Salen's flightcontrol-centreMull is a beautiful island for those who seek peace and quietness, whereas the "capital" of Tobermory provides lots of entertainment. There are four ways to get to Mull: by your own boat or airplane (there is a small airstrip near Salen).
Salen's flightcontrol-centreThe normal routes to Mull are by ferry: from Oban to Craignure (especially in summer it is wise to make reservations timely) and via a detour crossing Morvern. Drive to Corran (situated between Glencoe and Fort William), cross Loch Linnhe by ferry, and drive from there through the mountains of Morvern to Lochaline (two routes possible). A reasonably large ferry is operated between Lochaline and Fishnish on Mull, waiting will hardly be necessary. More information about ferry services at Caledonian MacBrayne.
In this chapter you'll find: Tobermory, the trip Tobermory-Dervaig-Calgary-Gruline-Salen, Ben More (the highest mountain of Mull), Ulva, the daytrip (to book in Oban) Craignure-Fionnphort-Iona-Staffa-Treshnish Isles, the Treshnish Isles and some general information about Mull.
The name Tobermory (regional map) means "Maria's well", it's a friendly village with colourful houses and it has about 1000 inhabitants.
A lot of yachts anchor here 
(in summer the population quadruples), and hidden somewhere in the harbour is the wreck of a Spanish ship, target of many sportsdivers coming from the whole world. The local Tobermory Maltwhisky is hard to get: since Interbrew took over the business, almost all of the whisky is shipped to the mainland to be exported (and a part of it is blended).
In "the Mishnish", a bright-yellow painted pub, the evenings are frequently filled with live music of Scottish origin.
Tobermory has a tiny but informative heritage-museum, and it is the only place on Mull where you can "pull money out of the wall".
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Leaving Tobermory to the north, first three lochs appear, loaded with fish. Permits are necessary. Dervaig is a small village with a small bookshop, you might also want to vist here the museum "the Old Byre". A video of the history of Mull is coupled to several miniature imitated scenes from that past. Information on wildlife available.
The tower of the church resembles a rocket head.
DervaigOn the way to Calgary the road branches to Croig. Here the car has to be parked (the homemade jam which is offered in the wall tastes really good, you are expected to clear your debt in the money-box next to it), the 1 kilometer walk takes you to Port-na-Ba ("port of the cattle"). This used to be the place where all the cattle coming (swimming) from the isles of Coll and Tiree was gathered, and then transported to the mainland via Oban.
Port-na-BaA bit further at a bay Calgary with its beach is situated, from where the people were taken to the "new world" during the clearances. Home-sickness accounted for a lot of Scottish place-names, from which the ex-olympic city of Calgary is the best known example.
Calgary Bay
Around Calgary there are many possibilities to hire a place on a boat for a trip to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles, Turus Mara among others.
Driving in the direction of Gruline you'll have views to the Threshnish Isles and Iona, providing the weather is good. Ulva is to the right, and the upper part of Eas Fors comes into sight. Eas is Gaelic and Fors is Norse, both meaning "waterfall". The most beautiful part is the bottom, for this you have to drive another mile before a small road leads downwards. Park there and walk back. After passing Gruline (in the direction of Balnahard) you'll come near a mausoleum, but there isn't much to look at. The opposite direction leads to Salen, with post office and a pub with barmeals (don't do it). A bit better is the food in the Glenforsa Hotel, 2 kilometers to Craignure. The road between Salen and Tobermory is named the worst A-road of Great Britain, and saying that is not overdone as a large part of it is single track. But they're improving it, the last miles before Tobermory have been renewed to a broad double track road.
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The Ben More is with its 966 meters the highest mountain of Mull. Like the islanders say: when you don't see the top of Ben More, it's raining, andwhen you do see it, it will rain (a common joke, you can exchange "Ben More" with the name of any other mountain in the world. But for a Dutchman like me, who is used to flat land, the first time you hear it is good for a laugh). Ben More is a so called "Munroe" (over 3000 feet high) and you can climb and descend it in one day.
Ben More from Ulva
The climb starts at sealevel (it really is one kilometer climbing!), the best starting point is at Dhiseig Farm (sign is there). The less fanatic climbers have an alternative in Coire Bheinn of 561 meter, it is higher than its neighbours (except for Ben More), so from the top therealmost a 260 degrees view. In clear weather the Cuillins on Skye, Barra, Staffa, Iona and the Treshnish Isles, Islay and the Paps of Jura, and the mountains on the mainland are visible. Coire Bheinn is best climbed from the southwest, begin climbing on the road between Balnahard and Balevulin right before the forest. Make sure that you have a good map (Landranger 48, coordinaten Coire Bheinn: 49-33).
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Ulva is not so very well known, but it surely is worth a visit, especially for taking peaceful walks. The ferry (passengers only) sails from mondays to saturdays, but only on request. At the jetty hangs a board to attrack the attention of the ferryman (move the slide to the white or just wave). Ample parking space. The trip over the water takes a minute or so and takes you to the boathouse, where you can buy a map and a booklet with everything about Ulva. In the boathouse is a small exhibition about the history of Ulva, and on the menucard of the restaurant are amongst others fresh oysters. There's a good choice between longer and shorter walks, you evn can walk to Gometra and stay there for the night. Once some 600 people inhabited Ulva, who made their living by gathering kelp, which was used as a raw material for soap. The clearances brought an end to this and nowadays only one family lives here. The ruins of some villages remain to be seen on the island.
Ormaig
The same basalt pillars as seen on Staffa appear here, but they are not that spectacular.
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Several companies near and on the quai of Oban sell organised excursions to Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles, or combinations from these. Take care in Oban: parking your car outside the designated zones is punished (GBP 20,-) and control takes place very day. Most of the tourists leave with the 10 o'clock ferry (ferries from Caledonian MacBrayne) but there are also trips that start at 8 and 12. The trips do not give the opportunity to have a look at Duart Castle (home of the Clan MacDonald) and Torosay Castle with its garden filled with statues, for that you just buy a ticket for the ferry. Both castles are a bit outside Craignure, that just serves as a large bus-station.
On the way to Fionnphort (regional map) the bus passes a number of tiny villages, and also houses standing on their own. All houses have acces to electricity (that is, if no poles have been blown down) but for water everybody dependant on what comes down from the mountains. In times of draught there are emergency-tanks, but when the rain stays away for a week, some households will get into trouble. Happily (?) this doesn't happen too often.
The branch to Carsaig leads to a pass, not that high but the steep and narrow road has remarkably few passing places. Not suitable for the uncertain driver. From the beach you can walk to the 'Carsaig Arches', cut out in the rocks by the sea. Single distance is eight kilometer, the path is not that good. You also have to check the tides before you take this walk.
The bookshop in Fionnphort has a reasonable choice, with a lot of books about Mull and the nearby-isles, and from here excursions leave for Iona and Staffa, and the Treshnish Isles.
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A group of 9 isles for the coast of Mull. They're uninhabited, the last inhabitants left Lunga in 1834. This is also the most visited Thresnish isle, especially for the many birds that nestle here. Daytrips in summer months only.
Dutchman's Cap and Lunga
The weather on Mull is, like on all places of the Scottish westcoast, a bit wet but it is especially variable, changes take place in less than a quarter of an hour. The driest months are May and Jun.
There is a lot of wildlife on Mull, seals, otters, whales (seasafari 01688-400223), eagles, deer etc. (safari 01680-300437 or 01688-400209). Scattered over Mull fossils can be found (for instance Ardtun on the Ross of Mull); on all beaches are special shells. The water colours brown from the peat.
Tourist Informations in Tobermory and Craignure. Three "Landranger" maps cover Mull, nrs. 47 (Tobermory and North-Mull), 48 (Iona and West-Mull) and 49 (Oban and East-Mull).
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More information on Mull and the small isles.
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