DESTINATIONS MULL | UK & IRELAND mull It’s t he rea l-l ife B a la m o r y , b u t BOOK IT w h Brightwater Holidays offers a a four-day tour of Mull, Staffa t d and Iona, staying at the Isle of o Mull Hotel & Spa, with sight- e s Main pic: Tobermory seeing in Tobermory, the Ross M Top right: Calgary Bay of Mull and Duart Castle, u Above right: Ninth as well as a wildlife-spotting l l Wave Restaurant ways h cruise. Prices start at £735, a v See departing September 13, e g including some meals, all ferry o i n Pore over a map of Mull and you’ll see lots of south, is wild, high and cinematic. To give you a sense crossings and a tour leader. g t u f 33 The scenery, particularly around o o green space, a few spaghetti-strand roads and a of scale, it takes about an hour and 40 minutes to drive brightwaterholidays.com r s i d t ? n f B l l from Tobermory at the top of the island to the village i handful of small settlements – which is precisely e the Ardmeanach peninsula and w n r L e what makes the island attractive. The 45-minute car the Ross of Mull in the south, of Fionnphort on the southwest tip. Single-track roads, McKinlay Kidd’s Mull ferry from Oban (one of three short sea crossings interspersed with passing points and lay-bys for wildlife- Week of Wildlife holiday from the mainland) transports visitors to a broad- is wild, high and cinematic spotting, add to the sense of adventure. features an eagle-spotting trip to a Scottish island comes with various expectations shouldered land where slopes soar, ridges form Exploring the numberless bays and headlands is half safari, a whale-watching attached, and Mull meets every one. The pace of life is slow, jagged skylines and sea lochs furl out for miles. the fun, but a few highlights jump out. The coastal hamlet cruise and a boat trip to the welcome is warm and the seafood is fresh – but unlike The island’s proximity to big Scottish draws such as An itinerary like this makes for a pleasant day out, but of Calgary, which gave the Canadian city its name, has spot puffins. Prices start at amost islands, getting there doesn’t require a hefty journey. Fort William and Loch Lomond means Mull often gets barely skims the surface of what makes Mull special. a wide silvery beach and the excellent Calgary Art In £760 staying in Dervaig or Part of the same archipelago as Skye, the hilly, hospitable island offers relegated to a day trip. Many short-term visitors see only Unless clients are cycling – plenty of two-wheeled Nature gallery. £975 in Tobermory, for a spectacular rewards for walkers and wildlife lovers – as well as any clients in the northern stretch of road between the ferry port and tourists wend their way around the island – it’s best Another standout – literally – is the 966m-high Ben six-night break between May search of somewhere special close to home. Whether they want to stay in a the enjoyable island ‘capital’ of Tobermory, a harbour thought of as a self-drive destination. Mull’s main selling More, a simple but rewarding uphill hike from the shores and September, with ferry Scottish castle, mooch around in a camper van, eat at the Michelin-recognised town known for its brightly painted waterside buildings point is its landscape. The scenery, particularly around of Loch na Keal. Elsewhere, Glengorm Castle has a crossings and guided wildlife Ninth Wave Restaurant in Fionnphort, or pick up battered scallops from the and a starring role in the BBC kids’ show Balamory. the Ardmeanach peninsula and the Ross of Mull in the dramatic setting, good walks and a top-notch cafe. ➣ spotting. VISITSCOTLAND/KENNY LAM VISITSCOTLAND/KENNY fish-and-chip van at Tobermory, Mull ticks all the requisite boxes. mckinlaykidd.com : PICTURES 82 325 JULY 2019 travelweekly.co.uk travelweekly.co.uk 25 JULY 2019 83 DESTINATIONS MULL | UK & IRELAND It’s easy to fall for Tobermory. Isles Hotel, which has been in situ 56 acres of grounds and is also IONA The pubs are lively, the harbour since 1882 and offers a generous dog-friendly. setting is spectacular and the whisky list. Like much of Scotland, Mull is The crossing from Fionnphort to Iona daily papers don’t arrive until Meanwhile, just outside popular territory for camper vans takes just 10 minutes, but stepping noon. It has a distillery, a catch- Tobermory, the four-room Fairways and motorhomes, which can be off the passenger boat onto this and-release aquarium and easy Lodge has a plum location for brought across on the ferries and mellow, relatively flat island waterside walks. golfers – it overlooks Tobermory parked at various vehicle-friendly feels like arriving somewhere far Stay The town is also the most Golf Club, once named Scotland’s campsites. removed from the rest of the UK. obvious base for accommodation best nine-hole course. For budget travellers, the This is partly to do with its history. on the island, although don’t Slightly farther afield, Glengorm island also has a smattering of Hard-nosed missionary St Columba expect large-scale properties – on Castle has options for B&B, self- hostels and bunkhouses, as well settled here in the year 563 and Mull, B&Bs, self-catering cottages catering and serviced apartments. as areas where ‘wild’ camping is made it his aim to convert Scotland and boutique hotels rule the roost. Some of these are in the grounds, possible, including a great site at to Christianity. He succeeded. An Benefiting from the far-reaching others are in the castle itself – Calgary Bay. abbey named in his honour towers views of the hills above the town, a grand, turreted affair built in the It’s also worth noting that the over the shore, and pilgrims are still Strongarbh House is an excellent mid-1800s. neighbouring island of Iona is drawn here from far and wide. option for clients looking for Elsewhere, the elegant, six-room accessible only from Mull, making You don’t need to be spiritual to somewhere memorable. It has just Pennygate Lodge is well located it a popular add-on. It has its own be won over by Iona. Its landscape four rooms, but a focus on art and at Craignure, the arrival point for accommodation, notably the rises and falls in green folds, design and à la carte breakfasts ferries from Oban, while farther harbourside Argyll Hotel and the leading out to remote beaches and make it a classy proposition. south, the loch-side Tiroran House larger St Columba Hotel, both of hidden coves, and its birdlife is A bigger option in Tobermory Hotel arguably trumps the lot. The which offer a traditional welcome fantastic. For a few days of getting Glengorm Castle itself is the 28-room Western winner of multiple awards, it has and excellent local cuisine. ➣ away from it all, it’s hard to think of anywhere better. 84 25 JULY 2019 travelweekly.co.uk travelweekly.co.uk 25 JULY 2019 85 DESTINATIONS MULL | UK & IRELAND Mull has everything you family ticket. April to October, these give visitors GETTING THERE could want of an escape to The island’s There are rewards to be had the chance to see minke whales, CalMac (calmac.co.uk) runs all three a small Scottish island, but tumbling hills, long offshore, too. In spring and basking sharks and more. ferry routes to Mull. There are up to 11 two elements of the Mull lochs and coastal summer, pleasure boats run Meanwhile, walkers can barely sailings daily. If clients are travelling from experience really stand out: from Fionnphort and Iona to put a foot wrong. Sedate strolls and Oban with a vehicle, particularly during the wildlife and the walking. cliffs are home to the spectacular islet of Staffa, hard-core hikes are easy to come the spring or summer, reservations are The island’s tumbling hills, a thrilling range of where colonies of puffins waddle by. Ben More is Scotland’s only near-essential. long lochs and coastal cliffs unconcernedly within just a few feet Munro (a mountain 914m or higher) Oban is about one hour,10 minutes are home to a thrilling range native animals of visitors. outside Skye or the mainland. Other by car from Fort William; two hours, of native animals. Birdlife is A trip here also gives visitors highlights include the Treshnish 30 minutes from Glasgow; two hours, everywhere you go – from the chance to see Fingal’s Cave, a peninsula, the natural arches at 45 minutes from Inverness; three hours herons to wheatears. Golden Eagle Watch, which runs ranger- basalt-columned grotto that inspired Carsaig and the gentler landscape from Edinburgh; and four hours from eagles and white-tailed eagles guided visits between April and Mendelssohn to write an overture. of Aros Park near Tobermory. Aberdeen. are both resident – look September, taking people to within Otters, seals, porpoises and If clients really want to make Other than a few short stretches of for wide wings high above binocular range of a nesting site. dolphins are all regularly spotted in the most of the walking, a good double-track roads, getting around Mull the ridges. These visits are popular, so book the waters around Mull. Tobermory guidebook is advisable: Cicerone’s requires lengthy drives on single-track White-tailed eagles can ahead.