Isle Of Mull info needed. Accommodation, Guided Tours etc

[stephen p]

Hey everyone,

First of I'd like to wish everyone a happy new year for 2012!

Right, I'm planning my first trip to the Isle of Mull next year.
Can you guys recommend somewhere to stay on the island? I've found some great looking places but it would be great to know places people have stayed.

Also there seem to be quite a few guided tours. They all sound great but again would be great to here what you have used in the past and would recommend.

I would be very grateful for your help.

Many thanks

Steve

[ChrisJB]

You will surely get plenty of responses to your enquiries, but my favourite place to stay is anywhere on the Ross of Mull (we usually stay at a holiday cottage near Bunessan (places to eat and drink here). You are close to the wonderful beaches at Ardalanish and Port Uisken and also, close to the Iona ferry from Fionnphort (Iona is a must, especially when the corncrakes are back). There are several guided tour operators (Google them and see), but if you would rather get away from crowds/groups, I am sure people on here will furnish you with all the information you need, eg, the best places to observe both eagle species and otters, without paying! The Mullbirds website (Google it) is an excellent place to start planning your trip.
Whatever you decide, it is a place of superlatives and you'll have a grand time.

Regards, Chris

p.s, very best wishes to all on Wild About Britain for the New Year.

[Joel.W]

Hi. When I went in November I stayed self catered in Spey Cottage in Tobermory. It was a lovely cottage and the location was great for access to the town (big hill but amazing views). To be honest, most of my time was spent driving around Loch Na Keal, Loch Spelvie and Loch Scridain and for that reason Tobermory was a bad choice, but it had pubs and a big co-op so won out in terms of convenience.
On a previous visit I stayed in the tigh an solas B&B and it was incredible, with amazing views and access to the beach (After crossing a small airfield!!!). The price was great, the room was brilliant and the breakfast was amazing!
As for trips, I have only ever been on the one guided tour and that was with Wild about Mull tours and i would definitely recommend it. We saw both eagles and got some incredible views of a family of Otters. He also has a blog on his website which is great reading and give plenty of info on whats about and what has been seen on previous trips in case you are in any doubt. If you only have a short time then I would recommend the tour, but if you have a week or more you will more than likely run in to all the various wildlife species you want to see without having to pay for a guide. If you do decide to take a tour, make sure you do it early in the holiday as you can revisit hotspots that you may not have known for wildlife beforehand.

Hope that is of help. I have a short blog post detailing my recent trip on my website which you may be interested in reading which can be found here Mull, November 2011 | Joel Walley Wildlife Photography. All the best, Joel.

[canny]

Stephen, my advice would be to try and base yourself central on the Island. Maybe Salen area, It's a big island so from here you can go to all points for trips out. If you want to learn about the Sea Eagles visit the RSPB eagle hide, your money will go to good causes. I found Arthur & Pam Browns guided trip to be excellent. You dont need to spend money to see the wildlife it is there for all to see but if you havn't much time a guided trip could be well worth it. When do you plan to go?

Joel, just took a look at your excellent blog. Looks like you had a very productive holiday but I hope you dont mind if I point out that the white tail on the beach with the wing tag is not a juvenile but a very well established female adult who has produced many chicks n her time. The other adult in the tree is her mate.

[Joel.W]

Originally Posted by canny

Joel, just took a look at your excellent blog. Looks like you had a very productive holiday but I hope you dont mind if I point out that the white tail on the beach with the wing tag is not a juvenile but a very well established female adult who has produced many chicks n her time. The other adult in the tree is her mate.

Oops! I will sort it out now! We only had distant views and assumed from the plumage that it was a juvenile bird but obviously misjudged it! Thanks for the heads up!

[canny]

Thats ok Joel, just hope you didn't mind me pointing that out.
She is know locally as Yellow Black Spot.

[7notrumps]

Hi Steve,

You will love Mull (even in the rain which they do get a lot of!!). We stayed twice last year, once near Ulva Ferry in May (central ish) and again in October when we stayed near Calgary on the road to Dervaig (north).

There were 4 of us and both places we stayed at were fantastic,
links below :

ISLAND HOLIDAY COTTAGES - stayed at The Old Steading in Bunessan (close to the Ulva Ferry)

Bruach Roineach (Fern Bank) self catering cottage, Calgary, Isle of Mull, Scotland

The road (B8073) which runs along Loch Na Keal and ends up at Calgary is the most fantastic road ever - wonderful scenery and we saw both Sea and Golden Eagles along this route.

Make sure you book for the Sea Eagle hide (we did but the weather was so bad it was cancelled!) and we have been on two wildlife tours, the first (and best for us) was with Bryan Rains who could not have done more for us - he ran around in the rain finding things for us and got soaked (Wild About Mull - Wild About Mull Wildlife Tours- Home) and secondly with Peter Hall (Mull Wildlife Tours, birdwatching trips, otters, explore nature) who also has a B&B

Whatever you do you are sure to have a great time - we only really did the wildlife trips so we could find out the best places, and as others have said the wildlife is all around you anyway. Don't forget the scenic shots also.

All the best
George
British Wildlife Photography