Ardnacross Facts
Fact 1
Ardnacross has always been an important place on Mull. The first known inhabitants were the Bronze Age tribes who built the standing stones at Ardnacross as early as 2600 BC. There is a ruin of a large Broch on the shore and later the ruins of what was the boat house for the ferryman at the earliest ferry service on Mull (even before Caledonian Macbrayne).
Fact 2
If you look at the stone work on the face of Ardnacross you will see that the early part of the house built by the Duke of Argyll was built by stone masons placing the stoners in random fashion. All the later buildings were built with stones of even size placed in rows.
Fact 3
The earliest actual record we have for Ardnacross is from a census taken in 1784. At that time the main house here was the Farm House which was one of the first two story houses on Mull. All the land which extended to about 4000 acres belonged to the Duke of Argyll.
Fact 4
Circa 1820 the Farm House was converted into stabling for 13 horses. A smithy (the hen house), a cow byre for 52 cows, a calf shed and a dairy were also built.
Fact 5
In 1880 the farm was sold to a shipping family called Allan who lived at Aros House which was across Tobermory bay from the main street. The Allen family owned most of Tobermory and with the purchase of Ardnacross, all the ground between Aros Mains and Tobermory.
Fact 6
Circa 1985, all the buildings on the farm were extensively restored by the Forrester family, including the construction/conversion of three more houses. This established the farm as the successful enterprise and family home that it is today with four houses, three of which are let for holiday letting, a major fish farm site which is leased to Scottish Seafarms, and a small beef and sheep farm.
Fact 7
If you walk round the farm it is possible to see the outlines of a number of Black House ruins and on the hill where it has now been planted on the south facing edge of the Corrie there were a number of sheilings where the crofters lived in the summer.
Fact 8
In 1790 the Duke of Argyll ordered his Tacksman in the North of Mull to build himself a house at Ardnacross and to use the timbers from a wreck on Coll for its construction. Completed in 1794 the Dukes records show that the house was built at a cost £187-17-6. Probably about £200,000 in to-days money. The house then was a typical Georgian design with a front door and a room either side of the door separated by a hall with stairs to the first floor.
Fact 9
Mull has a coastline of 300 miles (480 km). The landscape is primarily moorland, with a few peaks, and its climate is moderated by the Gulf Stream. The highest peak on the island is Ben More (3169 ft / 966 metres).
Fact 10
In 1588 one of the ships of the Spanish Armada, Florenica, was moored in Tobermory Bay and blown up there, reputedly with £300,000 of gold bullion on board.