Gometra

Gometra is a small island in the Inner Hebrides, lying west of Mull and immediately west of Ulva. It is linked to Ulva by a bridge and, at low tide, by a beach. The island covers about 425 hectares and includes a summit known as a Marilyn. Gometra has been owned since 1991 by Roc Sandford, an environmental campaigner who spends part of the year living there. The name may come from Old Norse or Gaelic, with meanings such as ‘God-man’s island’ or ‘warrior priest’s island’. The island’s geology consists mainly of basalt lavas from the early Palaeogene period, with a few younger dykes cutting through. The island is agricultural, with a small community and herds of blackface sheep, Highland cattle, pigs, horses, feral goats and red deer. Once home to over a hundred people, it now supports only a handful of residents. Historical sites include old settlements, a burial ground and the remains of two duns. Gometra lies within the Loch Na Keal National Scenic Area, one of Scotland’s protected landscapes. It has no ferry service but receives a weekly postal delivery and even issues its own carriage stamps. The island has passed through Norse, monastic and aristocratic hands over the centuries. Visitors reach Gometra from Ulva by track or by boat from Acarseid Mhòr. The island’s scenery includes rugged basalt cliffs and open moorland grazed by livestock. Gometra House, restored in the 1990s, serves as the family home of the owner and his children. The family’s commitment to environmental causes has been featured in a television programme. Nearby Loch Tuath hosts a large fish farm, a source of local concern. The island’s quiet roads and footpaths offer views across to Mull and the surrounding sea.