The Isle of Mull is a must-visit destination in Scotland for nature lovers. With a huge variety of wildlife, beautiful scenery and great walks, here’s my ultimate itinerary for enjoying the best of the Isle of Mull in 5 days.
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If you love the peace and quiet, and want a trip that really connects you with nature, then the Isle of Mull in Scotland is the perfect choice for you. It’s quite easily accessible from the mainland, but it’s much quieter and more peaceful than other places in Scotland like the Isle of Skye or Fort William. There’s so much amazing wildlife, and some amazing scenery as well. To really immerse yourself in the beautiful nature, I recommend spending several days on Mull – ideally 5 days or more. Seeing the Isle of Mull in 5 days means you can do a variety of activities, and have a good chance of spotting some wildlife. My ultimate itinerary for seeing the Isle of Mull in 5 days will show you how to make the best of your time on this lovely Scottish island.
How do I get to and around the Isle of Mull in Scotland?
It’s easy to get to the Isle of Mull from mainland Scotland. The best way to get to the Isle of Mull is to take the ferry from Oban to Craignure. It’s best to book in advance. The ferry takes about an hour, and it’s a lovely scenic trip. If the weather is nice, the views from the ferry are lovely.
To fully enjoy your time on the Isle of Mull in 5 days, you really do need a car. There is extremely limited public transport on the Isle of Mull. To be able to enjoy the best scenic spots, you’ll need to be able to drive yourself.
Driving on the Isle of Mull isn’t always the easiest – the majority of roads on the island are single-track roads. There are frequent passing places, but you’ll need to drive slowly and carefully. It can take a while to get anywhere – don’t expect to be able to be driving at 60 mph! 30-40mph is plenty on most of the roads. But enjoy the drives – it’s part of the adventure. As long as you see the drive as part of the holiday, as a way of enjoying the scenery, then the driving on the Isle of Mull can be enjoyable.
If you’d rather not drive, I recommend taking this tour of the Isle of Mull through Get Your Guide (affiliate). You can also take this small group tour from Edinburgh (affiliate), or this small group tour from Glasgow (affiliate). These amazing small group tours will show you the best of the Isle of Mull, and Mull’s iconic wildlife, without needing to drive yourself.
Or, if you want to drive yourself and just want to join a group for a day, you can do this guided walk on Mull (affiliate).
Where should I stay to enjoy the Isle of Mull in 5 days?
To fully enjoy your stay on the Isle of Mull in 5 days, I recommend staying in a cottage on the island. There are some stunning cottages – some in small villages, and others in more secluded locations. If you find a cottage with a nice view, then you can really feel like you’re immersed in the scenery even when you’re inside your cottage. And self-catering is a great way to enjoy an affordable holiday.
If you’d prefer to stay somewhere with a bit more going on, then the small town of Tobermory is the best place to stay. It’s the busiest place on the island, with shops and restaurants along the seafront. It’s a really pretty place, with lovely colourful houses. So you can stay in a hotel or apartment here if you want to be somewhere more accessible.
Check out places to stay on the Isle of Mull here on Booking.com (affiliate).
Keep reading for your ultimate itinerary for the best things to see and do on the Isle of Mull in 5 days.
Day 1: Climb the highest mountain Ben More
On day one of my ultimate itinerary for seeing the Isle of Mull in 5 days, I recommend starting with one of the big things to do on the island: climbing Ben More, the highest mountain on the island.
Ben More is one of the Scottish munros – the only one on the Isle of Mull. It’s 966m. And you start at sea level – so it’s a big climb.
It’s best to climb Ben More on a day that has good weather, with a good chance of clear skies and good visibility at the top of the mountain. So if the weather forecast is looking better for a day later in your week on Mull, then of course it would be best to save this walk for a better weather day. Keep an eye on the forecast and choose whatever weather day is best. And remember – even if it’s warm and sunny at sea level, the weather can change quickly on the mountains. So make sure you’re fully prepared, with plenty of water, food, sun cream, and waterproof clothing. Good hiking boots are also essential.
The path from Loch Na Keal up to Ben More
The simplest route up to the top of Ben More is from the small car park on the edge of Loch Na Keal. There’s a footpath all the way up. The footpath is relatively simple, although not easy. There aren’t any sections of scrambling. But there are still plenty of tricky sections, and you’ll need to be careful where you put your feet. There’s also a river crossing, and some very steep sections.
The first part of the footpath from Loch Na Keal can be quite boggy, especially after heavy rain. Make sure you’ve got good waterproof hiking boots so you can easily get through this section. There are a few areas where the path isn’t super clear, but you can still generally make out the general direction of the path. But as soon as you start climbing, the views down to Loch Na Keal are stunning.
The footpath follows closely beside a stream, which is really pretty. There are some lovely waterfalls on the stream – and after heavy rain they’re really impressive.
After a while, the path turns to rocks and stone. It was nice to have a break from the bogs! But it still wasn’t an easy path to follow. There were a lot of loose stones, and a lot of sections where you had to carefully think about your route. But at least this meant you can be distracted from being out of breathe from the steep climb!
After a while, you’ll need to cross the river. The walk guide book I had said there was a ‘clear crossing point’ for the river. I disagree. It was not clear at all. I walked up and down the river several times, trying to work out where to cross. And when I did finally decide to cross, I got a very wet foot when I slipped.
The steep scree path up to the top of Ben More
After crossing the river, the path continues to climb. It gets even steeper here – just at the point where your legs are getting tired. The path continues to be stones and rocks. But as it climbs, you lose the stream and the grass around you. And instead, the path just climbs steeply through the scree slopes at the top of the mountain.
It was super windy when I got to this point. It had been fairly breezy down by the loch, so I was prepared for it to be windy at the top. But it was REALLY windy. I mean, it was be-careful-you-don’t-get-blown-off-the-edge-of-the-mountain level of windy. And I put on every extra layer of clothing I’d brought, and it was still cold. I think the internet said it was about 15 degrees (centigrade) down by the loch, and about 3-5 degrees at the top of Ben More. So I was very glad I’d been sensible and brought all the extra warm layers.
But the views were amazing. It was hard to balance to stop to take photos in the strong wind. But the views were just so amazing.
I loved getting to the point where you could start seeing around to the mountain range all around you. It was so impressive. I do a lot of hiking in the Lake District, so I was really struck by how beautifully empty it was here. There were no villages, no buildings, hardly any trees, and hardly any people. I think I saw about four people on the mountain that day in total. There were a few sheep, who were lovely. But apart from that, it was just me and the mountains.
The top of Ben More
The final push up to the top of Ben More is so steep. But it’s worth it. You follow the cairns, and just keep climbing. There’s a cairn that looks like it’s the top – and then you realise that the actual top is just a bit further along. But at least this final bit is a bit flatter.
And then you get to the cairn at the summit, surrounded by stone walls. I was so lucky to have the top of the mountain to myself. And while it was still ridiculously cold and windy, the views were just stunning. The top had been covered in cloud for a lot of my climb, so I wasn’t sure what it would be like once I got there. But I was so lucky that the cloud lifted enough by the time I got to the top, so I was able to enjoy the views. And it was stunning.
Walking back down
There are several options to extend your walk, and take a different way down through more challenging terrain and ridge walking. But, given the strong winds on the day I visited, I decided to just retrace my steps and walk back down the ‘easy’ path.
It was definitely easier and quicker going down. But it was still hard. I managed the river crossing better on the way down which was something! But I was still so glad to finally see my car at the bottom.
Climbing Ben More was definitely challenging, and it’s definitely only sensible to attempt to climb it if you have some hiking experience, and also some decent weather. But the views were stunning. It was definitely one of the highlights of my time on the Isle of Mull in 5 days.
Day 2: Walk from Knock to Loch Ba
On the second day of my ultimate itinerary for the Isle of Mull in 5 days, I recommend doing a somewhat easier walk than the climb up Ben More. But this walk is still beautiful, with stunning scenery and the chance to see some of Mull’s iconic wildlife.
You can park near the small village of Knock. There’s a parking area at the sharp bend in the main road as it goes through Knock. From here, follow the obvious path through the trees, to the edge of Loch Ba.
Straight away on this walk, I just loved the views. It was nice to enjoy a flat walk after climbing the mountain the day before! And the views were lovely. One of my favourite views of the whole trip was when I just got to the edge of Loch Ba, with the streams and the mountains all around.
The path follows along the edge of Loch Ba. It’s a wide path, that is easy to follow and walk on – although it is a rough path with a lot of stones and rocks. But it’s an easy path, and the views are lovely, especially as the light and the clouds change throughout the day.
This is a great spot on the Isle of Mull to see golden eagles. Golden eagles are one of Mull’s most iconic species of wildlife. And if you’re lucky, you can see them flying around Loch Ba. Make sure you bring binoculars for the best chance to spot them.
Even if you don’t manage to spot any golden eagles, there is still plenty of other wildlife here, and plenty of birds. I saw lots of lapwings, which were lovely charismatic birds. And also lots of swallows, goldfinches, stonechats, and more.
You can walk for as long as you want on this walk. You can walk right to the end of Loch Ba, and then continue walking along the river. Or you can turn back at any point. There aren’t really any options to make this a circular walk, so you’ll need to walk back along the main path next to Loch Ba, and enjoy the mountain views in the other direction.
Day 3: Take a boat trip to see puffins on the Treshnish Isles
On day 3 of your time on the Isle of Mull in 5 days, it’s time to enjoy another of the top things to see and do on the Isle of Mull. Mull is famous as one of the best places in Scotland to see wildlife – so today, take a boat trip out to enjoy the best of Mull’s wildlife.
This tour of Mull (affiliate) or this tour through Viator (affiliate) will take you to the amazing puffins on Lunga, off the coast of Mull.
The boat takes you to the Treshnish Isles, with lie on the west coast of the Isle of Mull. The islands are quite exposed, so try to choose a day that isn’t too windy for your boat trip to enjoy a comfortable trip.
Seeing minke whales, porpoises, dolphins, and basking sharks in Mull
The first section of the boat trip takes about an hour. The boats are comfortable, and travel fast. And while you’re travelling, keep a look out for wildlife. You can see minke whales in this part of Scotland.
Minke whales are one of the smallest baleen whales, and often spend a while at the surface of the water. So if you’re lucky enough to spot one, you might be able to spend a bit of time with it, which is lovely.
The water around the Isle of Mull is also home to a lot of harbour porpoises. If the sea is flat, then you can often see them as they come to the surface to breathe. Harbour porpoises often travel alone, or in small groups of two or three. They are quite shy – you’re unlikely to find them coming up to the boats like dolphins. But they’re still lovely.
And if you’re lucky enough to spot dolphins, there’s a chance they might come close to the boat. You can see common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins in the waters around Mull.
Basking sharks are also a common sight around Mull, especially in the summer months. I’ve generally only seen them when the weather has been hot and sunny, and the sea very flat. I’ve seen them close to the surface, properly ‘basking’ in the sun. You can see their dorsal fin and also the top of their tail poking out the water.
Keep a look out for all of this sea life, and more, on your boat trip around Mull.
The puffins on Lunga
The first stop on the boat trip was Lunga. It’s the island most famous for puffins. And if you visit in May to August, you can go ashore on the island of Lunga to be able to see the cute, charismatic puffins up close. They’re one of the most popular birds in the UK. And it’s easy to see why.
You get two hours ashore on Lunga. It can be slippery and muddy on the island after heavy rain, so take your time walking. But it’s only a 5-10 minute walk from the boat stop to where the puffin nesting area is.
I loved being able to walk so close to the puffins. The really are such cute birds. And being able to see them on land meant you could take amazing photos. You could take decent photos with a phone, but you’ll need a proper camera with a zoom lense to be able to take the best photos. And remember, even though you can walk near them, be careful not to cross the rope line and disturb them – they are still wild animals.
There are other nesting sea birds on Lunga as well, if you can tear yourself away from the puffins. I really liked seeing the razorbills. And there are also fulmars and kittwakes nesting in the cliffs. The whole of Lunga is a bird-watchers paradise.
Fingal’s Cave on Staffa
After two hours on Lunga, we got back on the boat and made the short journey over to the neighbouring island of Staffa. Staffa also has nesting sea birds, including some puffins, but a lot less than Lunga. But the real highlight here is the natural geology.
Staffa is home to Fingal’s Cave – a really impressive cave and rock formations.
Fingal’s Cave is renowned for its hexagonal basalt columns. These were formed by the cooling of an ancient volcanic lava flow. This unique geological formation belongs to the exact same Paleocene lava field as the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, which sits roughly 50 miles across the sea. According to both geological history and Celtic mythology, these two famous sites are physically and narratively linked as opposite ends of the same subterranean volcanic bridge.
You can get great views of the cave and the basalt columns from the boat. Often, you’ll also be able to get off the boat on Staffa and walk into and around the cave yourself. However, this depends on the weather – the small island is Staffa is very exposed to the Atlantic weather and Atlantic swells, so it isn’t always possible for the boat to moor here. But even if you can’t get off the boat, you can still get a great view of the cave from the boat.
After seeing both Lunga and Staffa, and hopefully lots of birds and sea life as well, the boat will take you back to mainland Mull.
Day 4: Explore Tobermary, Duart Castle, and spot otters along Loch Na Keal
On day four of your time on the Isle of Mull in 5 days, I’ve included a day’s itinerary that is more suitable for bad weather. If you’re amazingly lucky, you might get five perfect weather days on the Isle of Mull. But Scotland’s weather often isn’t that kind! So there’s a high chance that you’ll have one (or more) bad weather days. So this day’s itinerary is perfect for the rainiest and windiest day of your trip.
Explore Tobermory on the Isle of Mull
One of the best things to do on a rainy day on the Isle of Mull is to visit Tobermory. Tobermory is the biggest town on the Isle of Mull. It’s still a very small town, but it’s where you’ll find most of the shops, restaurants and attractions on Mull.
Tobermory on the Isle of Mull is famous for being where the children’s show Balamory is based on. The colourful houses that line the harbour in Tobermory are lovely. One of my favourite things to do in Tobermory is just to enjoy the view. You can get the best view of the colourful houses in Tobermory from the free car park called Ledaig car park.
From here, follow the waterfront to walk around the top things in Tobermory. There’s the Tobermory Distillery Visitor Centre – a great place to try some locally produced whisky and learn more about how it’s made. You can also buy some to take home.
There are some cute gift shops in Tobermory as well, which are perfect for browsing and buying souvenirs to take home.
Tobermory isn’t a huge town, so you can easily see most of it in an hour or two. There are cafes where you can stop of a coffee, or you can get lunch in one of the pubs or restaurants – make sure you try the classic British fish and chips.
See Duart Castle
Another great option for your rainy day activity on the Isle of Mull is Duart Castle. Duart Castle is a 13th-century clifftop fortress on the Isle of Mull that has served as the historic seat and power base of the Clan Maclean for over 700 years.
You can get good views of Duart Castle from the ferry from Oban to Craignure. From the water, you can really see how the castle is perched on the edge of the cliff, with hardly anything around it.
You can go inside Duart Castle as well, and see the restored interior that gives you a glimpse of what life might have been like here in the past.
Spot otters and eagles along the shores of Loch Na Keal
Even if it’s raining, you still have a good chance of spotting wildlife on Mull. Otters and eagles don’t mind a bit of rain. And often, you have a better chance of seeing them in rainy weather as there are fewer people around.
The shores of Loch Na Keal are known to be one of the top places in Mull to spot otters and eagles. It’s best to go a few hours either side of low tide, as this is when the otters are most active. Walk along the quiet road that follows the shores of the loch, and take detours down to each of the beaches. And just keep a look out for otters along the shoreline in the seaweed.
And make sure you keep looking up for eagles as well. You can often see them flying down the loch. And they might even perch on some of the small islands that get exposed at low tide.
Even if you don’t spot otters or eagles, you can still see other wildlife. Oystercatchers are easy to spot along the beaches, with their distinctive colours. You might see other wading birds as well. And you can spot seals too.
Day 5: Enjoy the white sand beach at Calgary Bay
On the last day of you time on the Isle of Mull in five days, I recommend heading to another of Mull’s most beautiful scenic spots. Calgary Beach is on the north west coast of Mull, and it’s truly stunning.
Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull isn’t the easiest place to get to. You’ll definitely need a car, as public transport doesn’t go here. And it will take a while to drive here. The roads to Calgary Bay are very narrow, with some very steep sections. But it’s completely worth it once you get there.
You can park in the main car park that is right next to Calgary Beach. And then walk onto the white sand beach. The white sand beaches in Scotland are truly stunning, and this is no exception. It’s often not very busy here, so you can often have almost the entire beach to yourself. The colours of the white sand are truly stunning, with the blue sea and the green hills surrounding it.
I enjoyed just spending time walking along the beach. And then I took the footpath to walk out to the headland. It’s an easy path, and it gives great views back to Calgary Beach. Walk to the end of the headland, keep a look out for eagles. It’s a good place to spot both golden eagles and also white-tailed eagles.
And then, once you’ve had a walk, head back to the beach and enjoy some time just relaxing on the pristine white sand. It’s the perfect place to end your time on the Isle of Mull.
Remember, the best way to explore Mull without a car, and also to see Mull’s amazing wildlife, is to take a small group tour with a guide. Remember to check out tours of the Isle of Mull through Get Your Guide (affiliate). and also tours of the Isle of Mull through Viator (affiliate).
Hope you enjoyed my ultimate itinerary for the Isle of Mull in 5 days! Make sure you also check out my guide to wildlife on the Isle of Mull. If you’re keen to explore more of Scotland, make sure you check my guide to one week on the Isle of Skye, five days around Fort William, and the top things to do in Scotland’s highlands. You can also check out my itinerary for 3 days in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city.
