Tobermory and The Isle of Mull
Gem of The Inner Hebrides
Piggybacking on my previous post about our time Oban (click the link to read more), we underestimated the need to reserve ferry tickets in advance for visiting the islands from Oban. My advice to you would be to research the island options in advance and book your tickets early.
The Isle of Mull
As stated above, we did not book our ferry tickets in advance of our arrival in Oban and were shocked to discover on the day before our intended island excursion, that there were no tickets left to purchase. However, they did suggest that we take a chance and purchase standby tickets for the very first departure of the morning.
The next morning, bright and early, we drove our car down to the port and got into the standby line. The car porters are highly efficient and miraculously found a way to not only fit all of the ticketed vehicles but also one extra! We were very relieved to be on our way but would have to cross our fingers that we would once again get lucky with our standby ticket for the return trip that evening.
Getting Around
All ferries departing from Oban will arrive in Craignure, on the southeastern point of Mull, but the town that you’ll most likely want to visit is up on the north end. The Isle of Mull is not exactly a “bustling,” and taking the bus would not be the ideal way to see this place. I recommend that you take a car with you on the ferry, to allow you to drive yourself around on the island and be able to stop at any point that interests you.
Photo Opportunity
The roads on the island are narrow and rarely provide shoulders, so it helps to familiarize yourself in advance of your arrival for anything that you might want to be on the lookout for. I knew in advance of our arrival, of some wrecked boats on the shores of Mull that I would want to stop at, so each time we entered a stretch of road along the shore, I made sure to have my husband slow down and be prepared to park the car.
Tobermory
Nestled into a cozy little harbor and set against a rocky cliff in the picture-perfect postcard village of Tobermory. This quaint little place should be treated with leisure otherwise you’ll be done in five minutes, but if you take your time wandering into each of the little shops you can spend a very happy afternoon here.
At the top of my list is a coffee shop located inside of an old church building, called Toberymory Gallery Shop.
Tobermory Distillery
We had a lovely experience at this distillery, much less commercialized it felt like a special secret that we had discovered while there. Even more exciting is that this particular scotch is not available in the United States, so we were sure to snag a bottle to bring home.
Learning our first little bit of galic during our tasting, we came to understand that “Ledaig” is actually pronounced as “Lay-chick.”
Tobermory Bakery & Tea Room
I’ve already raved about my love of British Scones in a previous post, but here’s another bakery in which I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to indulge!
Tobermory Cheese Company
Just a short drive from the village of Tobermory is a picture-perfect little farm called Sgriob-ruadh Farm. While the cafe wasn’t exactly open, it was still open for customers to enter and make cheese purchases on the honor system.
Craignure Inn
For the final stop on our Isle of Mull adventure, we ventured inside a little Inn & Pub located near to the ferry port. I kid you not, this place was like something out of a movie, complete with two locals seated at the bar after a round of golf and enjoying a pint. Making matters even more whimsical, the Bartender/Inn Keeper was truly an entertainer that performed magic tricks while we enjoyed a late lunch at a corner table.
Back to Oban
As I mentioned above, we purchased standby tickets for both our outbound and return trip on the ferry, but I want to reinforce how lucky we were to both be able to get there and get back with this kind of ticket. In the photo below you’ll notice our little blue rental car, which was able to be squeezed onboard for both trips, but just by the skin of our teeth!