Craig Ben Lodge Reviews

Losing count as to how many times I have been here but no matter how many times I go it still does not disappoint. Sure in a house this size there are a few niggles (settees etc) but the overall experience is fantastic. Will be back!!

Had the most amazing stay at the lodge . Lodge has everything you could possibly need , loved cooking on the aga . Grandkids had so much space to run around and play . Views were spectacular from the upstairs sitting room , every morning there was something different to see . We have a couple of lovely swims in the lake , we found it easier to get in if u walked a little further along from the lodge . Small problem with the sky tv but was sorted out straightaway by the owners , Thank you for a fantastic stay xxx

We have just enjoyed a weeks stay in this wonderful house very comfortable and spacious the views from the windows are amazing we were very lucky with the weather enjoyed the garden and the lochside very well equipped kitchen and very comfortable sitting room with plenty of books and games for the children

Very comfortable, well equipped and attractive lodge. The well equipped games room and books were well used. Cosy kitchen with Aga cooker as well as electric cooker and induction hob. Lots of hot water and bathroom facilities. Excellent laundry room with super equipment and a pulley. WiFi was OK near to the router and adequate for video conferencing (using end of table in dining room. Spacious upstairs sitting room with large video screen and lovely window views. Everything was clean and well prepared. The gardens were most attractive and well maintained.

Our own private heaven. We were blessed with perfect weather. Private garden right down to the Loch where we spent many hours canoeing and swimming without seeing a soul. Our dogs absolutely loved it.
Found a secluded beach just five minutes away with fine sand and crystal clear water.
The kitchen & utility room are superbly equipped everything you need to cater for ten people.
Wonderfully located, out of the way yet only an hour drive through amazing scenery to Tobermory or Fionnphort.
Would highly recommend.
We were a party of six adults and 3 large dogs and suited us down to the ground.

We rode past this mysterious manor while on a bike tour in 2014. I was captivated by it and later found out we could actually rent it. Which we finally able to do this April. All I can say is that it more than lives up to anything we imagined. Ben Craig is such a perfect set up for a small gathering of friends or family. Five rooms, almost all with en suite bathrooms (there are an insane amount of bathrooms in the house. We kept discovering them). The decor was not (as we feared) overly fussy. We felt completely relaxed. Hopefully we'll get a chance to return some day.

Here we are again (6th time, so that must say something!!). As usual we had a fabulous time in this wonderfully grand but so comfortable house; we saw 2 pairs of white tailed eagles, which was spectacular. Apparently they were nesting in Croggan! We had some American friends to stay for a couple of days and they were absolutely bowled over!! The fish proved somewhat elusive but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm! Until the next time......!

The perfect base for our family holiday (5 adults and 2 young children). Craig Ben Lodge is a spectacular home in a beautiful, quiet location. Our 3 year old says it’s a castle! The lounge and dining room are particularly impressive with comfy settees and wonderful views. The beds are comfortable with quality linen. Plenty of bathrooms. Croggan Beach is absolutely beautiful and worth the walk, which was a bit of a challenge for the little ones. They had a wonderful time when we reached the beach though. We were lucky that the weather was sunny and dry all week.

Our group of 3 families enjoyed our 2 week stay immensely. There was plenty of room for a large group and the views from the dining and sitting rooms are simply stunning, whatever the weather. An excellent base for the South of Mull and much time spent around Loch Bui and Croggan. The road in front of the house never disturbed us, which we thought it might. Our stand out trip was to Lunga and Staffa with Turus Mara - puffins amazing. Highly recommended.

Wow, it was the perfect venue for our family get-together. Everyone had a fantastic time, from wild swimming in Fingal's Cave and the many beautiful beaches, to our Iona trip, the Sea Eagle boat trip, the otters along the edge of Loch Spelve and much more. The house is perfect - it's well-equipped kitchen and comfortable seating areas made for a superb relaxing week.

Absolutely amazing! After a long journey from the South of England and a long wait after a cancelled ferry the sight of the turret of Craig Ben Lodge was a very welcoming sight. This was our third stay at the lodge and as expected we had a very relaxing time. We saw lots of wildlife including the 'Isle of Mull Big Three', Sea Eagle, Golden Eagle and Otters. The lodge was comfortable and the dogs loved the large front garden. We will be back!! Thank you Craig Ben Lodge.

Wonderful stay at Ben Craig Lodge. What a privilege to be able to stay in such a great, old house. The house is lovely for a large party, but still has enough room to be able to spread out. We really enjoyed our stay, as usual with Mull Cottages, what you read about is what you get ... back again in October for our next adventure. Thank you.

Wonderful stay at Ben Craig Lodge. What a privilege to be able to stay in such a great, old house. The house is lovely for a large party, but still has enough room to be able to spread out. We really enjoyed our stay, as usual with Mull Cottages, what you read about is what you get ... back again in October for our next adventure. Thank you.

Our delayed fortnight (thank you COVID), was all we had expected. The drive up involved a diversion to Lochaline (Oban ferry cancelled) but worth the angst. Our 5th visit to this beautiful house. We had some spectacular weather with mirror reflections in the loch. I painted and cooked for the walkers, cyclists, runners and fisherman. Just perfect. It is truly a home from home and we will return... thank you.

A truly wonderful place to stay in a perfectly peaceful and beautiful setting. The house has everything you need and so much space for a wonderful holiday with the extended family. The rooms and bedding were quality and very comfortable and we were able to cook up a storm in the kitchen using the Aga. So much nature surrounds the place and you can spot wildlife so easily from the windows. The children loved the well equipped games room, large rowing boat and croquet lawn too! Mull is brilliant for day trips, Staffa, Iona, Tobermory, Calgary Bay and so many more. We had a great stay!

The lodge and the location are both stunning. The lodge and cottage are perfect booked together for large parties. There were 15 of us, and we had an amazing time. The lodge was very well equipped, and comfortable. We made use of the rowing boat, and the bbq. The garden was full of birds due to the well stocked feeders, and supply of bird food. The views were incredible, we saw golden eagle, sea eagles and deer from the lounge window. At night we watched the bats flying.
We watched the otter at Croggan, and went on trips to see the puffins on Lunga, and whales/dolphins out in the Sound.

The house and setting are magnificent with lots of wildlife to be seen from the house or very nearby.. The birdlife was amazing! The owner and the housekeeper were marvellous and very accommodating! The house was really well equipped and very spacious.
Sadly their were a few things that needed attention, the dishwasher didn't work (but a new one was on order) and the metal gates were very heavy and needed to be lifted open. But even that did not spoil a fantastic holiday in a fabulous house!

Absolutely fabulous house and setting. Lovely relaxing views of the loch and hills. We brought are own feeder for the birds and were priviledged to have redpoll on them with loads of siskins and coal tits. Food delivered from the Old Post Office. Very good. Visit the nice coffee place at Lochbuie. Go to Croggan for guaranteed otters. Golden Eagles nesting in the Glen leading to Iona and Short Eared Owls and Hen Harriers nesting and displaying from the layby near Loch Don. Visitied Iona to hear corncrake and climb the hill to view across to Tiree. Divers in Lochbruie but missed the dolphins.

This is a superb house in a remote location, but with every modern amenity especially in the kitchen. The beds were very comfortable and the views and location stunning. We saw otters on two occasions and would endorse other comments on the lochbuie larder food; excellent and at a very reasonable price.

Criag Ben Lodge is in a superb remote location next to picturesque Loch Uisg. The bedrooms were comfortable, modern and clean and the kitchen was equipped with virtually every utensil known to man! We made use of the rowing boat when we could and had the Loch to ourselves. The dining room and living room were great for relaxing and enjoying the view (spot the deer on the hills opposite in the evening). We made full use of the table tennis in the games room when the weather was unkind. It's a great place.

Loved Craig Ben Lodge(2nd visit) improvements to new en-suites are great. Sorry do feel the easy seats down stairs need to be replaced. They were there 2 years ago and were uncomfortable then and not any better. The garden so much better now with easier access to the loch having the gardens cleaned out. The property would benefit with a hot tub. It’s size would allow for this. Definitely would visit again if sofas were replaced. TV not important to us but comfort downstairs is.

We had a wonderful stay with the family in this beautiful house. The setting was incredible and the use of the boat an added bonus. The house is very well equipped with everything you could wish for. It’s position, 25 minutes drive from the nearest shop, means that you get to experience “wild Scotland”, with its deer, golden eagles and otters and seals off the nearby beach, about a 15 minute cycle ride away from the house. Altogether fabulous.......we loved it!

1st visit to the lodge, our 6th visit to Mull. The house and location were both stunning. We had amazing weather so were lucky enough to see the views from the house at their very best. Had a lovely time in the lodge, a very comfortable and well equipped house to holiday in. Food deliveries by Flora from Lochbuie Larder was an unexpected bonus and luxury. Beautiful food at a reasonable price.

3rd visit to the Lodge, last stayed about 8 years ago so many improvements since then. Wonderfully warm and comfortable house with spectacular views over the loch. Glorious sunshine, otter-spotting, beach picnics, cycling, painting and evenings round the dinner table with gorgeous fire in the grate, family, friends and dogs. Just perfect.

Couldn't agree more with the previous reviews - warm, comfortable, clean,well equipped, fantastic location and a stunning property. The wildlife eluded us but we heard the deer, enjoyed the bird feeder and had a geology walk and talk by local expert James Westland. Great local food and the company of friends made it a week to remember.

Delightful property, amazingly comfortable and spacious in a wonderful location - ideal for a mixed group aged 8 months to 70+, we all had a great time. The house a good acoustics for the fiddler, the loch was rowed and swam, we walked, ran, had lazy days and visited other parts of Mull as well as Staffa and Iona. The bird table was a great hit with both humans and the wide range of birds that visited it! It was a first visit to Mull for most of us, and both the island and Craig Ben make for a very memorable holiday.

We had a wonderful stay and are very grateful to the owners. This was our second visit and we learned two things: Craig Ben is great fun even when the weather is bad (we had wall-to-wall sunshine on our first visit), and you don't need to go far from base. We saw a Golden Eagle, and dolphins in the bay at Lochbuie and seals and an otter in the part of Loch Spleve closest to the house at about 9'30-10'00 pm. Having said that, the trip to Staffa was amazing too ...

What an amazing house in an amazing location. With the exception of the couches which could do with a couple more springs, the house was absolutely perfect. The images don't do it justice, it's actually nicer! The house was very clean and presented well, I don't think there was one thing that we wanted for, a home from home. Very comfortable. The bird feeders and supplied food were a bonus as was the TV package. Quality linen, superbly equipped kitchen (and that is from a very demanding cook), great laundry, just perfect! We will be back (if you'll have us!) and as it was our sixth visit to the Island and the first to this house we cannot praise it enough. The wildlife as always was great, Otters spotted on the sea loch on the road to the house with buzzards, dear and songbirds a plenty. And the bats, brilliant! We did have to travel to see Eagles but as always they were they to say hello and even sent a juvenile to say goodbye on the way to the ferry. Thanks again Mull and thanks to the family who have opened such a great house up for us mere mortals to experience.

We had a great week .weather not too bad.house very comfortable and well equiped. lovely views of the loch and hills. a lovely part of mull. would love to come back to craig ben. thank you for letting us stay in your house. hope to be back in 2018.

The first thing I must say is that we had a great 2 weeks at the house. The location is remote and beautiful. Lovely views from the sitting room and enough space for our party of 7 to spread out. Our son spent many hours swimming in the loch. I can't give it 5 stars because there were a few management/ maintenance issues. The living room fire smokes badly making it unusable. The thermometer on the Aga does not work. The sofas are in advanced state of collapse so only comfortable to lie in and not to sit. There isn't a single pan in the kitchen suitable for frying, poaching or scrambling an egg although there are gadgets for all sorts of other things. Despite these niggles it makes a fine base for a group of friends and family to spend time together and I heartily recommend it for this.

Ah! What can I say about this place, it far exceeded our expectations, which were high to begin with. The house is warm welcoming and just lovely. We were treated to visiting deer, swooping buzzards and hungry birds of all kinds and that was without leaving the house. The loch is great for swimming, kayaking, fishing or just staring at from the living room chairs. Can't recommend the place enough. Great spot for exploring Mull, Just be sure to factor in time for sheep and cow traffic! The island is just teeming with wildlife and coming back to this house after a days exploring is so special. Would go back in a headtbeat, thanks for sharing this wonderful spot.

We loved this place and enjoyed being Lord and Lady of the Manor, if only for a week! Our 2 Cocker spaniels made themselves at home, loved running up and down the stairs, which kept our 14 year old Cocker fit! It was a great location, overlooking the loch, we shall certainly bring our kayaks next time. There is a good amount of walking from the property. There was everything there that you would need, extremely well equipped. I am missing it already and would definitely return.

A fantastic location and a spectacular house. We had a really great week here and hope to return. Our two year old granddaughter loved the size and openness of the place and hardly stopped running around and exploring. Extremely well equipped. Bedding is high quality and immaculately clean. Some of the furnishings are a bit tired looking but still very comfy. The reason we have not given it 5 stars is the poorly maintained garden, drive and entrance which gives a bad first impression.

I agree with the other comments on this site.
It is difficult to recommend Craig Ben Lodge too highly.
It was a privilege to stay and it is very generous of the owners to share their house in this way.
On a historical note, it is worth saying that the distinguished novelist Stanley Weyman stayed at Craig Ben Lodge in the autumn of 1905. Weyman loved nature and rural tranquillity; a resident of Ludlow in Shropshire, he once said " ... quiet as life is in this old town, I often long for a quieter life. I would love to live in the country, to see cattle outside my window." He certainly knew what he was doing when he went to Craig Ben Lodge!

Clean, comfortable, elegant, well equipped, beautiful setting, amazing wildlife. Nice touches with the Aga, unlimited logs for the fires and all cleaning materials. I would also use Flora from Lochbuie Larder again - amazing lamb and fresh scallops.

Our entire family loved Craig Ben Lodge. The location was so picturesque and remote and this was exactly what we wanted. The walled garden was great for our puppy miniature Dachshund. The house had everything we could need and more. The games room saw many a table tennis tournament and plenty of other board games to keep the kids entertained. Plenty of wildlife to view on your doorstep too. As others have said if you visit Lochbuie a visit to the honesty-box run The Old Post Office is a must. We regularly had duck eggs, venison sausages and a superb topside joint which was cooked to perfection in Craig Ben Lodge's Aga. The Aga was a new
Cooking tool for myself but Ive left wanting one! Oh and if you think this old Victorian lodge will be cold and breezy think again we were toasty all week. All in all a superb holiday home....sorry a grand holiday home; book and you'll not be disappointed. Thank you David for letting us stay in your home from home, thank you Sarah for the housekeeping and the welcome eggs (much appreciated), thanks Bob for keeping on top of the maintenance and thanks Becky at Isle of Mull Cottages without whom we would not have found this home.. Gavin

Great place to stay in a lovely remote location. The lodge is very well equipped and an ideal place to stay for a large group. Highly recommended

Our third fabulous extended family holiday in this beautiful lodge. Great views, wonderful large rooms to relax in, with everything you could want for a comfortable holiday. Can view Red deer, Eagles and Buzzards from the windows and seals and otters in the nearby sea loch. Thank you to both the owners and housekeeper for a wonderful holiday.