Island 4 - Mull, Inner Hebrides

I spent a couple of days on Mull in 1976 and came back for a week in 2008 and another week in June 2021.  It is one of the largest and most visited Scottish islands.  It is home to white- tailed sea eagles and otters but I didn't manage to see either of these on any of my visits, although we did see a golden eagle in 2021.  Mull is also home to many millions of midges - you have been warned!

In 2008 I stayed in the Youth Hostel on the harbour at Tobermory, which was a great location, except for Friday night when everyone on the island decided to get drunk and have arguments outside the hostel until well into the small hours! In 2021 we stayed in a lovely flat in Argyll House at Salen (which also has an excellent café on the ground floor called the Coffee Pot).

Caledonian MacBrayne runs 3 vehicle ferries to Mull:

• Oban-Craignure
• Lochaline-Fishnish
• Tobermory-Kilchoan (Ardnamurchan)

Driving around Mull can be a slow process: all the roads are single track with passing places, except for the A848 from Craignure to Salen and about 4 miles of the A848 south from Tobermory.  Some of the sections of road around the island are also very twisty.  In the summer when there are lots of visitors on the island you will spend a fair amount of time waiting in passing places.  However, you can always admire the magnificent scenery while you are waiting.

Tobermory is the only town on Mull.  It has a good selection of shops, galleries, hotels, restaurants, a distillery and a museum.  The name in Gaelic is Tobar Mhoire, which means the Mary's Well.  The ruins of St Mary’s Chapel are in the town. The children's TV programme Balamory was filmed in Tobermory a few years ago.  There are also a number of villages on Mull, including Salen, Craignure, Dervaig, Fionnphort, Bunessan and Lochdon. In 2011 the population of Mull was 2,800.  

Tobermory

Tobermory

Tobermory Distillery

Tobermory

Mary's Well, Tobermory

Tobermory

Aros Park and loch to the SE of Tobermory were created in the 1960s out of part of the Allan Family’s estate.  Bryce Allan, a Liverpool ship owner bought it in 1873.  It is now owned by the Forestry Enterprise and there are lots of marked walking trails.  It is a lovely place for a stroll.

Waterfall at Aros Park

Quay at Aros Park with Tobermory in the distance

Lake at Aros Park

Lake at Aros Park

Duart Castle was built in the 13^th Century but was derelict from the 17^th Century until Sir Fitzroy Maclean bought it at the beginning of the 20^th Century and restored it.  It is still home to the Clan Maclean and is open to the public.

Duart Castle

Torosay Castle was open to the public when I visited in 2008 but by the time of my next visit in 2021 it was no longer open, although the gardens are occasionally open. It was built in the 1850s in the Scottish baronial style. The Isle of Mull Railway was a 10 inch gauge railway, which ran from Torosay Castle to Craignure from 1983-2011. 

Torosay Castle

There are several  ruined castles on Mull:

Aros near Salen was built in the 13^th Century

Moy Castle at Lochbuie was built by Hector Maclean in the 15^th Century

Dun Ara on the Glengorm Estate

Aros Castle

I enjoyed exploring the Art in Nature sculpture trail at Calgary in the north west of the island. It is free to walk round, but donations are welcome. Calgary in Canada is named after this Calgary.

Calgary Bay

Woods at Calgary

Art in Nature sculpture, Calgary

Art in Nature, Calgary

Calgary Art in Nature

Art in Nature, Calgary

Art in Nature, Calgary

Kilmore Church at Dervaig in the north of the island has an unusual pencil-shaped tower.  It was completed in 1905 and the inside is striking and highly decorated in parts.

Kilmore Church, Dervaig

At Gruline you can take a short walk to the Macquarie Mausoleum.  Lachlan Macquarie and his family are buried there.  He was  born on Ulva in 1761 and was Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810-1822. The mausoleum is now in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

Macquarie Mausoleum

Salen Wrecks at low tide

Salen Wrecks

Salen Pier

Totem pole sculpture at Fishnish

Pink Highland Cow near Salen

Lochbuie

A tranquil corner of the island and the home of the Clan MacLaine who resided at Moy Castle and then at Lochbuie House.

Rhododendron lined road to Lochbuie

Glengorm Castle

Standing stones near Glengorm Castle

We thought this rock near Lochbuie looked like a mimetolith of Queen Victoria

Eas Fors Waterfall near Ulva Ferry

Eas Fors Waterfall

View from Aros Castle - looking north towards the White House of Aros

Langamull

This is a stunning beach  on the north coast of Mull but there is a 2 mile walk to get to it.

For the more energetic visitors there are walks to the Carsaig Arches ( a 4 mile walk from the hamlet of Carsaig), Mackinnon's Cave (on the west coast near the hamlet of Balnahard) and  MacCulloch's Fossil Tree (on the Ardmeanach peninsula) and Ben More, which is a Munro, to climb. Mackinnon's Cave is the largest cave in the Hebrides at 30 metres high.  It is only accessible at low tide. MacCulloch's Tree is thought to be 50 million years old and is 12 metres high.