Tobermory Guide Mull Scotland

Tobermory Guide, Isle of Mull, Scotland

Tobermory (Tobar Mhoire)

Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland, UK. — Colourful houses on the harbour front in Tobermory

The small port town of Tobermory, on the northeast coast of the Isle of Mull in Scotland, is well-known to a certain generation from the children's TV series, Balamory.

Its brightly-painted houses along the harbour make for a memorable photograph and there are a few interesting museums. The town makes for a pleasant base for enjoying the various activities the island has to offer such as whale-watching and cruises to view the abundant wildlife on Mull.

In Gaelic Tobar Mhoire means "Well of Mary" and the fishing port was first laid out in 1799 on a design by Scottish engineer, Thomas Telford (1757-1834), famous for his Menai Bridge and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct south of the border.

Attractions

The free Mull Museum has exhibits on the history of the island, crofting and a sunken galleon from the Spanish Armada of 1588. The museum is open from Easter to the end of October and has a large archive of documents available for research purposes. (mullmuseum.org.uk)

The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust on Main Street on the harbour is a fun time for kids with interactive exhibits and wall charts on the various sea mammals found in the waters around Mull (hwdt.org).

For whisky lovers a visit to the distillery in Tobermory is a must. The Tobermory Distillery Visitor Centre has tours of the historic, whisky distillery that opened in 1798. The tours should be booked online and include tastings and a visit to the popular shop. The distillery produces two fine single malts: Tobermory and Ledaig. (tobermorydistillery.com)

Whale-watching tours can be booked at Sea Life Surveys (Tel: 01688 302916).

For golfers there is a 9-hole golf course above the bay and views of the Isle of Skye on a clear day, even.

Tobermory on the northeast coast of Mull. — Tobermory on the northeast coast of Mull

Eat & Drink

Tobermory has a reasonable choice of eateries, pubs, cafes, and restaurants for a town of its size.

Visitors can enjoy some excellent local cuisine include freshly-caught seafood.

Some recommended restaurants to try are Hebridean Lodge at 1 Baliscate, the small but highly-liked Cafe Fish at 23 Main Street and next door Pier Cafe Tobermory with a terrace for lunch or dinner. The Spice of Mull serves Indian food with views of the harbour from some tables.

For a drink try the Mishnish Bar (the yellow-painted building in the top photograph).

Access

Ferries To Mull

Three car ferries connect Mull to the Scottish mainland. There are CalMac ferries from Lochaline to Fishnish on the east coast (15 minutes), Oban to Craignure (75 minutes) and Kilchoan to Tobermory (35 minutes).

Various ferries also connect Mull to the surrounding islands of Iona, Col and Tiree.

There are also ferries from Oban to Barra and South Uist.

calmac.co.uk

Car

Oban is 44 miles south of Fort William and 97 miles northwest of Glasgow. By car from Glasgow it is an approximately 2 hour, 20 minute drive on the A82 and A85 to Oban.

Train & Bus

Fairly regular trains from Glasgow to Oban take around 3 hours.

There are also coaches from Glasgow to Oban usually via Tarbet and Inveraray (also 3 hours).

There is also cycle hire in Tobermory among other places on the island.