❋Where to Stay
Where you base yourself shapes the whole trip. Tob — Tobermory — puts you near restaurants, the distillery, and wildlife tour pickup points. Craignure is five minutes from the Oban ferry. The south and west offer solitude and some of the finest scenery on the island.
Accommodation on Mull is limited — particularly in July and August. The best properties book out months in advance. If you're travelling between May and September, don't leave this late.
First time on Mull? Stay here.
If it's your first trip, stay in Tobermory. It just makes everything easier — you can walk to dinner, walk to the distillery, walk to the harbour. Most first-time visitors should base themselves here. You can always explore the rest of the island from there, and come back knowing exactly where you'd stay differently next time.
The Mishnish is the obvious first-timer choice — central, lively, everything on your doorstep.
Isle of Mull Cottages The best-curated self-catering selection on the island — harbour apartments to remote cottages with open fires and loch views.
Some Highlights
Glengorm Castle ★ Most distinctive A mid-1800s castle near Tobermory. Five bedrooms, sea views to the Outer Hebrides, complimentary whiskies, glowing fires. Self-catering cottages on the estate also available.
Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa(Booking.com affiliate link) 75 sea-view rooms at Craignure. AA Rosette restaurant, beach access, EV charging. Full hotel comfort, minutes from the Oban ferry.
Western Isles Hotel(Booking.com affiliate link) Tobermory's landmark above the harbour. Views and character that rival places charging twice the price. Dog-friendly.
Benmore Estate Private lodge for up to eight guests. Salmon fishing, bespoke catering. For a group who want Mull entirely to themselves.
Hostels
Tobermory Youth Hostel — Tobermory — Clean, central, budget. The right choice for a bed in Tobermory without hotel prices. Book ahead in summer.hostellingscotland.org.uk →
Dervaig Bunkhouse — Dervaig — Bright, spacious accommodation for up to 15 people in the village hall bunkhouse. Moorland setting with views to Loch Pottie. Good for groups. Book via Visit Mull & Iona.from a wood-fired pizza trailer and a wood-fired wild sauna. Otters, eagles, deer, and porpoise regularly spotted from the pitches. Open 1 April — 31 October.
Wild Camping on Mull
Wild camping is legal in Scotland under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, provided you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Mull — unlike Loch Lomond — has no camping management zones or permit requirements. Wild camping is defined as lightweight camping by small numbers of people staying no more than two or three nights in any one place.In practice this means you can pitch a tent on Mull's hills, moorland, woodland, and shoreline — including above Calgary Bay, on the slopes of Ben More, and along the remote south coast — as long as you follow these rules:
Keep your group small. Camp well away from buildings, roads, and enclosed farmland. Stay no more than two or three nights in one spot then move on. Leave no trace — take all litter, remove all trace of your pitch, and leave the ground as you found it.
Fires: check the current wildfire danger level before lighting anything. Mull has a lot of peat ground — fires on peaty soil can burn underground long after you think they're out. If in any doubt, use a camping stove.
Do not camp on: enclosed farmland, cultivated fields, land around houses, or anywhere with livestock actively grazing.
Best wild camping spots on Mull: Ben More and the hills above Loch na Keal. The Treshnish coast. The Burg peninsula. Calgary Bay dunes at the north end. The Carsaig coast in the south.
Midges: May to September, midges are a fact of life — particularly near woodland and water. A midge net, Smidge repellent, and a tent with a good inner are non-negotiable. Choose exposed sites over sheltered ones in midge season.
Camping, Glamping & Hostels
Mull is an excellent island for camping. The scenery from a tent is extraordinary, the sites are well run, and Scotland's land access laws are genuinely on your side if you want to go further afield.
Pennygown Holiday Park — Aros, near Salen ★ loveMULL recommended — The best campsite on the island. Centrally located alongside the River Forsa with views across the Sound of Mull. Hard standing pitches with electric hookup, all-weather tent pitches, modern facilities, BBQ fire pits, Wi-Fi, and glamping pods sleeping up to four. Sea eagles, otters, and red deer are regular visitors. Dog friendly. Campfires allowed. Open 25 March — 24 October. From £18/night. You'll know you've nearly arrived when you spot the pink Highland cow by the roadside.
Tobermory Campsite — Tobermory — Just above the town, a short walk from the harbour, distillery, and restaurants. Tent pitches, hard-standing motorhome pitches with electric hookup, shepherd's huts, and static caravans. Hot showers, Wi-Fi, launderette nearby. Open January to November — one of the few sites open almost year-round on Mull.
Salen Bay Campsite — Salen — Elevated site with 360-degree views of the Sound of Mull and the surrounding mountains. Kayak and paddleboard hire on site. Modern facilities, coin-operated washer/dryer, multiple charging points. Regular visits from a wood-fired pizza trailer and a wood-fired wild sauna. Otters, eagles, deer, and porpoise regularly spotted from the pitches. Open 1 April — 31 October.
Port nan Gael Campsite — Loch Scridain, south Mull — On the shore of Loch Scridain with stunning views over Ben More mountain. West-facing for exceptional sunsets. 50 pitches, modern facilities, contactless check-in, pub and restaurant on site, grocery store next door. Dog friendly. Tents and tourers welcome. Halfway between Craignure and Fionnphort — good base for Iona and Staffa trips. Open April to September.
Shieling Holidays — Craignure — Five minutes from the ferry terminal. Hardstanding pitches with electric hookup, ready-made equipped tents, campfire-friendly pitches. Ideal for a first night on the island straight off the ferry.
Crannich Touring Campsite — near Loch Frisa — A small working farm in the island's interior with Highland horses, sheep, and cows. Good base for eagle watching — the area is known for sightings. Quieter and more remote than the coastal sites.
crannichholidaycaravans.co.uk →
Fidden Farm — near Fionnphort — Basic camping on a working farm at the southern tip of Mull, right on the coast near Fidden Beach. Simple facilities, extraordinary setting, views to Iona and the Garvellachs. Perfect for those heading to Iona the next morning.