Oban and Mull, Scotland
Highlights
Oban
Mull
Glencoe
Getting there and around
In May 2024, after 2 nights in Glasgow we drove north to Oban. We stopped off along the way, first at Luss, then at Inveraray, and finally at Cruachan Dam.
This was our first time taking in the splendour of the Scottish countryside and it didn’t disappoint. The landscape reminded us of the Faroe Islands, which we adored, with lush green cloud covered hills, lakes, and waterfalls.
Luss, on the banks of Loch Lomand is an incredibly photogenic village just over 30 minutes drive from Glasgow. The village was busy with tour groups, so we grabbed some teas to go in our reusable cups and moved quickly away from the gift shop down to the Loch shore. The village was picturesque and the Loch was beautiful, with sailing boats and kayakers.
Our next stop, about 45 minutes north via the A82 and A83, was Inverary. We decided not to visit the castle and just made this a quick stop to stroll through the village centre.
As well as the charming harbour, we liked the water bottle filling station and the super fast EV chargers in Inverary!
Our Charge Place Scotland card, purchased for £10 and registered before we left home, worked well; automatically deducting the final amount for the energy we used from our bank account. This is a much simpler system than having to register with various apps for all the different charging infrastructure operators in England.
Our final stop was at Cruachan for the Drax hydroelectric power station. The visitor centre had an interesting exhibition all about the hydroelectric power station, only 1 of 4 in the UK.
We opted not to do the tour, but it sounded interesting. Guides take visitors down into the power station tunnels to see the huge turbines that generate energy as water is released from the reservoir above, and the stations that pump water back up to the reservoir to start the process again.
After Cruachan we made our way to Oban. The views along the whole of the journey from Glasgow to Oban were spectacular. This is just the type of scenery we love - wild, rugged, green hills framed by water with cute sailing boats and birds flying overhead.
The drive took just over 3.5 hours with stops in total, and as we managed to charge the car at Inveraray we arrived in Oban with an almost fully recharged battery.
It is possible to visit Oban and the surrounding area by public transport. There are train stations at Oban and Fort William, and buses and ferries serving the islands. However, we were grateful we had our own car as it gave us flexibility to go where we wanted at our own pace.
Accommodation
We stayed at the Premier Inn in Oban for 3 nights. We have stayed in many Premier Inn hotels and like them for the consistency of service and good value for money.
The Premier Inn at Oban is really well located right next to the railway station and ferry port, and a 2 minute walk from the town centre and harbour.
Our family room was well laid out, with an ensuite, chairs, comfortable beds, free WiFi and plenty of power sockets. At £180 per night including breakfast we felt this was excellent value for money. It has to be said that the service and breakfast at this particular Premier Inn was especially good.
Our star rating: 4
Our cost rating: 4
Oban
On arrival into Oban we parked our car at our hotel and walked the 5 minutes to the town centre and harbour. We ate a late lunch at Cuan Mor. The kids menu was excellent and the service was friendly.
Oban struck us as a charming seaside town, with some nice gift shops and cafes, as well as typical high street offerings such as a Waterstones and outdoor clothing shops. We had hoped to visit the community run Phoenix cinema but it was mysteriously closed without warning during our time in the town.
In the evening we had a table booked for dinner at Piazza, a smart Italian restaurant right on pier. We had a pretty view of the water with the setting sun. We liked that instead of a children’s menu, they simply offered half portions of most of the dishes on their main menu, giving the kids more choice and us the option of smaller portion sizes. It seemed like Piazza was the place to be in town given that it was packed and people without reservations were being turned away.
On our last night in Oban we ate at Gelato Burger, which lived up to its name really. It was our first time trying tater tots which were tasty but very filling. The cookie dough and ice cream sundaes were more than we could manage and we probably should have resisted but they sounded so enticing.
Mull
The next day we took the ferry from Oban to Mull. We’d read it was important to have at least one full day to do justice to the island. We probably over egged this by booking an 8.35am sailing and a 6.35pm return voyage which meant a very early start, a late bedtime, and a full day indeed.
The crossing from Oban to Mull was smooth and quick (just 45 minutes) with lovely views of Lismore island and lighthouse.
On arrival at Mull the island looked wild, with green rocky hillsides dotted with purple azalea, home to lots of sheep, and clouded in mist. The weather at this point was grey but dry.
We disembarked the ferry at Craignure and drove to our first stop - Kellan, at the edge of Loch Na Keal. Here we practised skimming stones, searched for shells and honed our photography skills. There were a number of bird watchers with huge zoom lenses hoping to catch glimpses of eagles.
Our next stop, just 15 minutes along the B8073 road, was Eas Fors waterfall. Eas Fors cascades down from the hillside, under the road bridge, and over the cliff to the loch. We saw a brave wild water swimmer take the plunge, and a couple of dogs rather unwillingly participating in a photoshoot on the rocks. The weather was starting to look decidedly iffy.
After the waterfalls we’d planned to visit Lip Na Cloiche Gardens, a small plant nursery. Unfortunately it was closed at the time of our visit, but would be nice for a quick stop on a weekend in summer.
Onwards, along the bumpy, extremely narrow and puddle-filled-potholed road. We were thankful for the generous sprinkling of passing places and the pleasant manners of other drivers who, like us, seemed happy to accommodate their fellow road users and wave their thanks when doing so.
It felt remote here, at times we went a while without seeing anyone. We stopped to patiently let some sheep and lambs cross the road. With no phone signal we relied on offline maps downloaded ahead of time. We pondered what it would be like to live here - would it feel isolated, or would there be support from a close knit community?
On to Calgary beach. By this time, it was absolutely chucking it down and the adults did not fancy getting out of the car. The kids had other ideas however, and made straight for Robins Boat, a cute little cabin selling sweets, ice creams and hot drinks. Being able to pay with contactless card reminded us we were not entirely in wilderness.
After eating our ice creams in the car, the rain lessened slightly so we took the opportunity to head down to the beach for a quick run around with waterproofs and an umbrella. It has to be said this is a wide, flat, white sand beach with turquoise water that would be gorgeous to visit for a summer holiday or on a dry day.
We had planned to stop next at Langamull and hike down to the beach there, but at this point, the worsening weather defeated us. We decided to push on to Tobermory and stopped just out of the town centre at Isle of Mull Cheese and Spirit farm shop and cafe. The glazed barn with its vine covered ceiling was very pretty.
Every other person on Mull appeared to be here too. We waited half an hour for a table for lunch, but it was worth it. The cheese toasties and cheese sharing boards were excellent; as were the chai lattes. While we were eating, the rain slowed, giving us false hope for a drier afternoon.
After lunch we drove down into Tobermory, and alas the weather turned again and it was once again pouring down. We sloshed around Tobermory as best we could, admiring the pastel painted buildings, looking in the gift shops and visiting the Mull Museum.
The museum was excellent given its small size and that it is entirely run by local volunteers. It gives visitors an interesting history of the island from prehistoric times to present day.
We still had some time until our return ferry, but we didn’t fancy visiting Aros park and waterfall, the weather was really appalling now and our waterproofs were seemingly no longer up to the job. We drove the half an hour back to the ferry terminal, where we found a conveniently placed EV charging point and waited to board the ferry.
Just as we departed, the sun started shining and we left Mull under a rainbow. Later, looking back at the photos from the day, the light on the island was amazing and while the weather put us off from hiking, the rain and clouds did make for dramatic and striking photographs.
Glencoe
We spent our final day in the area taking a road trip to Glencoe, in the Scottish Highlands. This was our first time in the Highlands and we were blown away. The weather played ball, the traffic was manageable, and the views were outstanding.
After about an hour’s drive from Oban we reached Glencoe Lochan. Here there were three walking trails (all 1 mile long) to choose from. The Lochan trail: a flat and gentle walk around a lake; the Woodland trail: a strenuous undulating walk; and the Mountain trail: a steep and tough trail up the slopes of Stac a’Chlamhain.
We opted for the Woodland trail and really enjoyed this walk which had enough variety to keep the kids happy and some pretty views of the lake.
After our walk we headed to the Glencoe Visitor Centre managed by the National Trust. The car park was very busy, as was the shop and cafe. We had a quick look at the information about the area before buying some takeaway teas in our reusable cups and heading on, away from the crowds.
We drove along the A82 to Glen Etive, famed for being a James Bond shooting location for Skyfall. Turning off the A82, the road to Glen Etive is a windy single track, but with plenty of passing points. We found somewhere safe to park up and take photos while the kids played at the river’s edge. This was a stunning road to drive and a gorgeous area to photograph.
Retracing our steps back towards Glencoe, we stopped first at the foot of Buachaille Etive Mòr mountain, again pausing to take photographs.
Next we stopped at ‘the meeting of three waters’, a couple of waterfalls flowing into the river next to the road. After viewing the falls from the road, the kids convinced us to tackle a tricky path to make our way down to the bottom of the waterfalls. They are more adventurous than us and often push us out of our comfort zone. Its great because it means we end up seeing things from different perspectives, which we are always grateful for.
After that, our final stop of the day was the ‘Three Sisters’. So named for the distinctive ridges on the Bidean Nam Bian Mountain, the Three Sisters was clearly a popular place to stop.
The car park was busy with people taking photos like us, or beginning or returning from the ‘hidden valley’ walk which starts from here. The view was once again spectacular, and much better seeing it in real life than on a postcard.
Final Thoughts
The town of Oban had enough going on to keep us interested and well fed. Mull was gorgeous; secluded; and peaceful. Glencoe was simply stunning. Everyone we interacted with, from the ferry crew, to the hotel staff, to car park attendants, were friendly and went out of their way to help us, with a smile. We loved our time in this beautiful part of the world.
