In this blog post, I am sharing with you how to do Isle of Mull without a car, from how to get there to getting around while on the island to what to do and see. I went with my mum and as this was a last minute trip, we couldn’t find accommodation on the island so we stayed in Oban and did a day trip to Mull which still gave us enough time to see a lot of island by public transport. I have also written a full day itinerary with detailed bus times below in the end of this blog post.
Getting there
You can get a Citylink coach from Glasgow Buchanan Station to Oban and the journey takes around 3 hours. the ticket cost me £26 return, however the price may change depending on when and how far in advance you book. From Oban you can get the CalMar ferry to Craignure on Isle of Mull for £7.80 return.
Where to Stay
We stayed in Backpackers Plus hostel which cost £24.50 per night for my bed in a shared dorm and my mum got a private ensuite room which cost £33.50 per night. Both room prices included free continental breakfast (cereal, toast, peanut butter, jam, butter, juice), and unlimited tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. This was her first time staying in a hostel and really enjoyed it. I love the hostel and would definitely recommend staying here.
If you would like to stay on the island on a budget, Hostelling Scotland offer dorms from £18 a night (private rooms available) and is located in Tobermory, facing the harbour.
Getting around while on the island
The main bus operator on the island is West Coast Motors and you can get a day ticket for £18 which will allow you to use the ticket as much as you want within 24 hours. Once you get off the ferry in Crainure, you can get the bus to Tobermory and from Tobermory you can take the bus to Calgary as well. Alternatively, you can get the bus from Craignure to Fionnphort and take the 10-minute ferry to Iona.
When we got to Tobermory around 9am, we spent a couple of hours there. We had some breakfast at Tobermory Bakery, I had the vegan vegetable pasty and my mum had the pain au chocolat and then walked up to Argyll Terrace street where we got a view of Tobermory from above.
We also walked to Tobermory Lighthouse which took around 40 minutes and the sea and forest views were beautiful along the way.
Another walk which is often recommended but didn't do this time, is Aros Park and Aros Waterfall. You can check the walk out on WalkHighlands. We wanted to visit The Mull Museum but unfortunately it was open between 11:00-15:00 but we had to catch the bus to Calgary at 11:15.
We got the bus from the same spot we got off from Craignure and got the bus that said “Calgary”. The journey took around 50 minutes and the views were absolutely stunning along the way so the time went by quite fast. We got off at the last stop, right next to Calgary Beach and the bus driver told us that she will come back in a few hours and she will stop anywhere on the side of the road if we waive her down. We had some lunch on the beach (gotta love a Tesco meal deal!), and then walked around for a bit, taking photos.
Just up the road from the beach, you can find Calgary Art in Nature, a beautiful woodland walk with art sculptures.
We walked through it and ended up at their art gallery and cafe. As we had some time to wait for the bus, we had some tea in the cafe’s courtyard. They also have some lovely cakes and savory food available.
The bus times work out in a way that you are in Calgary area from 13.05 until 16:35 so it gives you plenty of time to explore Calgary Beach and see Art in Nature, as well as walk to Langamull Beach if you want, which takes around 30-40 minutes to walk one way.
We then took the bus to Tobermory where we had about an hour to wait for the bus back to Craignure for the ferry. We walked around a bit more and get some postcards from the gift shops, and then popped in Tobermory Stores. I was pleasantly surprised at how many vegan options they had. The staff were very friendly and helpful and showed me what vegan food they have, from pies and quiches to vegan cheese and salads to vegan cheesecake! I got the Mediterranean Vegetable Tart and the Butternut Squash, Feta, and Spinach pasty and they were delicious. I had to run back before the bus came to get another pasty to have for lunch the next day because it was so good.
At 18:10 we got the bus back to Craignure which got us in at 19:00. The ferry back to Oban was at 19:25 so we didn’t need to wait long.
Full day itinerary - All the information in this blog post was correct at the time of being published. Do check on West Coast Motors website for the most up to date information on bus numbers and timetables.
These are just some of the many things you can do and see even without a car on Mull. Some other things include going to Dervaig (same bus that goes to Calgary), or exploring Loch Peallach and Meadhoin, or going to Fionnphort and getting the ferry over to Isle of Iona. There are also loads of different boat trip tours you can take from different parts of the island, including wildlife tours, tours to Staffa and Fingal’s Cave, Isle of Iona, and so much more!
If you stay on the island overnight, you can perhaps have more time to do more walks and explore more parts of the island as well as visit Iona (will definitely come back for that!). However, I think even going for the day like we did, it’s very easy to get around by bus and have enough time to see a lot. I hope you found this guide helpful and if you are not sure about visiting Isle of Mull without a car, this is your sign to do it.
If you ever visit somewhere because of my work, I'd love to hear about it! You find me on Instagram @marisa.vogiatzi where I post daily travel content about solo and budget travel, travelling by public transport since I don’t drive, and generally travelling around Scotland and beyond.
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