You can see the Isle of Mull and Iona well without a car. The ferry from Oban to Craignure takes about 45 minutes, buses link the pier with Tobermory and Fionnphort, and the last crossing to Iona takes ten minutes. Plan four to five days and book your beds early.
At a glance
| Where | Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Train to Oban, then the ferry to Craignure, about 45 minutes |
| Getting around | Island buses, the Iona ferry from Fionnphort, boat trips to Staffa |
| Season | May to September; puffins on Staffa from May to early August |
| Stay | Tobermory and Fionnphort, booked well ahead for July and August |
| Bring | Waterproofs, midge repellent from June, cash for small shops |
Getting to Mull
The train from Glasgow to Oban is one of the finest railway journeys in Britain and takes about three hours. In Oban the ferry terminal is next to the station, so you can walk from the platform to the ticket office in two minutes.
The ferry to Craignure runs several times a day all year. Foot passengers do not need to book, but on summer weekends I would buy the ticket online the day before. The crossing takes about 45 minutes; stand on the left side for the view of Duart Castle as you come in.
If you arrive late, stay a night in Oban. The town is small, the harbour is busy until dark, and the fish from the stalls on the pier is a fair reason to stay anyway.
Getting around by bus
Three bus routes cover most of what a visitor needs: from Craignure north to Tobermory, from Craignure west to Fionnphort for the Iona ferry, and a smaller route across the island. The buses meet the ferries, so you rarely wait long at the pier.
There are fewer buses on Sundays and outside the summer season, and some routes do not run on Sundays at all. Check the timetable of the island bus company before you plan a day, and tell the driver where you want to get off: many stops are request stops.
My tip
Sit on the right side of the bus from Craignure to Fionnphort. For the last hour the road runs along Loch Scridain and you look across the water to the hills.
Tilda Brennick
Tobermory
Tobermory is the main town of Mull and the one you have seen on postcards: a row of painted houses in red, yellow and blue around a sheltered harbour. It has a distillery with tours, a small museum, an arts centre and most of the cafes and shops on the island.
From the harbour a path leads through the woods to the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall. The walk takes about an hour there and back, with views over the Sound of Mull to the mainland. In wet weather the path is muddy, so wear boots.
Fionnphort and Iona
Fionnphort sits at the end of the Ross of Mull, the long peninsula in the southwest. The village is little more than a pier, a shop and a few guesthouses, and most visitors only pass through on the way to Iona.
The ferry to Iona takes about ten minutes. Visitors cannot take a car onto the island, so everyone walks or cycles from the pier. Iona Abbey is ten minutes on foot. It was founded by Saint Columba in 563 and is one of the oldest Christian sites in Scotland; the present buildings were restored in the twentieth century.
Stay the night on Iona if you can. When the last ferry has left, the island is very quiet, and the white beaches on the north end are a short walk away.
My tip
Walk to the north end of Iona in the evening. The white beach there faces the sunset and you will probably have it to yourself.
Tilda Brennick
Staffa and the puffins
Boat trips leave from Fionnphort and Iona for Staffa, a small uninhabited island known for its basalt columns and Fingal’s Cave. The trip takes most of a morning or an afternoon, with about an hour ashore.
From May to early August puffins nest on Staffa, and they are not shy. Sit quietly on the grass above the cliffs and they will land a few metres away. The boats do not sail in high winds, so keep a spare day in your plan.
Walks on Mull
Ben More is the highest mountain on Mull at 966 metres and the only Munro on a Scottish island apart from those on Skye. The usual route starts near the coast at Dhiseig and takes six to seven hours; you need a map, a compass and a clear day.
For a shorter walk, the coast around Carsaig in the south has waterfalls and arches in the cliffs, and the path from Craignure to Duart Castle along the shore takes about an hour each way.
Where to stay
Tobermory has the widest choice, from a youth hostel on the harbour front to small hotels. Fionnphort and Iona have a few guesthouses and a hostel on Iona, which is the place to stay if you want the island after the day visitors have gone.
For July and August book months ahead. Many places take a minimum of two nights, and some do not take bookings for single nights at all in high season.
When to go and the midges
May and early June are often the driest months on the west coast, and the days are long. From June to August the midges come out on calm, damp evenings; a repellent and a head net make a real difference. September is quieter and still mild.
Every place in this guide
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- Oban ferry terminalRailway Pier, Oban, ScotlandRead the postView on OpenStreetMap
- Craignure pierCraignure, Isle of Mull, ScotlandRead the postView on OpenStreetMap
- Tobermory harbourMain Street, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, ScotlandRead the postView on OpenStreetMap
- FionnphortFionnphort, Isle of Mull, ScotlandRead the postView on OpenStreetMap
- Iona AbbeyIsle of Iona, ScotlandRead the postView on OpenStreetMap
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