I didn’t want to make my visit to the Isle of Mull a day trip — there was too much I wanted to see. Or, at least, I wanted more time to relax in nature. I had hoped to find a hotel in Tobermory, from where I got my Nature Scotland tour, but there was nothing available for my time there. The only option I found that was accessible between Tobermory and Craignure (where I could catch the ferry back to Oban) was the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa.
It’s a bit more than I had budgeted for a night on this trip through Scotland, but I figured I could splurge for an evening — it was the nicest hotel on my trip. It was disappointing that for the price, breakfast was not included. Fortunately, I was prepared with some food from Tesco in Oban. The room did include coffee and some snacks, including a bag of Penn State (really?) pretzels that are made in the UK.
Few hotel guests seem to take the bus as I did, but the bus stop is across the street from the long parking lot. After a long day, the added walk isn’t fun. Once I entered the hotel to check in, I realized just how long the hotel is. My room (obviously one of the cheapest they offer) was another 15-minute walk down the corridor and up and down some stairs — there was no direct route to the room.
The room was nice — windows looking out at plenty of nature. It was more than enough for a single traveler. The shower, however, was a problem. There were multiple knobs, and none of them seemed to turn on the hot water or provide much pressure. After 20 minutes of fiddling, I gave up and walked back to reception to request help. Instead of bothering with the shower, they gave me another room that was farther along the corridor with a shower that had fewer knobs that actually worked. I was tired and no longer cared as long as I could get a shower.
It was then time to go back and enjoy the hotel pool. Except the the pool was already closed for the day (it was about 7 pm). I was told that the pool didn’t open until 9 am the next day (checkout is 11 am). This meant that I had to delay my bus ride to Tobermory the next morning so that I could get my money’s worth of the hotel.
As I had already eaten some fried fish after the tour, I ordered soup and whisky to enjoy the view on the balcony overlooking Craignure Bay. The warmth of the soup and whisky (plus sitting with a refreshing view) revived my spirit and energy, so I headed out for a quick walk around the property to take in the late sunset.
The trails around the hotel are beautiful on a clear day like I had. I didn’t have any idea where the paths led, but I kept in mind where I was and how far I had walked as the sun began to set. I saw no one else on my walk — it added to the peaceful, beautiful views I enjoyed all day on the Isle of Mull. The long day, fresh air, and couple drams of whisky made it easier to sleep.
I got up early the next morning — it was a quiet night in the room. After breakfast in my room, I headed for another walk around the grounds to take in the views and admire the plants. If nothing else, the well-maintained grounds are worth the price of staying at the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa. Unlike the previous evening, I noticed a few other guests wandering about, with more inside enjoying breakfast with the view. Of course, if it had been more typical Scottish weather, wandering around the hotel property while waiting for the pool to open would not have been as pleasant.
After my walk, I still had time before checkout to enjoy the pool for a couple hours — it still felt odd that it opened so late in the morning (it’s not like they had lifeguards on duty). As with everything in the hotel, it required a long walk back to my room to change and another long walk to the pool, and it would be another long walk back to my room to shower and change before the long walk to reception to check out.
Swimming a few laps in the pool helped stretch out my muscles that needed some work after all the sitting in the flight, train, ferry, van over the previous days. To add to the relaxation of the pool, the hotel had a couple of sauna rooms (large enough for a few people). It was a brisk morning, so the warmth of the sauna felt even better.
With my body relaxed from the pool and sauna, I was ready to grab my backpack at the other end of the hotel, check out, and wait for the bus to Tobermory for a hike. Despite the initial problems at Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, I had an enjoyable stay. And it would’ve been better with a private car instead of the bus (or maybe with a better bus driver).
