195km (121 miles) NW of Edinburgh, 145km (90 miles) NW of Glasgow
The third-largest island in the Hebrides, Mull is rich in legend and folklore, a land of ghosts, monsters, and the wee folk. The island is wild and mountainous, characterized by sea lochs and sandy bars. Mull was known to the classical Greeks, and its prehistoric past is recalled in forts, duns, and stone circles. Be sure to bring a raincoat: the island is one of the wettest in the Hebrides, a fact that upset Dr. Johnson, who visited in 1773.
Many visitors consider Mull more beautiful than Skye, a controversy we stay out of because we love them both. Mull has varied scenery with many waterfalls, and the wild countryside was the scene of many of David Balfour's adventures in Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson. Its highest peak is Ben More, at 961m (3,169 ft.), but it also has many flat areas. The island's wildlife includes roe deer, golden eagles, polecats, seabirds, and feral goats. Mull is also a jumping-off point to visit Iona and Staffa.
Guarding the bay (you'll see it as you cross on the ferry) is Duart Castle, restored just before World War I. In the bay -- somewhere -- lies the Florencia, a Spanish galleon that went down laden with treasure. Many attempts have been made to find it and bring it up, but so far all have failed. To the southeast, near Salen, are the 14th-century ruins of Aros Castle, once a stronghold of the MacDonalds, lords of the Isles. On the far south coast at Lochbuie, Moy Castle has a water-filled dungeon.
At the end of the day, you might enjoy a dram from the Tobermory Malt Whisky Distillery, in Tobermory (tel. 01688/302-647), which opened in 1823. Tours are given Monday through Friday from 10am to 5pm; the cost is £3 ($5.70) for adults, £1.50 ($2.85) for seniors, and free for children. Be sure to call in advance -- the distillery seems to shut down from time to time.
Isle of Mull Travel Experiences
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Barcaldine Castle
Balcaldine Castle is an amazing place to stay, there are only two rooms in this castle(well three rooms if needed) this makes the experin... Continue reading »
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Fort Williams
Fort Williams is considered the outdoor capital of the United Kingdom Fort Williams like Fort Augustus and Fort George were origina... Continue reading »
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A Sunset-and-a-half
Today was the first rainy day. The weather has been so great, but now its wet. I'd actually packed expecting the weather to be dism... Continue reading »
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First day on the Tour
Our tour was with Haggis, on a big yellow bus. We had 27 other passangers on our bus, and most were Kiwi's!!! Today we were h... Continue reading »
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Trip to The Unexplored Isle of Bute
We bought really cheap tickets on the budget airline RyanAir from London Stansted to Glasgow Prestwick Airport. Just outside the airport... Continue reading »
