Four Fantastic Walks in Lochbuie

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.