Other Activities on Mull, Iona and Ulva
Glenforsa House and Lodge are so comfortable and have such lovely views that spending time just relaxing will be very tempting. However, if you want other things to do why not consider the following:
Exploring
- Beaches
Mull and Iona are blessed with a wide variety of sandy beaches. The sand can vary from pristine white shell to black volcanic. There is a good list here. - Islands
There are a number of other islands lying off Mull which are straightforward to visit.
A Calmac ferry will take you from Fionnphort on the Ross of Mull to the very beautiful and historic Isle of Iona. You can get more details here.
To get to the Island of Ulva you 'summon' the small passenger-only ferry from Ulva Ferry on the west coast of Mull. Ulva is a privately owned and, now, scarcely populated island which offers very good walking and is also home to the award winning Boathouse Restaurant. You can find out more here and here.
The Treshnish Isles are a Special Protection Area due to their importance for breeding seabirds and they also comprise a marine Special Area of Conservation. They are best known for the views they offer of seabirds (especially Puffins) and Seals. Staffa is famous for Fingal's Cave and and being the 'end' of the Giant's Causeway. You can visit both Staffa and the Treshnish Isles in one trip. For details click here.
Wildlife
- Birds
Mull is sometimes, with justification, called the Eagle Island as it is home to both Golden Eagles and White Tailed Eagles. The RSPB organises ranger-led visits to a hide: you can find details here.
There are many other interesting birds to be discovered including the secretive Corncrakes on Iona. To get an idea of the diversity which Mull supports you can click here. - Land Animals
Whether it is Otters or Red and Fallow Deer Mull provides a home for them all. To increase your chances of seeing them you could take a trip with one of the wildlife safari operators. You'll find a list here.
- Sea Safaris
The seas around Mull are home to a great variety of wildlife. A boat trip can be an excellent way to see porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks and also whales. A number of operators provide a variety of sea trips. You'll find a list here.
Food and Drink
- Eating Out
Mull is blessed with wonderful produce both from the land itself and the seas which surround it. There are many excellent eating places for all price ranges but the following are some of those that have won awards.
The Boathouse on Ulva serves top quality local produce. To find out more click here.
Cafe Fish in Tobermory has earned many plaudits and is well worth a visit. There is more information here.
The Ninth Wave restaurant is based on the Ross of Mull and serves very high quality food - in fact it is so good that a book of their recipes has recently been published. Find out more here. - Shopping
The nearest shop to Glenforsa House and Lodge is the Spar in Salen, which is just over 1.5 miles away on the road to Tobermory. You'll find their Facebook page here.
The largest food shop in the island is the Co-op in picturesque Tobermory, about 11.5 miles away. You'll find more details about Tobermory here.
There is also a newly extended shop (and Post Office) in Dervaig which is about 13.5 miles away. To see more click here.
- Whisky
The Tobermory Distillery is based in the harbour area, called Ledaig. It currently produces three different whiskies. You can found out more here. - Other Foods
Sgriob-ruadh Farm is home to the internationally recognised Isle of Mull Cheese. You can learn more here.
Also based just outside Tobermory is the Island Bakery whose scrumptious biscuits are stocked by many leading retailers. Their Facebook page is here.
Golf
- Tobermory Golf Club
Tobermory Golf Course is a 9 hole course set on the cliff tops above Tobermory Bay. It offers superb panoramic views which includes Ardnamurchan, Loch Sunart and, on a clear day, the Isle of Skye. Due to the hilly nature of the course, it provides a tough challenge to all golfers. Visitors can be sure of a friendly welcome and can play the course virtually anytime. (Competition days are usually a Sunday). Full details here. - Craignure Golf Club
Craignure Golf Club is situated on the shore of Scallastle Bay, a mile and a half north of the ferry port at Craignure, alongside the A849 to Tobermory. The course was originally laid out in 1895 and revived in 1980 after a period of disuse. The course further underwent a new layout change during the 2012 season from the previous 18 tee layout towards a simple 9 tee and 9 hole design. You can find out more here. - Iona Golf Course
People can be surprised that there is a golf course on Iona. Golfers may have to 'share' it with sheep and cows but it is in a very beautiful and dramatic location. You can find out more here.
Photography
- Wildlife
With its great diversity of habitats Mull is an ideal place to photograph a wide variety of species. Mull Charters provides the opportunity to get great action shots of White Tailed Eagles and has been rated by Tripadvisor as 2nd in the world for the wildlife experience they offer! Full details here. - Landscape
It is unsuprising that Mull offers great landscape photography opportunities but people can be surprised that these are available all year round. This is clearly demonstrated by Sam Jones in her photos, which can be seen here. - Night Sky
Large areas of Mull are free of all light pollution and so provide wonderful opportunities for photographing the night sky. You can see great examples of this here. - Photography Courses
Mull makes a great location for learning from the experts. You can get further information from here.
Arts & Crafts
- Comar
Comar is the 'umbrella body' which brings together Mull's professional theatre and arts centre.
There has been a professional theatre company based on Mull since the 1960's. Mull Theatre is at Druimfin, just outside Tobermory, and uses this as a performance area and also for rehearsing the productions, including touring plays.
An Tobar is the arts centre in Tobermory which hosts arts exhibitions as well as a variety of musical performances. It also has a popular cafe. You can find out about both Mull Theatre and An Tobar here. - Crafts
There is a variety of craft workers on Mull & Iona. You can find a list of some here.
