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Scotland is magical, no doubt about it. I've been lucky enough to visit Glasgow and Edinburgh but it was time to see some of the mesmerising landscapes it has to offer as well and of course, one or two distilleries while we're there.
The Isle of Mull
Just off the West coast of Mainland Scotland, you can find the Isle of Mull. It's the fourth-largest island in Great Britain, with a population of about 3000 and around 300 miles of coastline. Apart from its picturesque beaches, this beautiful island is also home to Tobermory Distillery.
Ferry from Obam to the Isle of Mull
From Oban, we took a ferry (Caledonian MacBryene/CalMac) to Craignure. The ferry ride is around 45 minutes, during which you can enjoy the great views from the ferry's upper levels, either outside feeling the breeze or inside while enjoying some drinks or snacks.
I would highly recommend you book the tickets in advance, as going by ferry is the only way to get there.
Since the idea was to visit Tobermory Distillery as well, we decided to go to Mull with the car as well. If driving isn't an option for you, there seem to be 2 buses (495 and 95) going from Craignure Ferry Terminal to Tobermory, a few times a day. Unfortunately, I can't provide any feedback when it comes to the buses, so please make sure to check with their official websites before planning your visit.
After arriving in Craignure, we went straight to Tobermory since we had a Distillery tour booked quite early in the day. Driving there is a bit of an adventure as most of the time the road is big enough for one car. There are spaces where you can pull over so you can let the cars coming from the opposite direction pass.
Tobermory Distillery
If you plan on taking part in a Distillery Tour, make sure you book in advance. You cannot book distillery tours on the spot, so please try and plan in advance to avoid disappointment. You can still visit the Distillery Shop, even if you're not taking part in the tour,
We arrived there early in the day, but even so, finding a parking spot took a while. I would suggest going there as early as possible.
Tobermory Distillery Tour
Tobermory Distillery produces Ledaig and Tobermory Whisky. Ledaig Whisky is heavily peated while Tobermory is unpeated.
Ledaig, pronounced 'Letch-ick', is the old name of the distillery which dates back to 1798. Throughout the years, the distillery has gone through quite a few cycles of opening and closing down. For a brief time, some of the buildings were turned into holiday lets and some were cheese stores, but it all went back to being all about whisky in 1993.
The tour itself was great and had just the right amount of detail about the whisky-making process. It ended with a little whisky-tasting session, just so you can see exactly what it's all about.
If you're driving, don't worry, you won't miss out on the tasting session, as you can take the samples home with you in the cute little bottles provided.
Lunch in Tobermory
We had our fun, I sampled some whisky (probably why I don't drive), and now it was time for lunch. There are quite a few options, and we ended up going to the Gallery Restaurant which happens to be in a converted church. Good food, good drinks, very fresh fish so couldn't have asked for more.
Calgary Beach
As we went there towards the end of August, the water was quite cold, although, considering it is Scotland we're talking about, I doubt it gets very hot. We walked around the beach, barefoot, enjoying the scenery and listening to the waves. We were there in the middle of the day and there were only a few people around, so it was all quite serene.
Boat Wrecks
As we were making our way back to Craignure Ferry Terminal, we went on a different route to the initial one. We went past two boat wrecks which just seemed to fit in the whole landscape.
Not entirely sure if you can stop and have a closer look, but even from afar, they still looked amazing.
Ferry Back to Oban
We got back to the Ferry Terminal realizing we did not have enough time to visit Duart Castle, which looked quite impressive from afar, therefore it will be on the list for next time, we did however see a couple of faded rainbows.
The views from the Ferry were even more impressive as we left around sunset.
Overall, a day trip to Mull and Tobermory Distillery was highly worth it, so if you happen to be in Oban, or anywhere near there, I highly recommend you set aside a day (at least) just for this.
Have you ever been to Mull or Tobermory? If so, please let me know how it went, in the comments below.
I hope life is treating you well.
Take care.