Tobermory (Scotland)

Tobermory (Gaelic Tobar Mhoire, "Mary's well") is the main settlement on the island of Mull, in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It has the most accommodation and other amenities, and is the obvious base for visiting the island. In 2020 it had a population of about 1000, a third of the island's total; so by mainland standards it's a small village, but in Hebridean terms it ranks as a bustling town.

Tobermory has a picture-perfect seafront, with the buildings painted in bright colours. It's often used as a TV or film location and Britain's Gen Zs will recognise it as Balamory, produced here 2002-05 by BBC Scotland. The colours are a good way to identify places, though they're not immutable.

Get in
The usual way onto Mull is by the Calmac ferry from Oban to Craignure. This sails daily, roughly hourly Apr-Oct and every 2 or 3 hours Nov-Mar, taking 50 min, see Craignure for fares.

Craignure is 21 miles from Tobermory along A848: this is two lane from Craignure to Salen, then single-track for six miles, then two lane for the last four miles into town. West Coast Motors Bus 95 / 495 meets the ferries five or six times daily, running from Craignure via Fishnish and Salen to Tobermory (50 min, no Sunday service Nov-March).

has Calmac ferries from Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, taking 40 min. They sail every couple of hours Apr-Oct but only 3 or 4 times a day Nov-Mar. Until end of March 2025, return fares are £20.80 per car, £6.70 per adult including driver, and £3.40 per child aged 5-15. Although Kilchoan is on the mainland, it's a long way from anywhere and you'd only travel that way in order to tour Ardnamurchan. The same goes for the 20 min crossing from Lochaline to Fishnish further south on Mull.

Bus 494 zigzags through Tobermory then runs to Dervaig and Calgary, 40 min, with three M-F and one on Saturday.

Get around
The town can readily be explored on foot, but there's a steep hill from the seafront main street up to the residential area and the Western Isles and Park Lodge Hotels. Bus 494 zigzags through town but is infrequent. You need a car to reach the theatre to the south.

Taxis: Chris's Taxis (+44 749 3886 237) and Mull Taxi (+44 7760 426351) are based in Tobermory and do point-to-point journeys within Mull, airport and ferry pick-ups, and tours around the island.

See

 * is the low island sheltering the bay, grazing land with a summer cottage but no permanent residents. It's just about tidal, but you need an exceptionally low tide to wade across the channel. Divers can explore its submerged wall and surrounding wrecks, which include Pelican a Calmac ferry.
 * Glengorm Standing Stones are a group of three west of Glengorm Castle (see Sleep). You can follow the path northwest for half a mile to Dùn Ara Castle, but the remains are scrappy and you come for the view towards the Outer Hebrides.
 * is the low island sheltering the bay, grazing land with a summer cottage but no permanent residents. It's just about tidal, but you need an exceptionally low tide to wade across the channel. Divers can explore its submerged wall and surrounding wrecks, which include Pelican a Calmac ferry.
 * Glengorm Standing Stones are a group of three west of Glengorm Castle (see Sleep). You can follow the path northwest for half a mile to Dùn Ara Castle, but the remains are scrappy and you come for the view towards the Outer Hebrides.

Do

 * What's on? Read Round and About Magazine or Oban Times.
 * Boat trips go out to the seabird and seal colonies, e.g., those on Calve Island just offshore. Several operators, enquire in the harbour car park.
 * Walk to the lighthouse at Rubha nan Gall, a couple of miles north along the muddy clifftop path. The 17-m lighthouse was built by the Stevensons in 1857 and automated in 1960; unusually, it's reached by a short bridge. You can stay self-catering in the lightkeepers' cottages but they're totally off-grid with no road access.
 * Tobermory Golf Club is nine holes on the cliff tops north of town. Twice around off white tees is 4912 yards, par 64. Visitors welcome, no booking, but weekends they often stage competitions, so check the club fixture list.
 * The Volcano is the plug of rock north of the lane towards Dervaig and Calgary. Good chance of seeing eagles and other upland wildlife here, but the trail is hard going.
 * , off the main road a mile south of town, has waterfalls and woodland walks.
 * Mull Music Festival in April features folk-rock bands, fiddle, accordion, dance and ceilidh bands. It's held mostly in Tobermory.
 * Isle of Mull Highland Games are held in Tobermory in July on Erray Park at the north end of town, with the next on Th 18 July 2024.
 * And see Mull for events across the island, many of which are in Tobermory.

Buy

 * The Island Bakery produces shortbread, which you can order online or buy in Tobermory and elsewhere. They no longer run a cafe there.
 * The Island Bakery produces shortbread, which you can order online or buy in Tobermory and elsewhere. They no longer run a cafe there.

Eat

 * Tobermory Bakery & Tearoom (lilac) is open M-Sa 9AM-3PM.
 * The Galleon (blue) is licensed, open Tu-Sa 6-10PM.
 * Crystal Palace (red) at 28 Main St serves Chinese Tu-Su 4:30-11PM.
 * Crystal Palace (red) at 28 Main St serves Chinese Tu-Su 4:30-11PM.
 * Crystal Palace (red) at 28 Main St serves Chinese Tu-Su 4:30-11PM.

Drink

 * MacDonald Arms on Main Street is open daily 10AM-2:45PM, 5PM-midnight.
 * Distilleries: see above for Tobermory and Ledaig whisky. Whitetail Distillery makes gin on the north shore of Loch Scridain.
 * Distilleries: see above for Tobermory and Ledaig whisky. Whitetail Distillery makes gin on the north shore of Loch Scridain.

Sleep

 * B&Bs and self-catering cottages: lots. Seafront prices match the hotels but drop sharply as you go inland.
 * B&Bs and self-catering cottages: lots. Seafront prices match the hotels but drop sharply as you go inland.
 * B&Bs and self-catering cottages: lots. Seafront prices match the hotels but drop sharply as you go inland.

Connect
As of April 2022, Tobermory has a very patchy mobile signal from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached Mull.

Go next

 * Tobermory is the obvious base for exploring anywhere on Mull. Iona can be done as a day trip but deserves an overnight stay.
 * The Ardnamurchan peninsula, though it's on the mainland, is even more remote and deserted than Mull.
 * Otherwise it's back to the mainland at Oban. Ferries to the Outer Hebrides sail by but don't call here, so you have to double back via Oban to reach them.