MacNab's tree

60 million years ago the Isle of Mull was subject to massive volcanic activity which covered the land with thick layers of lava. On the coastal path from Dervaig to Quinish Point there is a remarkable memento of those violent events - lying on the rocky shore, just below high water mark there are the remains of trees felled by a flowing river of lava.

The "fossil" trees were discovered by Peter MacNab as recently as 1984. The largest tree, complete with its root boll is easily recognisable but is not in fact a true fossil. The tree was covered in cooling lava, and then rotted away leaving an empty cast within the lava flow. The hollow cast was subsequently filled by a later and harder flow of lava. Much later the original covering of relatively soft lava was weathered away exposing the hard cast of the tree that we see today.

Mrs Talpa is sitting on the root boll of the tree with the trunk pointing out to sea.