2 weeks Scotland family trip 1st time! Need help on itinerary thanks

5-7 May Isle of Mull sleep 2N in Oban or Mull?

I like your itinerary, but in answer to your question about Mull, I would sleep on Mull rather than Oban. Tobermory is a delight and a great place to get up in morning, and wander around a bit along the harbor. The whole island is wonderful and I loved my 4 night stay here.

^ Question: Is there a need to have back up plan in the event of bad weather, & ferry get cancelled or delayed?

You will always have that issue no matter where you are, I believe. That said, most people in Scotland are flexible. When I was on my way to Mull, I faced a long delay due to the ferry's technical issues, which meant I wouldn't get to my B&B on Tobermory until after 9:30 pm. When I emailed the owner, he assured me that I needn't worry and they would expect me when they saw me. As it turned out, I got on an earlier ferry and everything was okay. But I wouldn't worry about it, especially at this stage.

You mentioned picking up a rental car at EDI and returning it at GLA. Do you know who you are renting from yet? I rented a car from Celtic Legend and was able to pick up the car outside Glasgow at Arnold Clark's South St. location and then return it to AC's Sighthill location in Edinburgh. It saved me from having to pay a higher fee for airport P/Us and D/Os. I would also recommend Celtic Legend highly. They were great - so much so that I am using them again on my spring trip to England.

Last note: If you have not booked your accommodations yet, start NOW. Lodging is always in short supply in Scotland and it's worse this year because of the new licensing rules and fees. So I would strongly encourage you to start looking right away, ESPECIALLY on Skye!

On 5 May CalMac will communicate if there is a ferry issue. The usual standby plan (which works well for you coming from Fort William) is to divert people to the Lochaline to Fishnish ferry via the Corran ferry. If the Corran ferry had gone technical then you drive round the Loch from Fort William or drive down the Mallaig road and reach Lochaline through Acharacle.

Never say never but in May it is vanishingly unlikely that no route would be available to Mull.

If they can they send an extra vessel to Lochaline (usually robbed off the Tobermory to Kilchoan route) to run a shuttle service on what are very sheltered waters.
Sometimes if there are major issues a ferry passing Mull to the Outer Hebrides, Tiree or even Islay has a special stop added at Craignure to help clear traffic. Mull is a critical lifeline route for CalMac so they will move heaven and earth to keep some service running.

By the way watch this space for news on the Jacobite steam train. Currently tickets are being sold for a train which there is a legal ban on operating.

We will not know what is happening until at least early March.

Even if it does parking near the Viaduct is not easy due as everyone has the same idea as you.

On Loch Lomond I would either stay in Arrochar or Tarbet due to Luss being another tourist honeypot. But if I was going to the Trossachs next day I would seriously look at Aberfoyle as a place to stay.

I would also be looking at the full Loch boat trip on the Loch Katrine steamer Sir Walter Scott, rather than a Loch Ness sailing.

I would then expect to leave the area on the A84 through Callander to Stirling then the M9/M80 route to Glasgow, maybe squeezing in a ,late afternoon visit to Stirling Castle.

Thanks Mardee for your reply! We are taking your suggestion & have started looking at Mull accomodation
Any suggestion on how to spend 2N on Mull? Day trip to Staffa & Lunga is one thing we are aiming, weather permitting though.

Yeah have booked an Auto with Celtic Legend, pick up at their EDI branch Eastfield Road, Newbridge, Drop off at Murray St, Paisley & head to GLA. Would this arrangement be most convenient & pocket-friendly? Saving some money is definitely good

On accommodations, Skye is booked, am working on Mull + the Loch Lomond & Trossachs portion. Would be helpful if you have any lodging recommendation thanks once again!

Thanks isn31c for your very helpful replies! Gave me much thinking, and some areas which I need to work on more, particularly the Loch Lomond/Trossachs.

For the ferry to Mull, am wondering if we should drive from Mallaig ferry port to Lochailort port, ferry from Lochailort to Fishnish?
Would this be a much preferred route, in view of my original plan to drive to Oban then ferry from Oban over to Mull

On the Loch Lomond/Trossachs we have 1.5D 1N, besides boat ride experience what would you suggest to do? We are still deciding on the places of interest, would appreciate if you have any tips!
Since Luss is tourist honeypot then we don't mind skipping Luss, and exploring other villages
Sidenote: the boat trip on the Loch Katrine steamer Sir Walter Scott looks great thanks so much for suggesting this!

Jacobite steam train, we are so eager to see especially my potterhead sister, so unfortunate.. However we might still be driving down to see the railway? Parking near the Viaduct is difficult? We plan to head there early in the morning to beat the crowds

1. If there is no steam train then there aren't going to be the crowds there so the parking situation will ease itself. The parking is only under pressure at steam train times.
2. Glenfinnan is half way between Fort William and Mallaig. Thus, if you have been to see the viaduct/train and the Glenfinnan monument you could backtrack and go onto Skye via the Bridge then back via the ferry. If you came back on a morning ferry you could then drive direct from Mallaig to Kilchoan and catch the late afternoon ferry from Kilchoan to Tobermory (Mull). If you go out on the ferry, and back on the bridge, thus starting to Mull from Fort William, then using the Corran and Lochaline/Fishnish ferries makes a lot of sense. The Lochaline ferry you book for a day, not time of travel. Thus you are under no time pressure for the drive. As long as you get to Lochaline before the last ferry, just arrive whenever and take the next crossing over. And you are entering Mull by one of it's "back doors". You could even fit in Glenfinnan that morning. Drive the A830 to Glenfinnan, see the Viaduct/train then the A881 round Loch Eil south side (avoiding the Corran ferry) as far as Strontian then the A884 to Lochaline. Lots of possibilities and permutations. At Glenfinnan you may even see the morning boat leaving to sail down the long and lonely Loch Shiel to Acharacle (not a boat trip you have time to do).

On 7 May the Tobermory to Loch Lomond/Aberfoyle journey is going to take you all day. I would suggest on Loch Lomond taking a stop at Tarbet. Leave Tobermory good and early, and book the earliest ferry you can manage from Craignure having breakfast on the ferry.
You could do stops at Bonawe Historic Iron Works and/or the Falls of Cruachan/The Hollow Mountain HEP station, as well asJnveraray and it's Castle and /or Jail and lunch at Loch Fyne Oysters.
From Tarbet I would suggest a mid afternoon trip on the lesser visited but still beautiful north end of Loch Lomond, calling in briefly at the lonely Inversnaid hotel pier (at the bottom of the road from Loch Katrine). It used to be a wonderful and popular day out- Loch Katrine boat one way to Stronachlachar, bus to Inversnaid, ferry to Tarbet, bus to Arrochar pier and steamer down Loch Long to Glasgow. The hotel was built as a way to break the very long but stunning two day trip into a more sensible two day trip.

Thus on 8 May all you have time to do is Loch Katrine, hopefully a call into the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, do the Three Lochs Forest Drive at Achray, a brief stop in Callander and just maybe Stirling (although I think you will be fighting time).
It will be very late afternoon when you turn the car in at Glasgow after two memorable last days in Scotland.

Any suggestion on how to spend 2N on Mull? Day trip to Staffa & Lunga is one thing we are aiming, weather permitting though.

I would highly suggest a day trip to the Isle of Iona, which is a tiny island off the coast of Mull. To get there, you drive from Tobermory, park your car and take one of the numerous foot ferries across to Iona (about 10 min). The island is considered the birthplace of Scottish Christianity, but it's worth seeing even if you are not particularly religious like me. It also served as a burial ground for kings and religious figures. The incredible ruins of the Abbey and Nunnery date back to the 6th century.

There is also St. Oran's Chapel, which dates back to the 12th century and is dedicated to St. Oran, a companion of St. Columba. Legend has it that anyone who died on Iona would be miraculously revived if buried near St. Oran. You can visit the graveyard next to the cemetery, which is fascinating. making the surrounding graveyard a fascinating historical site. In fact, it is rumored that the original King Macbeth of Scotland is buried there.

There is much more as well. The island is so small you can easily get to the sites, and also take some lovely walks down to the beach and through the area. There are several restaurants and cafes and a number of interesting shops selling beautiful handiwork made on Iona. I highly recommend visiting here.

I will get back with you on accommodations.

Here are some ideas for accommodation on Mull.

Harbour Guest House. I stayed here last year and loved this place - it was spacious, comfortable, and sat right on the harbour. I could look out my window and see the water practically on my doorstep. The breakfast area was charming, and had one huge picture window at the end with lots of greenery outside and several bird feeders, so you could sit there, eat breakfast and watch the birds. Free parking was always available nearby.

That said, I found out that it has since been sold to Western isles Hotel, a hotel that sits above Tobermory, and the prices have gone up. But I'm fairly cheap when it comes to lodging, so the updated price may not be out of your range. At any rate, it's worth a look. You could also check out Western Isles, although it is more expensive. But I met a couple from England who were staying there and they loved it.

Also Allan, who posts on this forum frequently, stayed at the Harbour B&B a couple of years ago and liked it. Here is his comment and a link to the post.

We stayed in Tobermory at the Harbour View B and B https://tobermorybandb.com/. It’s on a hill overlooking a beautiful bay. We loved our stay there, and one of the bonuses was easy parking which is something that is hard to get in the town-centre of Tobermory. Cost was £90/night. Look for the bright pink house on the hill. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-scotland-the-search-for-jamie-fraser

You could also check availability for places at booking.com, but if you find something there, I would recommend booking directly with the hotel or B&B. It's usually cheaper and almost always safer if problems arise.

ETA: Sorry, I did not stay near Loch Lomond or the Trossachs, so I don't have any ideas for lodging there. You might try to do a search on this forum. Just key in Loch lomond hotel and so on, and see what you come up with. You also might try a separate post just asking for lodging recommendations for the places you still need.

ETA again: I forgot to mention that you could combine the boat trip to Staffa and Lunga with the trip to Iona, as both Staffa boats and the Iona ferry leave from Fionnphort. You just need to figure out the timings.

Re your question about lunch on the way to Fort William. I travel from Skye to Fort William frequently. In my opinion there are no really good places to stop to eat on the way. Mainly because once you've left Skye it's just miles of empty (but beautiful) scenery. Don't stop at Cluanie Inn or their Bakehouse (opposite the inn). It's overpriced and the service is terrible. There's a hotel in Invergarry ash the junction of the A82 and A87 but it's no better than average. The Cluanie Inn people also own the Black Sheep hotel group and they have a place in Invergarry and another at Letter Finlay but neither are very good. So we always wait until we are nearly at Fort William and grab lunch at the Highland Soap Company Visitor Centre. They have a lovely cafe which does lunches and great cakes and sweet treats as well as good coffee, tea, chai, kombucha etc. It's a become something to look forward to for us on our treks south. Highland Soap and Larder Cafe

Apologies for the late reply, was very busy with work over the week. Thanks everyone for the replies!

isn31c, your info & explanation are very clear very appreciated! For Loch Lomond part, I'm currently reading & researching on the places of interests particularly the Falls of Cruachan/The Hollow Mountain HEP station is interesting. We have also included Loch Katrine & the steam boat ride in our itinerary. However we might be giving Stirling a miss as we would already be visiting Edinburgh Castle.

Apologies for the late reply, was very busy with work over the week. Thanks everyone for the replies!

Mardee, your accomodation suggestions are a great help! Yes we will be doing a trip to Isle of Iona + St. Columba's Bay, Staffa & Lunga as well as some scenic drives around Mull. We would prefer to explore Iona on a new day, would not be combining with Staffa and Lunga as we feel we would be taking a few hours on Iona to roam around

Apologies for the late reply, was very busy with work this week. Thanks for the replies!
Skyegirl, oh yes our most preferred stop for lunch/brunch is Fort William & will be staying the night at Oban instead of Fort William as it is a long drive from Portree back to main island. We are taking your suggestion & grab lunch at the Highland Soap Company Visitor Centre!