Isle of Mull

Mull is built largely of lava flows, and the stepped basalt shows in its cliffs and in the flat-topped hills of the west. Ben More, at 966 metres, is the only Munro in the Hebrides outside Skye. The island's wildlife is the main draw for most visitors: white-tailed eagles were reintroduced nearby and now breed here, golden eagles hold the interior, otters work the shoreline and minke whales, basking sharks and dolphins are regular on summer boat trips out of Tobermory. That town, painted in a row of strong colours around its harbour, is the island's centre. From Fionnphort at the southwest tip a short ferry reaches Iona, where a monastery founded in 563 sits behind a restored medieval abbey, and boats run on to Staffa.

What you actually see

• Tobermory harbour - the painted seafront around a sheltered bay.
• Sea eagles and otters - regularly seen along the coast and sea lochs.
• Iona - the abbey and early monastic site off the southwest tip.
• Ben More - the only Munro in the Hebrides outside Skye.

When to go

May to September for wildlife trips and reliable ferries; May and June are best for seabirds and long evenings. Book vehicle ferry crossings well ahead for July and August - they sell out. Whale trips run roughly April to October and cancel readily in swell.

Honest expectations

Most of Mull's roads are single track with passing places, and driving them takes far longer than the distances imply; visitors who do not use passing places properly cause daily friction. Ferries cancel in weather and can strip a day from a short trip. Midges are bad in summer. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed despite the pricing.

Nearby

Oban on the mainland, and Staffa with Fingal's Cave reached by boat from Fionnphort or Ulva Ferry.