Edinburgh and then over to Mull advice please

[bluesky]

We're spending a weekend in Edinburgh at the end of July and then driving over to Mull for a few nights, then onto Glasgow to see family and then home.

Should we book our ferry over to Mull? Or are they quite frequent? It will be main school holidays. Or I did think shall we leave the car on the mainland and go across as foot passengers as I don't suppose we will need the car on the island?

You'll need a car on the island. To get to Iona you need to take a passenger ferry from the other side of the island.
Also Tobermory is a drive in the other direction.
The Ferry from Oban docks at a tiny town, i don't think you'd want to be stuck there.
I think I booked ferry tickets in advance.
It's worth finding out if you are in Edinburgh around the time of the festival and booking some tickets for something.

The ferry company is Caledonian Macbrayne Plenty of info on here to look at. Very Love Oban, love Mull, just love the Highlands fullstop really!

we didn't need a car when we were on mull last summer. you can book it in oban, boat over and bus to either tobermory or train to iona - they are in opposite directions so can't do both in one day without car - depends on what you need/want to do

ok, will follow maureen's link and book to be on the safe side. We are staying in Calgary, and have been told we have to visit Iona by our friends! And will need to visit Tobermory.

Think we're just missing the festival dates wise.

Lots of useful information on the HolidayMull website

Loads of midgies on Mull In summer, get some Avon skin so soft moisturiser, the green one, works wonders.

It is expensive to take the car over £51 for the car (5day return) plus £7.25 each.

Buses run to Fionnphort and tobermory from Craignure.

Craignure to Fionnphort

Craignure to Tobermory

All depends where you are going and what you want to do.

thanks for extra tips, I was going to ask about the midgies!

we camped on mull last year- was wonderful. Following advice on here we took avon so soft adn did not get any bites.

We had a car and took a wonderful drive round the island stopping off to explore etc but train sounds fun too.

There is another place where a ferry goes to Mull, but it involves a long drive, out by Strontian (which is quite a bit further up), however the Ferry goes from Lochaline to Fishnish and is only 30 minutes and costs less. We went this way once and the area was really wild in places - you got the impression you were the only people left in teh world, but it was lovely, the roads were pretty good with lots of passing places. Maybe a bit too out of the way though if going from Edinburgh.
more info here

Hi - I live around here .

Take your car - there is so much to do and see and the bus kinda limits it!

It will take around 2hrs 30mins from Edinburgh to Oban.

From Edinburgh you will only really be an extra 30-40 minutes (maybe an hour midsummer) to get to Lochaline-Fishnish ferry, and it is a beautiful drive through Glencoe. Is only 15minutes crossing to Fishnish and is way cheaper.

Definitely book the Oban-Craignure ferry if you are crossing that way. The website above has timetables and you can book online.

I'll also recommend Iona

thankyou!!!

btlt, I did want to drive through Glencoe, to show the boys BIG mountains! Just tried to book a hotel there, but its fully booked (Isle of Glencoe hotel). Anyone know an alternative for one night in the Glencoe area?

Good to hear you didn't get any bited BBBee. I think i read somewhere that if you take vitamin B a week or so before you go (and whilst you are there) that put them off too, has anyone heard that one?!

Not in Edinburgh during the festival unfortunately but still lots to do (if you're a millionaire!!) Not a good time to be coming to Edinburgh (sorry, tourist board!) its always a beautiful city but there's to be a tram metwork in place by 2010 and we're all living through the roadworks, road closures, parking suspensions, noise, dust etc etc meantime!!

we were camping too but still no bites - and the campsite had a stream in it! I think we were quite lucky with the weather as it was windy and that is supposed to stop them flying around so much. We burnt those spiral things in the tent and the avon so soft was all over us - sounds silly but really is the thing - a friend lives there and she uses it.

Oh go to the chocolate shop and have fish and chips from the van - a delight!

What about Kinlocleven or Ballachulish. You would be able to drive through Glencoe to get to them

The A82 is the road through Glencoe, so you woud still be able to see the mountains, but not stay there.

here

I wanna go!!! That's where I stay! Kinlochleven. I miss it. I'm not going this year!

I don't like Kinlochleven as much as Ballachulish. We stayed here a few years, near Onich. it was really handy for Glencoe, Fort William etc

This is a beautiful site on the lochside between Glen Coe and Kinlochleven. Comes with excellent recommendation from me, for peace, quite and fab views of the moutains! Very, very low flying jets just when you least expect it too! Tis fab.

There's lots of B&B's along the Fort William Road, if you don't fancy a caravan for the night.

just tried a Ballachulish hotel, but thats booked too!

thanks for other recommendations but as they're cottages I can't stay for just one night.

love the jets bit maureenmlove, I remember when we were in the Lakes, and we were actually higher than the jet as it whizzed across Lake Ullswater, the boys still remember it.

Just like that! My godson fell clean off his chair last year, when they creeped up on us!

oh - i'm jealous!

bridge of orchy hotel "bridge of orchy"

if you go to iona - you should go to the 'bay at the back of the ocean' fab beach!

and calgary bay is a great wee beach too - watch out for all the snails on the grass as you walk to the beach.

that hotel looks good, I will email them for availability

... bay at the back of the ocean ..... it sounds like a different world up there! Can't wait.

I'm looking right at it