Travel Information Page

Getting to Seaview & the Isle of Mull
(for lots more information see the FAQs page)

For some folk, travelling to their destination is part of the holiday and they love the challenge and the excitement of getting there; for others the travelling part is a real pain in the backside and all they want is to be there as quickly as possible. Well until 'time travel' becomes a reality then there is always going to be an element of travel involved reaching us; however the good news is Mull is so accessible and easy to get to it's as simple as ABC. Your options are endless - flying, car, motorcycle, ferry, bus, cycling, and even Shanks's pony. The most original way for guests to arrive at Seaview so far has been to fly by micro-light plane from Glasgow to Mull, land on the air field at Glen Forsa and then hire a car to drive down to us. So, where there is a will, there is definitely a way!

Travelling by plane - there are four major airports in Scotland accepting international flights from around the world as well as from Europe and from many destinations around the UK.  Flying is a lot 'greener' today than it was a decade ago and as a Gold Green tourism business we accept and understand that many of our guests are from abroad and have little alternative but to fly into the UK from their home countries. Time is very much of the essence for you and with enormous distances to cover, flying is the obvious option. Further information from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) about how they are tackling their impact on the environment can be found on their website. 

Go Green and travel by Train - for information on travelling by train to the Isle of Mull and also discounted travel offers on this page.

By Car - For planning your route from around the UK use the AA Route Planner. For up to date travel information for the motorway and road network in England & Wales click here and once you have arrived in Scotland information about travel on the roads and motorways click here.

By Ferry - the Calmac Ferry Website has different sailing routes to and from the Isle of Mull and other Hebridean islands. Also check out the different tickets from Island Rovers to Hopscotch tickets - some are much more cost effective than purchasing individual route tickets. Calmac has an APP which can be downloaded from iTunes for those of you travelling with smart phones and tablets. This will contain vital information for ferry services if the weather forecast is bad as it will contain service status information in case of disruption.

BY CAR

From south of Glasgow    

On approaching Glasgow, you have two options:    
 

1. Option 1: To continue on the M74 (new part of the motorway now open) and join the M8 on the other side of Glasgow heading for Glasgow Airport and the Erskine Bridge. Leave the M8 at junction 30, and cross the Erskine Bridge keeping to the left hand lane.  Travel north on the A82, past Dumbarton (Filling Station available here if low on fuel) and Loch Lomond. 
   
   At Tarbet, turn right (scenic route round Loch Lomond) and continue on the A82 until you reach Crianlarich when you then turn left for Tyndrum. At Tyndrum you have village facilities which makes this a natural pit-stop and we are happy to recommend the award winning The Real Food Cafe for local and sustainably sourced great tasting fish & chips and other foods. On the other side of the road is The Green Welly Stop for petrol, gifts, souvenirs and hot snacks.
   
   Once you have re-fuelled yourself and the car you then have two more options:
   
   (a)  Fork left on the A85 to Oban (the most common choice to meet the largest ferry from Oban to Craignure), or
   
   (b)  fork right, staying on the A82. If you are travelling with dogs and didn't want to stop in Tyndrum, a really good place to stop to walk the dogs, stretch your legs and have a lovely bite to eat is at The Bridge of Orchy Hotel about 6.7 miles on from Tyndrum on the A82. The Hotel has a public bar which welcomes walkers in from the West Highland Way which runs past its front door and features a fabulous wood burner in the corner of the pub. Keep on the A82 and travel north over Rannoch Moor and through Glen Coe (fantastic views and scenery) to catch the Corran Ferry (5 minute crossing every 30 minutes @ £7.00 per car including driver and all passengers - you just pay the one price) to Ardgour.  Turn left off the ferry onto the A861 and drive towards Strontian (about 12 miles), turning left at the end of Loch Sunart on the A884, signposted Lochaline and Mull Ferry.  Caution - don't turn left too early onto the B8043 ; this is a pretty route but takes much longer.  At Lochaline, take the ferry to Mull.  The ferry crossing takes 15 minutes, you don't need to book and is considerably cheaper than the Oban to Craignure crossing. If you are visiting several islands ask Calmac for the one of the Island Rover or Hopscotch tickets - these are more cost efficient.
   
   Route (a) above to Oban is a shorter distance, and is about three quarter of an hours' less driving than route (b).  However, the ferry cost is far more from Oban than from Corran/Lochaline and the ferry crossing time is longer too.  We also recommend you book the ferry from Oban to Craignure in advance, particularly on Saturdays and holiday times. You need to arrive at the Oban ferry terminal no later than 30 minutes before departure times.  Oban can get busy and the ferry is at the other side of the town, so delays can occur. 
    
2. Option 2: To continue on the M74 (new part of the motorway now open) and join the M8 on the other side of Glasgow heading for Glasgow Airport and the Erskine Bridge. Leave the M8 at junction 30, and cross the Erskine Bridge keeping to the left hand lane.  Travel north on the A82, past Dumbarton (Filling Station available here if low on fuel) and Loch Lomond.  
   
   At Tarbet, go straight on (very scenic route via Inveraray) following the A83 around the top of Loch Long, through Glen Croe to the top of Rest and Be Thankful, through Glen Kinglas and round the top of the famous Loch Fynne. Love seafood and fresh fish? Then stop at The Loch Fynne Oyster Bar for a real treat and then continue onto Inveraray. This is a nice place to stop to stretch your legs and have a cup of tea. Inveraray Castle is where Downton Abbey was filmed for the 2012 Christmas special and is open to the public.
   
   At Inveraray, turn right under the stone arch and follow the A819 signposted to Oban. This road is approximately 15 miles long and brings you out at a 'T' junction on the A85, turn left and continue onto Oban. This is a very scenic route with lots of stunning views around Loch Awe - with regard to mileage it is approximately 4 miles longer than Option 1a and can sometimes be quicker because there tends to be less traffic on the road.
    

From the North 

Most people visiting from the north would probably make their way from Inverness to Fort William.  In which case they would most certainly head south, out of Fort William, on the A82 to Corran, and take the ferry to Ardgour.  Turn left off the ferry, and follow the rest of route (b) above.  

One more very scenic route is available to those travelling from the Isle of Skye via Mallaig.  Leave Mallaig on the A830 to Lochailort and turn right onto the A861.  Proceed through Glenuig (nice little pub there), Kinlochmoidart  and Acharacle to Salen.  Turn right to Kilchoan going through Glenborodale.  Catch the ferry at Kilchoan to Tobermory.  The route is very slow and up and down, but very picturesque.  You don't need to book the ferry, but watch out at peak times. 

Arnold Clark: Tel: +44(0)845 60 745 00  Web Address: www.arnoldclarkrental.co.uk

Avis: Tel: +44(0)870 60 60 100 Web Address: www.avis.co.uk

Budget: Tel: +44(0)8701 539 170 Web Address: www.budget.co.uk

EasyCar: Tel: +44(0)8710 500 444 Web Address: www.easyCar.com

From the Ferry to Fionnphort

On your arrival on Mull, by car, turn left off the ferry and travel along the A849 (all single track road) for 37 miles, through Bunessan to Fionnphort.  If you need some guidance on how to drive on single track roads, click through to our FAQ page. Seaview is situated in the heart of the village on the left, between The Keel Row pub and restaurant and before The Ferry Shop village shop.  You can't miss us - if you do, then the next stop is the Atlantic Ocean! You can park on the private off-road car park at the front of Seaview.  Welcome - you have arrived. The ferry to Iona is a minutes walk from Seaview.

Check-in time at Seaview: Check-in time for your rooms is usually 4 p.m. onwards so if you are arriving in Fionnphort early, our guests very often spend time on Iona before coming back to Seaview. By all means pop in and see us, let us know you have arrived and have left your vehicle on the front. If you have luggage you would like to leave with us, you can always leave it in the sitting room until your room is ready.

Click through to book and see the current Calmac ferry timetables or return to the homepage and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will find links through to a number of travel websites.
 

Updated: 03/02/2013
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