Discover the best Christmas events on Mull, from the big Tobermory lights switch on to the Ross of Mull tractor run. Whatever corner of the island you’re staying in, find festive markets and feel-good events to get you in the spirit this season.

Christmas Lights Switch-On

The lights switch on in Tobermory is an annual event and wonderful evening out – usually held on the last Saturday in November. Gather on the harbourfront for Christmas shopping aplenty as the Main Street stays open late. 

Visit the stallholders in the Distillery courtyard and find yet more in the Aros Hall. Enjoy mulled wine and mince pies aplenty with a warm welcome as you go. 

The lights are traditionally turned on at 7pm, lighting up the town in a beautiful display, with a speech and festivities around the clock tower by the fisherman’s pier.

If you’re staying down on the Ross of Mull, keep your eyes peeled for the Bunessan big switch on too, usually taking place in early December. Once again, you’ll be in for a night of festive fun with food, drink and local wares often on sale and adding to the atmosphere before the lights are turned on.

Christmas Tractor Runs

This is another event that happens in both the north and south ends of the island. In Tobermory, the Christmas tractor parade sees vintage and new tractors all decked out with lights, snowmen and even Santa riding in a trailer on occasion, and takes place on the evening of the Christmas lights switch on.

In the south west of the island, there’s traditionally a festive tractor parade too running right along the Ross of Mull villages. Keep an eye on Facebook to find the latest details on when and where the event will take place this year.

You can also check our events round-up where we try to include as many events as possible through the year around the island.

The Tobermory Santa Dash

Sporty guests will relish the chance to don a Santa suit and make a run for it around Tobermory, with the festive Santa dash offering races for both children and adults in the island’s harbour capital, all in aid of charity. Usually held on the last Sunday before Christmas each year.

Christmas Markets on Mull

You’ll find festive cheer aplenty at Mull’s many Christmas market events. In addition to the festive markets held at the lights switch-on events, Craignure, Salen and Dervaig usually host Christmas markets each year too. 

Then there are the super businesses that open their doors for Christmas fairs, with artisanal wares available for the occasion at Am Birlinn at Croig. The Coffee Pot in Salen also opens its doors to offer festive gifts and sweet treats galore.

So if you visit the island in the run-up to Christmas, you’ll be sure to find a festive event to get you in the spirit and plenty of opportunities to eat, drink and be merry on Mull this winter. Can we tempt you with a winter break?

When you think of a Scottish Highland bothy, chances are a stone-built, single-storey cottage springs to mind. You’ll picture thick stone walls, slates adorning the roof and a simple layout inside, perhaps just a room or two, with the essential fireplace at the end.

Taking inspiration from bothies on Mull and further afield, we bring you our pick of bothy-style cottages on Mull, with a twist. Because while these cottages have humble beginnings, they’ve been lovingly renovated to offer all the creature comforts you’d expect of an Isle of Mull Cottages homestay.

Which would get your pick?

1 Fisherman’s Bothy

The clue is in the name with this one, packing in the charm with its rock-weighted, thatched roof and pink painted stonework, perched on the edge of Kilfinichen Bay.

2 Tigh na Mara

Translating to house of the sea, it’s easy to guess why, as this red tin-roofed cottage sits a stone’s throw from the shore of Loch Spelve, a view perfectly framed through the wee cottage windows.

3 Aird Ghlas

This one’s a modern take on bothy cottages. This cosy hideaway was once actually a garage! Hard to believe now with its panoramic views and pretty brickwork, but the simple layout inside still pays homage to the Highland tradition.

4 Derryguaig Smiddy

Beautiful dark stonework, a wood burning stove and a stunning setting in the foothills of Ben More above Loch na Keal – this cottage ticks all the boxes when it comes to bothy cottages and more!

5 Dobhran Croft

A bothy with a modern makeover, this wee white cottage in Lochbuie has been transformed to offer contemporary luxury and even a wee bedroom upstairs!

6 Shore Croft

Visitors to this beachfront bothy cottage will be delighted to find mid-century furniture and a beautifully appointed kitchen offering a unique contrast to the cottage’s traditional roots.

7 The Bothy

A classic choice, this cosy stone cottage adjoins a traditional farmhouse in a remote setting at Laggan, within walking distance of the beach, a beautiful walk or adventurous drive around the coast from Lochbuie centre.

Discover more cottages perfectly made for two in our our hand-picked range of holiday cottages for two.

If you’ve ever ventured down the winding single-track road to reach Lochbuie, you’ll know your effort to get there will be rewarded! Located in the south east of the island, as you leave the main road behind, you’ll wind uphill through ancient woodland at Ardura, before descending to the stunning shores of Loch Spelve as Beinn Ghlas and then, as you swap shores for Loch Uisg, Creach Ben rise above you.

As the road winds into Lochbuie itself, the views open over meadows grazed by fallow deer, as the dramatic conical summit of Ben Buie comes into view to the north and the stunning sea appears on the horizon. From this beautiful corner of Mull’s coastline, there are many lovely walks to explore and here, we bring you four of them, from easy ambles to more adventurous ascents, to whet your appetite.

1 Lochbuie Stone Circle

Keep your eyes peeled for the wee parking area signposted just before the bridge beside the river Abhainn an Tomarain as you arrive into Lochbuie. From here, white painted stones are your waymarkers as you make your way over the fields to find the stone circle. Do put on good boots for this walk as while not far, the ground is generally pretty wet!

With stones up to 2m high, the Lochbuie stone circle is a magical sight, believed to date back to the Neolithic period or early Bronze Age.

2 Laggan Sands and Moy Castle

For a slightly longer but still low-level leg stretch, follow the road to the parking area by the seafront and this is where the walk to Laggan Sands begins. Follow the track as it takes off along the shore, enjoying the open views and on a clear day, outlying isles in the distance too.

After a little walking, you’ll reach the dramatic ruins of Moy Castle, believed to have been built in the late 15th century. You can’t venture inside, but can enjoy a circuit of the castle to take it in from all angles from its beautiful setting amid woodland, on the banks of a burn that flows into the sea.

From here, continue along the track that opens up once again past fields often peppered with fallow deer. The track then hugs a rockface as it curves around and offers fine views over the beach below. Laggan Sands is a beautiful long stretch of sand, often shared with the local estate’s Highland cattle. Walk to the end to visit the beautiful mausoleum, too.

3 Lochbuie to Carsaig

If you’re up for a bigger adventure, fuel up at the Old Post Office Cafe and then hit the trail in the opposite direction to Laggan Sands, heading westwards towards Carsaig. The old pony track hugs the coastline, passing the pretty wee beach Port a’Bheoil Mhoir, and interesting sea caves, before arriving at Glen Byre with its beautiful series of pools as the burn flows into the sea.

Crossing the burn, the route continues to Carsaig and the challenge increases. The going underfoot becomes more technical and the landscape feels wonderfully wild and remote as you’re hugged by dramatic cliffs. Respite comes as you approach Carsaig and the path improves, delivering you to the old granite pier. This walk is best arranged with a car at either end.

4 Ben Buie

This 717m peak defines the skyline at Lochbuie, towering over the bay with a wonderful conical shape. There are two popular routes if you fancy taking on the ascent. Starting from Lochbuie, you can follow the burn uphill to a small hill lochan, before making the final scramble for the summit. This route is steep and challenging, but the scenery absolutely spectacular.

The alternative popular option is to begin from the Three Lochs in Glen More and hike in over the hills to reach Ben Buie on the south coast. You can bag three hills in one on this excursion, as your route takes you first past Creag nah Iolaire (506m) and then over the dramatic and very beautiful summit of Cnap nan Gobhar (714m), before the final push across to Ben Buie’s summit cairn.

However you reach the top, you’ll reveal epic views over the sea and bay at Lochbuie as well as back in-land and over to Ben More, in Mull’s mountainous interior. A fine day spent in the hills.

If you’re tempted to try this corner of Mull, take a look at our holiday cottages in Lochbuie: Dobhran Croft and The Bothy, both pet friendly.

Ewan Miles at Nature Scotland joins us on the blog to share the seasonal spectacles of a wild autumn on Mull. Here are five things that you need to experience on your stay on the Isle of Mull this season.

The Red Deer Rut

Autumn is a wonderful time to visit the Isle of Mull, with many amazing spectacles and experiences to enjoy. One of these is the dramatic events of the red deer rut. The rut marks the start of the breeding season when male red deer (stags), the UK’s largest land mammal weighing up to a huge 190kg, compete for female red deer (hinds).

The roaring contests between the stags signal the start of the rut, before leading onto physical bouts as they lock antlers and clash. All this occurs to establish dominance among the stags and gather the hinds so they can pass on their genes.

The rut typically occurs between September and November, with the most intense period normally being in October.

Before the rut, the stags urinate in muddy puddles and then roll in it. This is their equivalent of after shave, and their coat is often caked in this smelly mud and antlers laden with long grass and bracken that they have swept up to give them an even more impressive size and stature, warning off other males.

Witnessing these physical bouts however is the hard part with the majority of action taking place under the cover of darkness. Head out on a calm evening into dusk and as the roaring increases, you may be lucky enough to hear the clash of antlers as the stags start sparring.

The Autumnal Light

Autumn on Mull creates a multicoloured landscape of brown grassland, purple moorland and the woodland turning gold and amber, it is truly an outstanding time to come to the island. On Mull the coast is never far away, and you are spoilt by the glistening turquoise waters, there is such a large display of incredible colours with the unspoilt mountains towering across the island.

In addition to this, the season, provides fantastic opportunities for photography. The lower elevation of the sun means that autumnal light is often warm and soft, great for shooting photos throughout the day.

One of the best parts is how accessible sunrise and sunset are, with the ‘golden hour’ — the period just after the sun rises and just before it sets. Furthermore, the colder temperatures also increase the clarity in the air and help for a better quality photograph.

Otters: New Life

Otters are very active in autumn as the females can be seen with their newly emerged offspring. When the cubs first emerge from their holt, they are tiny and are dependent on their mother. At this point in their life, the otter cubs can be very vocal and playful, wrestling and chasing each other.

With Mull’s waters still warm from the summer and food aplenty, otters will be feeding more frequently, taking advantage of the abundance of aquatic prey with the females teaching their young how to hunt.

When the air and water temperature does start to drop, they thrive due to their fur trapping air, providing insulation against the cold as they fuel their high metabolism diving for food on Mull’s coastlines.

Avian Royalty

Now, moving on to the royalty of the skies — the eagles of Mull. On Mull, there are two species of eagles: the regal golden eagle and the vast white-tailed eagle. The adult eagles continue hunting in their territory and defend it from challengers, usually immature birds from previous years trying to find a territory, known as nomads.

The juvenile birds that fledged this summer stick around with their parents, learning how to hunt for themselves, before dispersing to pastures new. Autumn is the time when there are the most eagles on Mull, before they disperse to new territories.

Reduced daylight hours mean less time to hunt, so the eagles are often busier preparing for winter. Later on into autumn, especially for our golden eagles, the adults are already thinking about the next breeding season, bringing material into the nests, fattening up and displaying to their partners.

The Darkness Awaits

Finally, the Hebridean skies offer some of the least light-polluted skies in Europe. This provides excellent dark skies, uninterrupted by artificial lights, and a clear autumnal night on the island can provide breath-taking views of the night sky.

The island’s higher latitude increases the chances of a northern lights (aurora borealis) display. A cool, cloudless and dark sky with northerly winds are key ingredients for an aurora display, but even if you don’t get lucky, you’ll still have thousands of stars overhead, constellations to find and maybe even a shooting star!

Ewan and the Nature Scotland team will be providing a range of land-based wildlife tours during the autumn on Mull with Isle of Mull Cottages’ guests entitled to a 10% discount on any day tour booked during September and October 2025.

On booking, enter the discount code IOMC_Aut2025 to secure 10% off.

Visiting the island with your four-legged friends in tow? We’ve got you covered with these pawsome places to dine out on Mull. Take your pick from these 13 dog friendly cafes and restaurants on the Isle of Mull and make the most of local cuisine and island flavours.

Dog friendly restaurants where dogs can dine inside

The Mishnish, Tobermory

A traditional island inn on the harbourfront with oodles of charm and roaring fire.

MacGochans, Tobermory

Contemporary pub dining in a relaxed setting with a lovely sea view upper terrace too and crowd-pleasing menu.

The Gallery, Tobermory

Italian food in the heart of Tobermory with wood-fired pizzas, mouth-watering pasta dishes and an epic brunch menu too.

Park Lodge Hotel, Tobermory

A hearty menu of traditional food and some modern twists, with tempting specials on the board too.

Western Isles Hotel, Tobermory

Dine with one of the best views in Tobermory overlooking the harbour from their conservatory restaurant.

An Tobar, Tobermory

A vibrant wee cafe serving hearty soups and delicious cakes and bakes.

Glass Barn, Sgiob-ruadh

The home of Isle of Mull Cheese, expect a delicious menu that celebrates all-things cheese with artisanal touches, plus some great cakes too!

Glenforsa Cafe, Glenforsa

Wood-fired pizzas, tempting small plates and a great cake line-up too, something for everyone in this beautifully decorated barn-style cafe.

Bunessan Inn, Bunessan

A cosy pub on the Ross of Mull with superb sea views too.

Keel Row, Fionnphort

Traditional inn with characterful dark timbers and fireplace, serving a relaxed pub menu.

Dog friendly cafes where dogs are welcome outside

Glengorm Coffee Shop, Glengorm

An ever-changing menu, often with Mediterranean-inspired dishes in the mix and local seafood too, pull up a bench at one of the courtyard tables and enjoy lunch alfresco with your four-legged friend. Great selection of cakes too!

Old Post Office, Lochbuie

Pop in for lunch and enjoy your meal with a superb view, with the picnic benches facing straight out to sea at Lochbuie. Watch for wildlife as you enjoy soup and a scone, delicious topped flatbreads or one of the daily specials.

Lazy Cow Cafe, Kintra

Sit outside with views over the surrounding croftland and pond and enjoy a delicious menu with something to tempt everyone and great cakes too.

Find your pawfect pet friendly holiday cottage on Mull in our hand-picked range.

Bringing the family to Mull for the first time? Here are four great family activities on Mull to enjoy during your holiday.

1 Farm Tour at Isle of Mull Cheese

This one’s great for every generation, as you tour the farm at Sgiob-ruadh just outside Tobermory and meet its many animal inhabitants, see the cheese-making process in action and – for older family members especially – get to see the magic happen with the unique spirits produced here from whey. 

In addition to seeing the dairy cows that are the beginning of the cheese process, you’ll also meet alpacas, pigs and more, with a botanical garden to wander through too.

2 Art in Nature Trail to Calgary Beach

Parking at the top of the hill at Calgary Gallery, call in for a map of this fantastic sculpture trail and to pay your entry donations, then let the adventure begin! The trail loops and winds through the hillside woodland with willow tunnels to crawl through and all kinds of sculptures to find, from a cheeky flock of metal oystercatchers to a metal woman gazing out to sea and even a boat made of ropes!

The trail eventually descends down to bring you out just by the carpark at Calgary beach, where you can refuel with ice cream from the Boat Shed and get stuck into sandcastles and rock pooling beachside.

3 Disc Golf at Aros Park

A great rainy day activity if you’re still keen to get outdoors as you’re fairly sheltered amid the leafy woodland of Aros Park. Check out the disc golf course and try your hand at getting the frisbee discs into the baskets. There are also adventure play areas located around the lochan to enjoy too.

4 Go wild with the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust

Another great family activity for rainy days on Mull. Call into the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust along the Main Street in Tobermory and discover a world of marine adventure inside its doors!

The playroom is open daily and set up like a ship, with fancy dress to try on and a treasure trail through the centre – crack the clues to answer the questions and find the code you need to open the box of bones! For the grownups – you’ll see real-life whale and dolphin bones and teeth for a fantastic lesson in adaptation. 

You can also hire Explorer Packs with activity sheets, magnifying glasses and more to take out on your wildlife expeditions with you for the week.

With cottages to suit all families, whether a wee place for four or a large home for multi-generation living, find your perfect Isle of Mull cottage and book with us today.

For those who’ve taken the innocuous left-hand turning marked ‘Carsaig’, leaving the main road at Pennyghael and navigating the final few miles up and over the hill pass, they’ll know what treats are in store at their destination.

But for many, this is a turn-off that is often passed, but never explored. We’re here to persuade you it’s worth the adventure, as Carsaig promises a hidden corner of Mull that is arguably one of its most spectacular with a little effort to find it!

As you descend from the hill down towards Carsaig Bay, your first clear views across the sea to Islay, Jura and Colonsay fill the horizon, framed dramatically by Carsaig’s iconic imposing headlands. You’ll pass through pines that stretch skywards, flanked by rocky bluffs and – just as you pass the red phone box – a cascading waterfall. The adventure has begun before you’ve even parked the car!

Walks at Carsaig

Carsaig Pier and Beach

This remote corner of Mull is one best explored on foot. From the wee parking area, you can amble down to the old granite pier to take in your dramatic surroundings – a great spot to see the seals that are often in these waters, or basking on the skerries.

A footpath also winds through woodland to bring you round to the black sand beach. This is a short and relatively simple walk that only takes a few minutes and you’ll often enjoy the entire beach to yourselves.

Carsaig Arches

This one’s at the other end of the spectrum, a much more challenging walk that will take you all day to complete it, despite only being about eight miles in distance. Navigating rocky shoreline, you can traverse the dramatic coast at low tide to reach the incredible Carsaig Arches, a natural formation few visitors to Mull ever get to see first-hand. 

This walk requires a lot of care and caution given the challenging footing and tides, so allow plenty of time and you will be rewarded with one of Mull’s most impressive natural features.

Carsaig Waterfalls

Walk Mull are based in Carsaig and know this corner of Mull’s coast like the back of their hands. Join them on a guided hike and they can tailor the adventure to your ability and experience level, taking you off the beaten track to ridges and waterfalls, mountain lochs and sweeping sea views. There’s the chance to wild swim in remote pools and identify wildflowers as you walk.

You’re more likely to be joined by eagles and deer than other folk on this outing! Walk Mull offer private walks and tours, suitable for solo travelers or for families with children aged 10 and over. Mention Isle of Mull Cottages when you book for 10% off, too!

Discover more about this area’s amazing geology in our video:

With 300 miles of crystal-clear waters lapping the island’s coastline, and lots of sandy coves with sheltered seas to discover, Mull makes a prime destination for cold water and wild swimmers. But where are the best cottages to stay at for wild swimming on Mull?

North of the Island

Our picks for wild swimmers in the north of the island centre around the white shell-sand coves at Calgary and Croig.

Cnoc Deaghuinn is a charming cottage for six a short walk from the coast at Croig, where you can follow tracks to reach glorious hidden beaches at Port na Ba. Especially lovely for a sunset swim, thanks to the westerly aspect!

At Calgary, we bring you three properties all in one convenient location, where the sculpture Art in Nature trail leads you almost from the door, down through woodland, to the horseshoe-shaped beach at Calgary Bay. The Cart Studio, East Loft and West Loft each sleep two, with the lofts welcoming dogs too.

South of the Island

The Ross of Mull may only be a few miles wide at its narrowest point, but it’s home to more beaches than you could squeeze into a week! In this part of the island, turquoise waters and white sand mix with pink granite outcrops for truly stunning beaches.

Tigh na Failte, a dog friendly cottage for six in Fionnphort, takes top spot for wild swimmers here, with the beach quite literally at the bottom of the garden!

Shore Croft, a cosy stone cottage for two, comes hot on its heels, perched just above the sheltered bay of Uisken beach.

Meanwhile, adventurous spirits will be delighted by the opportunities for wild swimming on Mull when staying at Ploughman’s Cottage and The Pod at Scoor, with multiple hidden sandy bays to discover within a short hike from the house, including Kilvickeon beach.

The Sea Shanty will also appeal, with a short walk over the hill delivering guests directly to the beach at Tor Mor.

Wherever you base yourself, wild swimming on Mull offers endless adventurous, from cool coastal swims to enchanting waterfall plunges. Read our guide to some wild swim spots on the Isle of Mull to dip your toes and book your cottage today.

Sauna

Deep heat with an equally good-for-the-soul view, head to one of the Island Sauna Shack’s pop-up locations to enjoy a Hebridean take on sauna culture. 

You’ll find them at locations including Salen Old Pier and Calgary Bay, so you can sauna with a stunning view, before taking an invigorating salt water plunge!

Cold Water Swimming

Which brings us on to an outdoor wellness experience that can be enjoyed in almost all corners of Mull – wild swimming. Mull is home to many sheltered coves that offer clear waters in which to enjoy an invigorating cold water swim for those suitably equipped and prepared. 

Uisken in the south west of the island and Craig in the north west are popular wild swimming spots among locals, or for an in-land experience, you could take a dip in the stunning Ben More pools. Discover more about wild swimming on Mull.  

Forest Bathing

Whether you wander deep into the fragrant forests that are thickly planted with spruce and pine, or explore one of Mull’s beautiful deciduous woodlands, there’s the chance to embrace this meditative wellness experience that hails from Japan. 

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of the woodland, whether amid the leafy boughs and tumbling waterfalls at Tobermory’s Aros Park, or the beautiful ancient woodlands along the River Lussa’s banks at Ardura.

Beach Yoga

This is one for all the family to get involved in! Simply bring a mat, pick a beach (our local’s guide gives you plenty to try!) and get stretching! 

Yoga is a great way to slow down, relax your mind and body and tune back in to your natural rhythms and surroundings. Pick a west coast beach like Traigh na Cille or Fidden at sunset for an even more restorative view.

Hiking

This Isle of Mull outdoor wellness experience is for those with plenty of energy! Getting out in nature is great for the soul, tuning you back in to the birdsong, wildlife and wildflowers around you, while your endorphins pump thanks to a strenuous climb. 

Mull has many fantastic hiking routes, whether you want to take on a coastal adventure like the tidal hikes to MacKinnon’s Cave or the Carsaig Arches, or bag the island’s munro, Ben More. Find route maps, walks to try and more in our guide to hiking on Mull

Which of these outdoor wellness experiences will you try next time you escape to Mull?

The cascading falls of the Tobermory River set the scene as you descend the Eas Brae to arrive at Tobermory’s harbourfront and Main Street, where the centuries-old whisky distillery awaits. 

Where to find the Tobermory Distillery

Conveniently located with access from the Ledaig carpark, the Tobermory Distillery first began distilling whiskies in 1798, with a legacy of over 200 years of whisky making on the island. The distillery continues to thrive to this day, with a fine range of whiskies to sample that combine its historic roots with new, exciting takes on the spirit too.

Tours and tastings at the Tobermory Distillery

The Tobermory Distillery offers excellent tours and tastings, which you can book in advance via their website, or by calling into the distillery’s visitor centre, and typically take around an hour. This makes a great activity in any season, but especially so on a dreicher Mull day, where the steam curls dramatically above the river as it flows into the bay. 

You can also book just a tasting, which typically lasts 45 minutes, or for true connoisseurs, the warehouse whisky tasting, where you’ll sample spirit drawn straight from the cask.

Whichever you choose, a warm Highland welcome awaits as you step into the visitor centre, which is atmospherically lit and decorated to immediately get you into the spirit. 

From here, an expert guide will begin the distillery tour, taking you on a journey through the entire whisky making production process. As you navigate the site, cocooned between hill and sea, you’ll get to see the copper stills and mash tuns in action, while the guide explains each step of the production process.

After exploring the production areas, you’ll then enter the altogether different feeling cask room. It is in here that barrels of whisky wait to slowly mature. Your guide will explain the different types of barrels used and how this can impart a unique flavour to the whisky within. 

Finally – and the highlight for many! – the tour culminates in the cosy tasting room, where an expert guide will lead you through sampling both a Tobermory dram and a Ledaig dram, the Tobermory Distillery’s two signature whiskies. The Tobermory being lighter, while the Ledaig has a fantastically smokey flavour, being a peated whisky. 

The designated driver need not miss out, as your drams can be bottled to take away with you and enjoy from the comfort of your cottage by the fire.

Flavours of Mull

The distillery also houses a shop, so you can purchase whiskies direct from the distillery to take home and enjoy the flavours of Mull from further afield. There’s also the opportunity to purchase a distillery exclusive – these are small batch whiskies, ideal for whisky connoisseurs – as well as limited edition single malts and, a more recent addition to the distillery, Tobermory Gin too.