A day on Mull - should we skip Iona in favor of Tobermory?

Due to an an issue elsewhere on the network bookings from Oban are closed for 5 to 23 July while CalMac move prebooked passengers.
Thus we don't know if there is availability. It is very doubtful though as they are now hundreds of car spaces short and even more foot passenger spaces short.
Crikey me, that was utterly unforeseen.
The suggestion would have been to drive round to Fishnish for the unbookable ferry. However that route is likely to be overwhelmed.
Yes you could do Tobermory. Personally I don't know what to advise. The Tobermory buses are likely to be very, very busy with others in the same predicament, and you have spent a large amount of money on a tour you aren't doing.
I would be somewhat anxious about bus capacity.
Cutting your losses and doing Iona may be for the best.
In peak season that is a nightmare for Mull.

Emma, we really enjoyed the 2 island tour to Mull and Iona. Iona is very special. A few shops and cafes and, of course, the Abbey.

I haven't been to Tobermory, so I can't give an opinion.

But, if you are thinking of booking the 2 island tour, book ASAP before it is sold out. You can always nail down transportation from Craignure to Tobermory later.

I can't comment on Tobermory as I haven't been there, tho it looks lovely and I hope to visit one day (also one of my favourite whiskeys). I have done the "three island tour" from Oban before, which sounds a lot like what you are doing, but included Staffa as well. If it's the same as your tour, it would have been a bit awkward to break off from the tour once getting over to Craignure as everything was all set up to move everyone along to the next part of the tour (bus to Fionnphort, ferry to Iona, then ferry back to Fionnphort and straight out again to Staffa). I'm also not sure if the bus times all line up nicely for you to have a good amount of time in Tobermory and get back to Craignure in time. Personally I really enjoyed the three island tour- Iona is such a special place and feels very unique. If you have the option for Staffa as well, and you are able to land, that is truly amazing as you get up close with puffins and visit Fingal's Cave. I think I would do that if just getting your own way across to Mull and over to Tobermory is not an option due to ferries being booked up.

That's a tough question to answer. All things being equal, it's still tough to answer. Both are very unique.

Iona is very small and mostly consists of ruins, beaches, hiking, and a couple of shops and cafes. You could easily see Iona (if you didn't want to hike) in less than 2 hours.

Tobermory, on the other hand, has a lot more to offer. It has the lovely coastal charm, colorful buildings on the harbor, lots of interesting shops, cafes and restaurants, and there is some lovely hiking there as well.

In the end, I enjoyed Iona, but I loved Tobermory and would easily go back again. So speaking for myself, I would head for Tobermory. Regardless, I hope you get the option to do one or the other. I'm sorry about the ferry—it's been a bad year for Calmac.

While the Westcoast Tours 2 Island tour flows nicely from ferry to bus to ferry and back again, it was up to us to get ourselves on the ferries and buses. It would have been easy to get off the ferry and walk away and do our own thing.

You do need to pick up your ferry tickets from the Oban office before your tour. I would just let them know you're only going to use the roundtrip Oban to Craignure ferry tickets and ask if there was anything you should be aware of.

I can’t imagine going to Mull on a first visit and not seeing Iona.The drive out is beautiful - more scenic than the drive up to `Tobermory and will give you, IMO, a much better sense of the loveliness of Mull.Iona itself is gorgeous, pretty little village with an excellent small hotel for lunch or coffee, the Argyll Hotel.The Abbey and Nunnery of course but beyond that, another stunning corner of Scotland, the North End beaches with wonderful coastal views all around (again, to me, on a different scale again than the coast at Tobermory, although that is indeed lovely.)

I really like Tobermory and Mull is somewhere we visit at least a couple of times every year, a huge favourite.
However, It does sound as if Tobermory is the place for you , given what you have said.If so and the fact that you will have a lot of time there, then consider doing the Lighthouse Path walk which begins at the little harbour where the ferry to Kilchoan comes in.

Thank you so much to everyone who's replied! All the replies are so thoughtful and helpful and really addressed what my quandaries were. Overall the consensus seems to be that we shouldn't give up a chance to visit Iona, and in addition it might be a little awkward to split with the tour. It was also interesting to hear that the scenery on Mull that we will see is more dramatic than what we would see if we just went to Tobermory. I already bought the tour tickets, so we will stick with it and enjoy Iona! Although sad to miss Tobermory, we will visit other small villages on our trip and will get our fill then. (I'm sure Oban has nice shops to buy souvenirs and sweaters and shortbread and all that wonderful stuff! And we'll be in Portree a few days later.) Every trip has its surprises (especially if, like me, you don't think ahead and book things far in advance), and it's all about being flexible and rolling with it! :)

Emma, don't despair—there are some nice shops on Iona that will have fun and interesting gifts and souvenirs and bags (my personal favorite to buy, lol!). I lusted after one gorgeous handmade bag I found but it was sadly too pricey (and my bar is pretty low when it comes to buying bags). :-)

Also, there is a nice cafe on Iona with some wonderful sweets. Two things you should definitely try if you see them (and you will). One is Millionaire's Shortbread, which is a shortbread base, a layer of caramel, and a topping of chocolate that is really incredible. The other is Tablet, which is kind of like vanilla fudge but way better. Fudge is usually smooth and soft, but Tablet has a more crumbly, slightly grainy texture. Again, it's delicious and you need to try it. :-) You will find both of them all over Scotland.

I've been to Mull twice and never been to Iona. I've been to Tobermory a lot and know that road between Salen and Tobermory well. I stayed with someone who originated from Bo'ness, but was living and working on the island at that point. She had a house nearer Salen (the old schoolhouse?), a friend of my mother's. It was only a tiny village of a few houses. Mull Pottery is still going. I'm not sure if it's the same person from way back that runs it.

My mother has been to Iona, possibly a couple of times. I remember her mentioning that John Smith, former Labour Party leader, is buried there in the churchyard.

Be careful, really good Tablet can be addicting.

A tip regarding the Westcoast Tours' buses at Craignure when you get off the ferry, There will be a lot of them. There was a line of people boarding the first couple buses in line. One of the drivers pointed to his empty bus and told us to go ahead and board. We immediately headed upstairs and got the fabulous front row seats. Perfect view all the way.

Enjoy your trip!

There’s no wrong answer for this dilemma. I think Iona is fabulous on a beautiful day. If it is pouring rain, maybe not as great. I also think it will might be possible to change your mind and head to Tobermory from Craignure if the weather is bad. You might still be impacted, but there are more places to get in out of the rain. But I would definitely clarify that with West Coach Motors when you pick up your tour tickets.

I've been over to Calgary Beach in the car a couple of times. It's a good run from Salen. Back across to Tobermory via Dervaig and Achnadrish, and back to Salen.

Calgary Beach is like The Caribbean on a good day. It's quite spectacular with the white sands and blue seas.

One thing that always stuck with me was my mother's friend telling us in all seriousness about a practicing coven of witches on the island. They could sometimes be seen meeting in a forested area on the island, bonfires, etc. That was on a drive back from Calgary, somewhere between Dervaig and Tobermory I'd reckon, if my memory serves.

ETA: That is definitely the same place my mother's friend owned for a while, maybe 30 years ago. I stayed there twice.

If I'm rambling about Mull, I remember fishing for mackrel with a big string of feathers, like you would do from piers on the Clyde coast in late July or August. It was just too snaggy to fish from the shore at Salen, and I gave up pretty quickly.

I think my general point is that Mull is interesting and fun enough, even without seeing Iona this time.

For anyone else reading this a glimmer of hope tonight - CalMac are trying to source another ferry to provide a 2 vessel service on the Lochaline to Fishnish route. This is NOT yet confirmed and will probably be at the expense of another island community. This will NOT be able to take all the displaced traffic IF It happens, but will help.

It is also worth saying that in such a case (not weather delays) passenger rights apply.
A delay of over 90 minutes you can claim for a £2 non alcoholic drink, over 4 hours a £7 snack and drink, over 8 hours a £15 meal and drink, then a £7 snack and drink for every further 4 hours.
For each overnight stay, up to 3 nights £100.
To drive to another port up to 63 miles expenses.
No consequential costs will be covered- such as parking costs, unused accommodation or car rental, clothes or toiletries, pre purchased excursions or alternative travel costs such as flying. Those costs are to be covered by personal insurance.

My mother has been to Iona, possibly a couple of times. I remember her mentioning that John Smith, former Labour Party leader, is buried there in the churchyard.

Supposedly, so was the "real" Macbeth, one time king of Scotland.

@jeanm: Thank you for the tips about the busses!
@Mardee: I am so excited about the millionaire's shortbread, and especially the tablet! I will never forget going to Scotland as a child and eating the most delicious crumbly, almost grainy fudge. I've never encountered it anywhere else, and I only recently learned that it is a delicacy of Scotland and has a (strange) name: tablet. :) And it's great to know there are shops on Iona.
@GerryM: Thank you for the anecdotes! I went to Mull once as a child, and we also fished for mackerel!
@TexasTravelMom: I hadn't even thought about rain. I'll keep that in mind.

Another thing to bear in mind on Iona is wind. The Iona ferry is very susceptible to wind. It has been off service today for a number of hours for that reason while the Craignure ferry has been running.
I guess West Coast Motors would take you on a bus tour of Mull instead if that happened.
Although fairly meaningless so far out the current forecast for Oban for next Wednesday to Saturday is rain and light winds for all 4 days.

Emma, you will also find Tablet ice cream in some places. https://www.mackies.co.uk/ice-cream/flavours/scottish-tablet/

And just remember, calories don't count if you're traveling. :-)

John Smith, former Labour Party leader, is buried there in the churchyard

OP, I see your name is Smith too. It took me until after Mardee said "Emma" to realise.

I'll link below to John Smith's Wikipedia. My memory of him is that he seemed like an all round good guy, a bit nice to be a politician.[edit: a Labour leader, anyway]

There's a handful of decent Labour politicians from Scotland from that era. Gordon Brown is still going, and he seems to do a decent job for his constituents from the backbenches these days, John Smith, who we talked about, and the late Donald Dewar, who was a good advocate for Scotland, just when the devolved parliament was being set up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Smith_(Labour_Party_leader)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Dewar
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Brown

NOTE- CalMac have now reopened bookings up to 10 July as of 6am this morning.
On each day there IS currently availability (both car and foot pax) on the first sailing out of Oban, and the last one or two sailings back.
ALL sailings on the days which are open have foot passenger availability.
Sailings for 12 July will be re-opened as soon as pre -booked passengers have been contacted and given first option to rebook.

So this does reopen options to Tobermory.

Looking at vehicle allocations for today the service buses to both Tobermory and Iona have double deckers assigned.
The tour to Iona costs £56, DIY It is £33.80, you arrive before the tour buses and leave well after them if on the service bus.
Tobermory DIY is 2 x £4.60 + £19.80 Mull 24 hour bus ticket on the West Coast Motors App= £29.
If you cancel the tour up to 24 hours ahead you lose just £1.50 ($2) to answer Gerry's question.

Fingers crossed for the ferry for the 12th then. What's the refund policy with West Coast Motors? I think Emma has paid already.

Thanks, all! I was so swayed by people's enthusiasm for Iona that we've decided to stick with the plan and go with the tour. I feel like it's all worked out for the best in the end. It is definitely interesting, though, that walk-on spots opened up on the ferry. (It's all very confusing, but I guess that's what makes travel fun!) Thank you so much, @jeanm, for your message! Yes, I agree that while planning travel, sometimes we just have to take a leap and do what seems best in the moment, with the limited knowledge we have.

Good to know that if the ferry cannot run due to wind, there will be an alternate plan.

And yes, calories don't count on vacation! I looked up the tearoom at the Iona Heritage Centre Garden Cafe and it looks like a lovely place for lunch, with soup, homemade bread, and baked goods.

Getting very excited for our trip!

I'm not sure if I'd bother going out to Mull at all if all that was available was a tour to Iona and I wanted to go to Tobermory. I'd probably do something else instead rather than booking a tour I didn't really want to go on.

Emma, your welcome and have a wonderful time in Scotland!

Emma, it sounds like the tour will work for you! I honestly think that no matter what you decide, you will have a fantastic trip. Scotland is wonderful—every part of it, and there's very little ways you can go wrong.

And keep in mind that it will be waiting for you in the future. I spent 3 1/2 weeks there in 2023, and that trip just whetted my appetite for more. I'm hoping to get back in the next few years. I'm planning to visit the Outer Hebrides and hopefully Shetland and Orkney.

I do hope you'll come back and write a trip report. I would love to hear how your trip went overall.

What time is the earliest sailing Oban - Craignure in the morning, just out of curiosity? Sounds like a really nice sailing at silly o'clock in the morning if you get a nice day for it. More than enough light at 4 or 5am 12th July I'd imagine.

The first sailing is at 0715, except on a Monday when it's at 0630.
Earlier because the return brings the Mull school children who board at Oban school during the week.

If you take that early sailing over and are on the service bus you have time both for Tobermory and the bus to Calgary Beach on a sunny day.

The very early sailing to Lismore especially can be sublime on a good day.

In the winter (and some early and late summer ones) the service bus fares on Mull are about half those of summer daytime as they are council supported for the locals who use the bus

It would be nice if you get a nice calm day for it at that time in the morning.

On a Sunday I used to love the Sunday lunch cruise from Oban to Coll and Tiree.

You left a still and quiet town at 6.45am (now 7am) when the weather patterns can be amazing , specially late in the year), back at 3pm. On the way back a section of the restaurant was cordoned off, with laid tables, waiter service and a roast lunch menu. Since Covid it's just the standard CalMac meals in the normal restaurant.
Afterwards the ship did (and still does, now just a normal service sailing) a Sunday evening meal sunset cruise to Colonsay.
Once I did them back to back on a not to be forgotten day.
Ardrossan to Campbeltown was another Sunday lunch special before Covid.

I did the always very rare Barra to Oban overnight twice. You came past Ardnamurchan around 4am, then down the Sound of Mull as the sun rose. That was breathtaking.

And if you're ever in Oban for the Waverley doing her annual 7am Oban North Pier to Fort William sailing that is not to be missed. I've done that at dusk on the Caledonian Canal cruise ship as well, arriving into Oban just as night fell.

On Iona I like getting to really know the island fully, not just the village area where most of the day trippers stay. I can easily spend a day there, and have, actually running out of time. In fact I would love to overnight there. For me two hours is nowhere near long enough.

In the evening at Oban I like strolling down the Corran Esplanade to the War Memorial and back at dusk and just enjoying the setting of Oban Bay.

I've enjoyed my morning coffee in the back garden at 4:30 or 5am several times since the weather's been nice. It's a different atmosphere even here in London at that time in the morning. Some of these sailings you mention on the west coast would be great July and August, when there's loads of light from really early in the morning.

Emma, getting this post back to you and your trip. If your planning on dining out during your trip to Scotland, make reservations. Even simple pub restaurants book up in advance for evening meals.

Oban is known as the seafood capital of Scotland. Enjoy!

Glad you’re all sorted!
Mull is just beautiful as is Iona.Iona does very well for a tiny island re cafe/coffee outlets and nice places for lunch.My own favourite is the Argyll Hotel which has a lovely grassy outdoor terrace - good for tea a homemade cakes too if you want a snack.The St Columba Hotel also has a big garden for lunch and tea etc though food in the Argyll is better IMO.
One point about weather - it can be raining on mountainous Mull but sunny on Iona -or at least , dry! It’s a low lying island so Mull tend to cop the low cloud coming in.
We were most recently on Mull and Iona in April and they are just a delight to be on, no matter how often we’ve visited.
Several attractive wee gift shops on Iona too as well as at Craignure (plus a Chocolate Shop, island-made selections.)
Tablet - I love it if it’s the real deal.Rob’s Tablet sold in Gloagburn Farm Shop (great casual food stop near Perth) is home-made stuff and first class.

@jeanm - Yes, the reading I've been doing has alerted me to the fact that reservations are often necessary this time of year! I did some quick research and managed to make a reservation in Oban at a restaurant called Ee-Usk Seafood. I also read about a take-out spot called Oban Seafood Hut. We have two nights in Oban, so I think we'll do that for our other night.

I am actually keeping an eye on the CalMac site and if walk-on tickets to Mull open up again, I may end up buying those and getting refunded for our tour tickets. In that case, we'll spend the day in Tobermory. I read about a few lunch places to eat there, including one called Cafe Fish, which has great reviews. If that doesn't work out, I'd be happy with a casual cafe like the Sgriob-Ruadh farm shop and garden cafe. it looks wonderful. (And I also want to buy some cheese to bring back for a picnic the following day.)

If we do stick with Iona, the options people have mentioned sound great, including the Argyll Hotel. Hopefully they don't require reservations?

On the topic of reservations, we are going to be on Skye for the following Sunday and Monday nights. Unfortunately, that's exactly the nights many restaurants close! And for others, it's probably too late to make reservations. So we will probably just do the local chippy, or a cheese and bread picnic!

Emma, will you be near Portree? Just outside of town there's a pizza place, Gasta Port Righ open on Mondays. If you can't get a table, you could take away.

We picked up smoked salmon, bread and cheeses and supplemented it with some things from the Coop one night.

For Iona no you don't need reservations at the Argyll for lunch- they are recommended for dinner. Note the word recommended, as opposed to essential.
That is because there are only a certain number of people who can be on the island overnight.
Another casual option is the Rookery cafe at the Heritage Centre. Given the very limited time the tour is on Iona, probably a more time efficient option.

Foot passenger bookings are now open until 17 July, with good availability on 12 July, except the 9am morning peak sailing which takes the West Coast Tours people over. All evening sailings are available.

I read about a few lunch places to eat there, including one called Cafe Fish, which has great reviews.

I liked Cafe Fish (be aware that they only accept cash). However, my favorite place was Galleon Bistro, where I had the best meal of my stay there. My entree was a locally caught fish cake in a dill, caper and lemon sauce, and was to die for. It was actually a starter but was large enough for an entree, and allowed me to make room for sticky toffee pudding. But you can't go wrong with either. Just make sure you have cash at Cafe Fish, though, like I said. That's the only place that doesn't accept credit cards.

Also, if you do get to Tobermory, the Tobermory bakery has the best Millionaire's Shortbread I've had in Scotland. It was so good! It's also a great place to stop for lunch as they have very good takeaway sandwiches. Just make sure you get there early, as they sell out fast.

And for others, it's probably too late to make reservations.

Not necessarily. Except for a few places (more high end) I found that a lot places have openings up through a few days ahead, especially if you're looking for a lunch place. It certainly wouldn't hurt to check.

Also,, there should be plenty of places open on Sunday. I know Dulce & Brose is open as is Antler's Bar & Grill. Both of them have good food. And I would check to see if they have reservations now. Seriously, I know that Antler's usually doesn't book fully up till just a few days ahead, and possibly others as well.

Thanks for the recommendation, Mardee. I made a reservation at the Antler's! There were only spots available in the bar for dinner (though lunch was wide open), but that's fine.

I liked Cafe Fish (be aware that they only accept cash). However, my favorite place was Galleon Bistro, where I had the best meal of my stay there.

@mardee, it has changed ownership since I was there, but I agree. It was excellent, and possibly the best steak I have had in the United Kingdom as a citizen and resident of said country!

@mardee, it has changed ownership since I was there, but I agree. It was excellent, and possibly the best steak I have had in the United Kingdom as a citizen and resident of said country!

Oh, good to know! I know mine was the most wonderful meal ever. I still remember that meal and how good it was. And the sticky toffee pudding (served with caramel ice cream) was just about perfect.

I have GOT to find someone who will open a sticky toffee pudding restaurant here in the states; preferably in Minnesota. The taste buds want what the taste buds want...