth. Reviewers call it remote and rugged and prize their eagle sightings. Tips from visitors: the path is rough, narrow and steep in places, there are no facilities, dogs cannot manage the ladder, and Bearraich at 432 metres is a good alternative for views.