[1] The parish encompasses the northern-most of the three west facing peninsulas that make up Mull.

The catchment area of Locha Frisa is about eight square miles (21 km2), only 7% of the parish.

Tobermory on the north-east coast, founded in 1788, is the capital of, and until 1973, the only burgh on the Isle of Mull.

[6] There were two churches in the parish, Kilninian, in the south on the shore of Loch Tuath, and Kilmore, in the north at Dervaig.

[7][8] In 1828, churches were built at Ulva and Tobermory and a separate quoad sacra (ecclesiastical) parish was created for each.

The councillors from the landward part of the parish (augmented by one, elected for that purpose) formed a Landward Committee to administer powers that were, within the burgh, the responsibiliy of Tobermory burgh council.