Mull - Around the Island in a Day

The Isle of Mull, as I learnt on a tour there, is the fourth largest island in the UK and offers Hebridean life only a couple of hours from the central belt. It is fast becoming one of my favourite places (although I feel like I say this with every blog) with great chat, beautiful scenery, delicious food, a bustling wee Tobermory and a couple of distilleries to wash it all down.

Craignure

The ferry from Oban takes about 45 minutes and lands at Craignure which surprised me as a great wee spot to set up camp. We stayed in the Shieling Holidays campsite a few minutes from the ferry (you can see them up on the hill to the left as the ferry docks), and if you had a motorhome this would be a great start with a pitch right on the water and toilet and shower facilities. We booked one of the shieling tents themselves - they are super basic but have everything you need, including a toilet and shower (although I couldn’t bring myself to brave it in the cold). It also includes a smokeless fuel stove and despite being the bane of the owners life asking for firelighters constantly, once I got it going it was the perfect spot at the end of the day - sitting with a gin and looking at the sea. There is also a bit going on in Craignure between the Craignure Hotel (they do food and are walkable from the campsite) and the Isle of Mull Hotel and Spa - a bit further along the road and really nice if you’re looking for somewhere to stay a bit more substantial, and the menu is delicious! There is also Arlene’s cafe who make their own chocolates and do a great breakie roll and coffee in the morning.

Mull itself is actually pretty big and although there are a number of bus services, I would absolutely recommend a car to get around and make the most of it. With a decent weather forecast we drove round the whole hours in a day and although it took a while, if you are happy taking the slow road and doing a lot of looking out the window it is the best way to see the island.

We started in Craignure and drove over to Fionnphort which took about an hour. Our plan was to head over to Iona and Staffa with the fabulous Staffa Tours (covered in a separate blog) and when we got there stumbled across a cracking lunch spot in the form of the The Creel Seafood Bar. We treated ourselves to some battered scallops and a half lobster and chips for lunch, whipped straight out the sea at the pier (the take cash and card and also do a wee wine if you’re not the designated driver!).

The Creel Seafood Bar at Fionnphort Pier

Ben More and Whitetail Gin

Following out trip over to Iona and Staffa we headed back to head round the rest of the island. We went back on ourselves until the head of Loch Beg where the left turn hugs the coast and takes a fabulous single track drive over the hills and around Mull’s only Munro - Ben More (I have never done the climb myself but it is supposed to be a cracker for a day hike albeit 4-5 hours and pretty steep: https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/ben-more.shtml). Along this road is Tiroran where, down another winding single track (are you seeing a pattern here) there is the fabulous Whitetail Distillery. Whitetail make excellent gin (no word of a whisky at this time) but also have a shop and a cafe for those less bothered about the gin or weary from the never-ending road down. The gin itself is named after the whitetail sea eagle which can be spotted around the Isle of Mull and the micro-distillery use local botanicals, including heather and sea kelp foraged from the shores of a local loch.

MacQuarie Mausoleum

One random point of interest is the burial site of Major General Lachlan MacQuarie and is marked by a signpost referring to the national Trust of Australia. MacQuarie was born on the Isle of Ulva, just off Mull, and served as Governor of New South Wales - you can read more about him on Undiscovered Scotland: https://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/mull/macquarie/index.html

Tobermory

The road continues (for what feels like forever) but honestly, just enjoy it. It is not the easiest drive with single track and a million sheep but by god is it beautiful. It comes round the headland past Ulva Ferry - there is indeed a wee ferry to the isle of Ulva (funnily enough) that only takes a few minutes, with a newly re-opened seafood restaurant right on the pier that I hear is worth a visit (not quite re-opened post covid for me to check it out unfortunately). Eventually you turn the corner to the glorious Calgary Bay, which you cannot possible miss as it is so beautiful. There is a cracking wee campsite right next to it with a toilet block that I have my eye on for next time.

Calgary Bay - Isle of Mull