Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Shadow Room
The Museum of Lost Tales
Sherlock Holmes Statue
Sherlock Holmes Statue
South Pole Growth Chamber
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
13 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
16 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
20 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
27 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Scotland Tiroran The Fossil Tree and Burg
AO Edited

The Fossil Tree and Burg

On a corner of the Ardmeanach peninsula on the Isle of Mull, a 50 million-year-old fossil tree hides in the coastal cliffs.

Tiroran, Scotland

Added By
derek58
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The fossil tree   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
The fossil tree   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
Whimsical basalt formations   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
Remnants of a former township   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
Views over the sea loch Loch Scridain   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
Waterfalls close to the fossil tree   derek58 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Take a walk on the wild side with a visit to Burg, a little corner on the Isle of Mull that captures the best of the Scottish countryside. Along the way, you'll find ruined townships of crumbling stone houses, spectacular coastal waterfalls, and perilous views from atop 30-meter-tall cliffs.

The first half of the hike covers a timeline of human activity at Burg, passing by Bronze Age coffin cairns, a ruined Iron Age settlement, and abandoned 19th-century townships. Hikers in late spring will be treated to bluebell and wild garlic-covered forests alongside the path. A couple of miles into the hike, one can enjoy a much-needed break at the Burg bothy, taking in the spectacular views over Loch Scridain.

Past the bothy, the path turns from a flat, wide track into a twisting, narrow trail hugging the cliffs. The winds are fierce with small waterfalls flowing down from higher cliffs. Looking down at the coastline, visitors can spot strange basalt formations such as a pinwheel and warped hexagonal columns, an otherworldly marvel.

Towards the end of the hike, a precarious metal ladder drops down from the cliffs to the rocky beach below, and extreme care is required to descend. Once on the ground, it’s just a short scramble over the tide-shaped rocks and past basalt caves to the fossil tree. 50 million years ago, a lava flow solidified the tree’s imprint into the cliffside, and today the 12-meter-tall fossil remains a well-hidden but worth-seeing sight.

For this hike, it's both the journey and the destination. Whether one makes it all the way to the fossil tree or not, it's worth it to just sit by the coastline among the grazing sheep and vibrant flowers, hearing the waves crashing and looking off towards the sea.

Related Tags

Archaeology History & Culture Trails Trees Hiking Fossils

Know Before You Go

Park your car at the Tiroran car park and plan accordingly, packing plenty of food and water; the 10+ miles hike takes at least six hours round trip.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Flavors of Scotland: Beyond the Haggis

Smoked seafood, single malt whisky, and warm hospitality.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

derek58

Published

April 19, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/mull/fossil-tree.shtml
  • https://nts.org.uk/visit/places/burg
The Fossil Tree and Burg
Tiroran, Scotland, PA69 6ES
United Kingdom
56.371218, -6.208717
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Fingal's Cave

Isle of Staffa, Scotland

miles away

Iona Abbey

Argyll and Bute, Scotland

miles away

Clach Na Criche (The Wishing Stone)

Argyll and Bute, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

Nearby Places

Fingal's Cave

Isle of Staffa, Scotland

miles away

Iona Abbey

Argyll and Bute, Scotland

miles away

Clach Na Criche (The Wishing Stone)

Argyll and Bute, Scotland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Scotland

Scotland

United Kingdom

Places 734
Stories 49

Related Places

  • Behold an ancient forest at this unique museum.

    Sendai, Japan

    Tomizawa Site (Underground Forest Museum)

    A 20,000-year-old fossilized forest is preserved at this unique museum.

  • This unconventional cathedral invites visitors to marvel at the beauty of creation.

    Rindge, New Hampshire

    Cathedral of the Pines

    This open-air spiritual sanctuary offers stunning views of Mt. Monadnock and provides a natural and peaceful environment for worship and meditation.

  • Tharp’s Log.

    Three Rivers, California

    Tharp’s Log

    A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

  • Chapel Rock on the shore of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

    Shingleton, Michigan

    Chapel Rock

    This lone tree and dramatic sandstone outcropping are so beloved by Michiganders they can be found on one of the state’s coins.

  • The view of the Blue Ridge Mountains here is spectacular.

    Canton, North Carolina

    Black Balsam Knob

    On a clear afternoon, you can see mountain peaks more than 40 miles away from this clearing in the Pisgah National Forest.

  • Water rushes through the upper reaches of the scar.

    Westmorland and Furness, England

    Ewbank Scar

    Water demonstrates its carving power along a Cumbrian trail.

  • Overlooking Mamurra’s villa and baths.

    Formia, Italy

    Parco Naturale Regionale di Gianola e Monte di Scauri

    This little visited park is a treasure trove of ancient Roman ruins.

  • Part of the cliff.

    Yaese, Japan

    Minatogawa Fissure

    The remains of the Minatogawa Man found here are among the oldest known skeleton specimens from Japan.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.