Scenic Walking Holiday - Exploring the Isle of Mull
Explore the stunning Isle of Mull with Large Outdoors on a six-night experience, including travel from Glasgow, enjoying guided walks, discovering local wildlife, and immersing yourself in the island's rich history and natural beauty.
Experience Type: Multi-Day Experience
Duration: 6 nights
Accommodation: Hostel
Group Size: Maximum 8
Collection: Glasgow
Level: Leisurely Plus
Age: 18+
Dogs: No dogs, except trained assistance dogs
In a nutshell:
Enjoy a week on Scotland’s Isle of Mull, led by a Large Outdoors host and walk leader on some excellent walks.
Relax in our accommodation, or head out to discover the local pubs and bars in the evening.
Look out for wildlife such as sea eagles, otters and seals, and enjoy the solitude of hidden beaches.
Meet a great group of friendly walkers, and make some lasting friendships on this special week.
Book today…
Rugged coast, sandy beaches, dozens of small islands, and the drama of the rolling hills.
If you haven’t heard of Mull, then fear not, next to its slightly larger and more famous cousin, the Isle of Skye, it’s a hidden gem. Boasting many of the same features that makes Skye so famous, Mull benefits from quieter walks, secret beaches and hillsides where we’re unlikely to meet other people – oh and some of the best restaurants in the west of Scotland. Added to this is the high likelihood that we’ll find plenty of wildlife – eagles, otters and seals are all abundant.
We’ll be based in Mull for 6 nights, taking you on leisurely walks each day and then having plenty of time for sightseeing, café sampling, and finding local crafts. The walks will vary from low-level hill walks, to coastal wanders and long strolls through dramatic valleys past lonely lochs.
Suggested Itinerary
Here’s what we’ve got planned - of course, we may have to offer alternatives or make amendments if the weather misbehaves or other unexpected situations arise!
Day 1
It’s time to begin the adventure! We’ll collect you from Glasgow (we offer pick-ups from Glasgow city centre and Glasgow Airport - see full details at bottom of page) and then set off for Mull! We have a few hours’ drive to get to the seaside town of Oban before getting the ferry across to Craignure on Mull. Depending on the ferry times, you’ll have some time to explore Oban before the crossing.
Once we’ve docked, we’ll head to our accommodation, and then depending on the time there may be a short walk, or we’ll just relax before heading out to a local pub for the evening meal.
Days 2-6
Each of these days is a full day we can get out and about to explore Mull. We’ll begin with breakfast, provide packed lunch ingredients, and then head out. We’ll aim to get back to the hostel for mid to late afternoon to freshen up before heading out for dinner, though there may be a night or two we cook for you at the accommodation. We like to eat out as often as we can to support the local economy and show you the great food and drink Mull has to offer. It’s not all about walking!
Possible walks on these days include:
Ardmeanach Peninsula: Pointing west into the Atlantic, this promontory is a vast mass of volcanic rock, forming craggy and imposing hills. We’ll follow the coastal path along Loch Scridain, gazing over at Mull’s largest peninsula, the Ross of Mull. After admiring the cliffs and watching for sea birds, we’ll head back and explore either the ancient fort site, or the hotel bar, at Loch Beg.
Isle of Iona: The famous holy Isle of Iona, home to an abbey and nunnery, is a very short ferry journey away across the Sound of Iona, at the end of the Ross of Mull. The island is excellent for walking, so after we’ve visited the highest point at Dun I and explored the remote western coast, we can take time to sample the pottery and museum before the ferry back.
Loch Ba: One of Mull’s larger freshwater lochs, Ba sits among the southern mountains, and to follow the track alongside it and then up into the valley beyond is a great way to get a taste for the hills without going up them. We’ll experience mountain woodlands, remote hillsides, and acres of fresh air and great views.
Ben More: The highest peak on Mull could well be our objective if the group is up for it. The path up, though rising more than 900 metres and starting right at the sea shore, is not technical. There are no rocky sections, and we can take our time, relishing the uninterrupted views over the whole of Mull, the Scottish mainland, and out to the offshore islands. This will truly be a day to remember!
Isle of Ulva: Lesser known that Iona, but boasting miles of excellent walking trails and several seal colonies, Ulva is an extremely short distance from Mull, only a few hundred metres in fact! Once there our walk will head to the island’s highest point and seek out it’s southern coast, with its sandy beaches and ancient settlement ruins. And there’s also a great restaurant for a late lunch.
Calgary Bay: This stunning sandy beach in the north of Mull, facing the setting sun, could well be the best place to take in a late walk and drink in the last of the day’s light. We can wander along the coastal path, admiring the beach from afar, before descending to the sands and the surrounding woodland. There’s a café and a local art shop if all the scenery gets too much!
Ardmore Bay: Just north of Tobermory, the coast feels possibly the wildest of all, the land sheathed in forest and the shore a mass of wave-pummelled rocks. Our track takes us through the forest and then along the rocky coast, looking out for seals and otters on these remote rocks. We’ll also pass the ancient forts and settlements that dot this northern coast, and look beyond it to the Scottish mainland and the uninterrupted ocean.
Day 7
This is our last day on Mull, after a day of adventure we will pop on a mid afternoon ferry to Oban and then head back towards Glasgow, aiming to drop you back either at the airport of city centre for around 6pm.
About the Area - The Isle of Mull
Mull lies just off the west coast of Scotland, easily accessible by ferry from Oban and surrounded by dozens of other islands, including the Summer Isles. The south of the island is dominated by mountains, with the tallest of them all, Ben More, an extinct volcano that is a brilliant day out for hardy hillwalkers. The other hills form easier objectives, and are shapely and craggy peaks to gaze up at from the valleys. In the west, several spurs and peninsulas stick out into the Atlantic, hosting sandy beaches and great coastal walking.
This is also the location of the Isle of Iona, the famous religious retreat. In the north, Mull becomes lower, with several rocky headlands pointing north, and the inland cloaked in forest and dotted with lakes. The north-east hosts the capital of Mull, Tobermory, with its famous painted houses and whisky distillery. Regardless of where you walk, there’s always a friendly local café to welcome you at the end of the day.
What's Included:
6 nights accommodation.
Guided walks during the trip.
Return transport and ferries from Glasgow plus all travel around Mull. This does not include any ferry or boat day excursions.
Packed lunches for all full days walking, please note we do not include packed lunch on either travel days, where we will stop at a local cafe on route.
What's Not Included:
Evening meals out or alcoholic drinks.
Extra excursions such as the wildlife watching trips or the smaller ferries to Iona or Ulva.
Travel insurance.
Collections:
We offer free collection from Glasgow city centre for this trip, picking you up at 8:30am to transfer you to Mull. We can also offer an airport collection at 8:45am.
City Centre Collection: ibis Styles Glasgow Central, 8:30am
116 Waterloo Street, Glasgow, G2 7DN. (Please note: a discount code for this hotel can be given if you plan to stay in Glasgow the night before. Details will be issued after booking.)
Glasgow Airport Collection, 8:45am
Pick-up & Drop-off area located outside the main terminal building in car park 2.
Returns
We aim to be back in Glasgow around 6pm on Day 7 of your trip.
This map is provided for guidance regarding the general location. For detailed meeting information, please refer to the 'Meeting Time & Location' section.