Scotland/Isle of Mull - any recommendations?

powysjune · May 3, 2016

We are taking a couple of French friends up to the west coast of Scotland for 4 or 5 nights at the end of May/early June and thought with the limited time available we'd only be able to do one island, probably Mull. Anyone know if the Fidden Farm campsite on the tip by Iona is very windy? Any other suggestions for good places to stay or visit (and a Plan B if the weather is awful)? We'll just miss the Cali meet at Fort William on the bank holiday weekend 28th/29th May but looks like that might be a good place to stay if the weather is bad, with a restaurant on site and a town nearby. We don't know Scotland well so any advice will be gratefully received! Many thanks, June.

Stuart · May 3, 2016

If you like wild camping, Calgary bay on Mull is really nice

tuono001 · May 4, 2016

We stayed at Fidden Farm last year. Great spot for scenery and we managed to get pitched within yards of the beach. Make sure you have all the food you need as there's no nearby shops, also no hookup that I noticed.
There's plenty of space, as you can see. This is us packing up to leave(not the best weather that day), next stop Tobermory.
There's only a small site just outside of the Tobermory(that we found) and can get full quickly. It's a steep walk in and out of town from here, basic but fine for a one stop.
Enjoy your trip.

Ewan · May 4, 2016

Mull would be a good place for 4-5 days. Take the ferry from Oban to Craignure then another ferry from Tobermory to Kilchoan on Ardnamurchan. That would then give you a nice loop to see Mull, Ardnamurchan (lighthouse on the most westerly point of mainland UK, Sanna Bay) and north to Arisaig (white sand beaches) before returning to Ft William and home.

Fidden Farm is a great, basic site. It's right on the beach so could be windy depending on the wind direction. But who knows? I suggest you just go and play it by ear. As well as Calgary Bay wild camping there's also the site at Craignure where the ferry docks. See my blog for my recommended campsites.

Scotland in May could be cold and wet or bathed in glorious sunshine. Having an adaptable plan is the key.

Ewan · May 6, 2016

Here are a couple of photos with the sun out. The first is Fidden Farm campsite and the second is a beach on Iona.

powysjune · May 13, 2016

Many thanks for all the advice and photos, very helpful. I've read about an award winning (expensive) restaurant called Ninth Wave near the Fidden Farm site - has anyone eaten there?

barry · May 14, 2016

powysjune said:
Many thanks for all the advice and photos, very helpful. I've read about an award winning (expensive) restaurant called Ninth Wave near the Fidden Farm site - has anyone eaten there?

Absolutely top rate food.
Definitely worth a trip.
Booking essential.

A man and wife set up.
Wife drives the cooking.
Man is a fisherman, gardener and drives front of house in a kilt.
(9th Wave is a fisherman's term)

About an hour's walk from the best locations on Fidden Farm.
Totally pitch black walk back the night we were there - no moon.
Probably made more difficult after the range of malts with the cheese.
(Avoid this port nonsense to set up the cheese)

The place is about a 1/4mile up a side road / cart track and looks quite unimpressive from the approach.
But it's good!

Canary Bird · Mar 22, 2017

Showers, Toilets, Reservations & Safety
~ I have found Fidden Farm on the internet, but on one site it seems to indicate that it has showers & toilets and another that it does NOT. Does it have toilets & showers?
~ Would you get reservations for this site in July?
~ Did you leave your Cali on the site for the day while in Iona? ... if yes, did you feel it was safe?

Thanks for any information or help!!

barry · Mar 22, 2017

There's no hookups on the site but the showers and toilets are very good.

Parking on the fringe of the beach at the best spot is a 10 min walk from the facilities.
Can also park up a couple of minutes away from them.
We left our van on the farm, cycled to the ferry and went across on the ferry to Iona.
Everything seemed safe enough to me.
We came back in the dark.

The farm sells frozen meat for the freezer at home.
I don't recall it selling anything else useful for the van.

The site is enormous.
I don't think reservations are needed even in peak season although it was low season when we were there.
But the site is huge.

All this reminds me we should go back.
Have a good trip ...

powysjune · Mar 22, 2017

Barry is right, it's an amazing site (when the weather is good) and there are no fixed pitches so you just turn up and find a place to park. The toilets and showers in the main block by the house are fine and there was another toilet nearer to where we parked by the beach. It's a good site to choose if you are not bothered about hook ups or a lot of facilities and felt very safe to me.

Canary Bird · Mar 23, 2017

Barry & Powysjune, THANK YOU for your help! I assumed it was fine to leave a Cali, but wanted to double check ... and confirm a shower & toilet for the missus. Unfortunately in the Canaries, it is not a good idea to necessarily leave a Cali at a campsite for the day, if it doesn't have a gate & guard. We have a small hidden safe for documents, but not big enough to throw much into. Thanks again!

MattBW · Mar 23, 2017

I went Scuba diving in the Sound of Mull many years ago, I remember the area being stunning and I would love to go back in my cali. Very very tempting indeed! Those pics are inspiring stuff!

Ewan · Mar 23, 2017

Canary Bird said:
Unfortunately in the Canaries, it is not a good idea to necessarily leave a Cali at a campsite for the day, if it doesn't have a gate & guard.

Camping is perfectly safe in Scotland so you shouldn't have any security worries (in fact, I bet most of the locals in Mull don't lock their front doors).

No need to reserve a pitch at Fidden Farm either - as Barry says, the site is large and I think we were the only ones there one weekend in May.

They do have some territorial farm dogs though, one of which bit my daughter unfortunately.

Canary Bird · Mar 25, 2017

Scotland sounds like the smaller Western Islands in the Canaries ... no need to lock doors, but carry a walking stick ... not for the hills, but for the dogs!

Velma's Dad · Mar 26, 2017

Canary Bird said:
Scotland sounds like the smaller Western Islands in the Canaries ... no need to lock doors, but carry a walking stick ... not for the hills, but for the dogs!

Not as bad as the Transylvanian mountains. Essential to carry a big stick there - and the sheepdogs all have half an ear hacked off, to make them more aggressive apparently.