This webpage is designed for the first time traveller to the islands of Mull & Iona and also for those who are returning after many years absence for a trip down memory lane.

The questions we are frequently asked by folk around the world who are planning a visit to Mull are pretty much the same regardless of where they are coming from; we have tried to answer them as simply and as honestly as we can and we hope you find them useful and make your stay on the island as pleasant and as enjoyable as possible. If there are any obvious questions that you think we have overlooked please email john@seaview-mull.co.uk and let us know so we can add them to the page for the benefit of future visitors to the site and to our lovely island. 

Below are just some of the questions we are regularly asked - click on any of them for their respective replies or scroll down the page to view them all.

Images courtesy of www.tomjoe.com


double ewe-
double ewe-
double ewe dot!

Welcome all Intrepid Adventurers………………….
 

ewe-niverse

Ewe are my sunshine





I only have eyes
for ewe
 

Where exactly is the Isle of Mull? 

The Isle of Mull is just one of a group of islands forming the Inner Hebrides off the west (left) coast of Scotland – above Glasgow and to the left of Oban! Once you’ve found it on the map, squint your eyes and tilt you head slightly to the right at an angle of 12 degrees or so – Mull is the island that looks like a miniature squashed version of the UK! Don’t confuse the Isle of Mull with the Mull of Kintyre either – same west coast but further south forming part of the mainland and it resembles something entirely different too!! Also Sir Paul McCartney doesn’t live on the Isle of Mull so don’t come visiting thinking you might spot a Beatle or rock star or two – wrong sort I’m afraid.

Back to top of page

Isle of Ewe

How big an island is Mull? 

We could bore you with statistics and science here but we won’t – instead think of the County of Lincolnshire on the east coast of England (between the Humber and the Wash) and compress it a bit, shave off a couple of inches and you have the approximate size of Mull. In relation to numbers of people living on Mull – less than the population of the village of Kirton, south of Boston in Lincolnshire. There are in fact more sheep than folk!  

What you really need to know about Mull is that it’s bigger than you might think. Many visitors come off the ferry at Craignure from Oban and decide to drive round the island via Tobermory before driving down to us at Seaview in Fionnphort – it’s a grand idea if you don’t mind driving but it can take up to four hours or so. The views are great and the north end is very different to the south (Ross of Mull) but after a long day travelling anyway, patience, concentration and enthusiasm are usually running pretty thin by the time visitors arrive here.

Back to top of page

Rush Hour




Ewe make me happy
 

How do I get to Mull? 

Anyway you can really – it depends on where you are coming from and how far you are travelling. Mull is very accessible even in the winter with regular scheduled ferry crossings with Caledonian MacBrayne from Oban, Lochaline and Kilchoan – check out their website on www.calmac.co.uk or the ferry timetables via the links on our home page.

The important things to remember with the ferry crossings are to book your vehicle on to the ferry with Caledonian MacBrayne (especially during the summer months and holiday weekends – reservations: 08765-650000), give yourselves plenty of time to arrive from wherever you are travelling and try to synchronise your arrival & departure times if travelling by coach, train or plane with the ferry sailings (Scotland may be a small country but it has great scenery which can slow down the drive as well as many miles of twisting roads around lochs and through glens). Turn up no later than 30 minutes before the scheduled sailing time (the ferry waits for no man and you may lose your place), and don’t make the mistake of trying to see Scotland in a day – it just won’t work.

** Click here for detailed travel information**

Back to top of page

Ewe missed
the boat





Ewe Ok Friend

Do I need to bring the car across on the ferry?

No, not if you don’t want to. If you are arriving by Shanksey’s Pony or don’t want the extra cost of the car on the ferry you can come across as a foot passenger. There are regular buses to Fionnphort right from the ferry terminal at Craignure and these are usually scheduled to meet the ferries – check out the bus timetables on www.bowmanstours.co.uk or www.mict.co.uk/travel In the winter (end of October to March) buses do not run on a Sunday - there is however a taxi service that you can book to pick you up. If you are staying at Seaview for a 2 night weekend break during the winter months we provide a collection service for the Friday ferry and the Sunday return ferry – please ask for details when making your reservation.

Alternatively you may like to consider hiring a car or even booking a taxi to meet you at the ferry - any of these options are possible. The garage at Craignure is called Bayview Garage and hires out cars (Tel: 01680 812444 or visit www.bayviewgarage.com ) and Mull & Iona Taxi's offer a pick up/island tour service Tel: (01681 700507 or visit www.mullionataxi.com ) 

For detailed travel information, timetables and directions click here.

Back to top of page

On Ewe're Bike




Ewe V Factor

What are the roads like on Mull and what about single track driving?

The majority of roads on Mull are single track except between Craignure and Salen and a section between Salen and Tobermory. The road from Craignure to Fionnphort and Iona is a single track road with regular passing places. These passing places are marked with black and white poles or white diamonds. Although it is only 37 miles to Fionnphort from Craignure and the road is classed as an ‘A’ road, expect your journey to take longer than average. This is not only because it is single track and there may be a lot of traffic coming the other way but also because you may stop and enjoy the views although it is inadvisable and dangerous to stop and park in the passing places. If your reversing skills are rusty, we recommend you get some practice in before you come - you will be doing plenty of it once you arrive.

We feel that the journey to a destination is part of the holiday and it can be an adventure – many of our guests describe it as 'very different' and an unforgettable experience! There’s no doubt that it can be, so we advise our guests that the journey may take from 45 minutes to 80 minutes - we suggest you give yourselves extra time to make the journey so you aren’t rushing, especially if you are going back up the road to Craignure to catch the ferry. The roads all have tarmac surfaces but the conditions range from reasonable, to not so reasonable.

Single track driving requires a certain level of etiquette and patience. Follow these simple guidelines for a safe and enjoyable journey:

·   Always allow vehicles behind you to overtake at designated passing places – it can be frustrating for local residents to be stuck for miles behind slow moving visitors who can be unaware they are behind and trying to pass.

·  For oncoming and overtaking vehicles indicate that you are going to stop at a passing place with your indicator on and allow the other vehicle to either overtake or to continue driving through. Always stop on the LEFT hand side (even if the passing place is on the right) and allow the other vehicle through. You only stop in the passing place if it is on your left – never cross the traffic and drive into a passing place on the right; you are likely to cause an accident!

·  Don’t stop and park in passing places to enjoy the views – this is dangerous. There is a viewing point above the three lochs going through Glen More where you can stop and enjoy the view. Eagles and sea eagles can be seen from here.

·    It is easier for on coming coaches, buses and delivery vehicles if you can give way to them and stop in a passing place on your left – this means they don’t have to negotiate driving a large vehicle into a narrow passing place.

·    Driving on single track roads with passing places is not a game of Blind Man’s Buff or a question of pride and brinkmanship. If you see on coming vehicles ahead, indicate left, pull in and give way, don’t try and get to the next passing place before the on coming vehicle reaches you – very often you will misjudge the speed and distance and both vehicles will end up meeting in the middle. Someone will eventually have to give in and reverse their car back to the passing place. Please don't try and drive past another vehicle along the verge - this is beginning to break the road up even more, causing lots of pot holes and ruts.

·    Traffic heading towards Craignure are very often on their way to catch a ferry – don’t impede their journey by being proud and awkward; it is always more courteous to allow on coming vehicles to pass.

Back to top of page

Highland Showdown



Family Album

Silly Ass!





Good morning girls

Form-ewe-la One!

What about animals on the road? 

Livestock and common grazing go hand in hand on Mull – sheep, Highland cows and wild deer are all part of the scenery and they make driving on the island a wee bit more interesting!

Think of ‘The Whimsical World of Thomas Joseph’ (www.tomjoe.com) and you have the traffic conditions for the Isle of Mull! The sheep are quite considerate – they are white (usually) and you can spot them easily – they mooch around in flocks close to the road side and can very often be found lying in the middle or edge of the road enjoying the warmth from the tarmac. During spring and after lambing – watch out for the lambs, they are more skittish and less use to moving traffic. At night you can spot their white bums facing you or their eyes are green reflecting back at you. When approaching sheep on the road, slow down and gently edge your vehicle through them – they tend to let you pass and wander back on the grassy verges. Even stubborn tups (Rams) will give up trying to eyeball you after a while.

Highland cows and other cattle are big gentle beasts – they hang around in herds and you can often see them at the junction at Pennyghael doing point or sentry duty! They are happy to amble along the road and will generally let you through – again just slow down and pass through carefully. If there are calves about (Sept onwards) take care because like the lambs they can be frisky. Cows are more difficult to spot in the dark – take care when driving at dusk and at night.

Deer are more unpredictable. These wild animals are usually just passing through from one side of the road to the other when you see them – they don’t graze at the road side. Deer are more likely to be seen from autumn through to spring when the grazing in the hills is limited. Deer at dusk and at night are a hazard – they roam in small groups and if you see one crossing the road in front of you there is likely to be a second and a third. Slow right down and if possible stop to allow the deer to cross – they are nervous, jumpy and unpredictable.

Back to top of page

Take the
Udder Road

 

Ewe'll Never
Walk Alone

 

What’s the weather likely to be like?

Guests always tell us they don’t come to Scotland for the weather, they come because they want to – when the weather is good it’s viewed as a bonus. You can check the weather via the link on the home page (top right hand corner). This will give you a general 4-5 day forecast. What you need to know and understand is that Mull and Fionnphort in particular, is on the edge of the Gulf Stream. The weather in Fionnphort can be different to the rest of Mull – we have half the rainfall of Oban and we are half way between Fort William (the wettest place in the UK) and the island of Tiree (20 miles further west out in the Atlantic) which has the most hours of recorded sunshine!! A bit of an anomaly as you can see – generally we have mild and breezy weather on the south west coast with quite a lot of sunshine. We rarely have snow (except in the Glens and on the mountains) and although it can be chilly in the winter we don’t get frost very often. However like most in things in life there are no guarantees – it is always better to be prepared and we suggest you dress in layers (all seasons) and having a waterproof coat to hand is always recommended.  For a 5 Day Weather Forecast click here.......

Back to top of page

Wish Ewe
Were Here!




Wish ewe were
here too!
 

What about the midges?

Hmm, good question. Sneaky little blighters – tiny little black insects that are attracted to the carbon monoxide exhaled in the human breath! Fionnphort is on the coast and therefore less likely to attract the midges as we have few trees and generally the coastal breeze keeps them under control. Midges are usually around from May through to September and like warm, damp habitats especially where there are trees and lots of undergrowth ad vegetation. For some unexplained reason they are attracted to some folk more than others and those they fancy a nibble at can react in different ways. Some folk don’t react; others like me can react up to 24-36 hours later with a series of red bumps that can be extremely itchy.

What can you do about them? There are a number of insect repellents on the market and several local stores will have ‘Midgey’ repellent on sale. The latest invention is the ‘midgey magnet’ – a machine that imitates the human breath by producing carbon monoxide to which the midges are attracted. They are then caught in a bag in the machine and once full, placed in a freezer where they die!

For me, when midges are about (you will know this either from the weather conditions or once you get bitten) it is best to avoid places with trees and undergrowth, wear long sleeves and trousers, use your insect repellent and cross your fingers! If you do get bitten I find that the essential oil of Lavender is very effective as an anti-inflammatory and reduces the urge to itch!!

Back to top of page

Baaad Hair Day







Hand Wash Only!

Highland Sunset

Nag nag nag

Thank ewe for doggy sitting

Just ewe and
me kid




Snow joke its freezing

Robin McCallum: Tel: (01681) 700206

Alistair MacDougall: Tel: (01681) 700294 (day) or (01681) 700271 (night)

Back to top of page

No puffin



See ewe in
my dreams

Craignure: (01680) 812 322
Bunessan:  (01681) 700 222
Oban:  (01631) 562 213

FIRE:  Dial '999'

COASTGUARD: Dial '999' or (01475) 729988

LIFEBOAT:  Tobermory (01688) 302143 or 0774 256272

Back to top of page

Stuck in a rut




Winter Woollies
 

Joys of Spring




Luv Ewe


 

Back to top of the page
 

Was that ewe?

Last updated: 20/04/2008
© 2000 - 2007