The Isle of Mull offers a wealth of attractions for families looking for an active holiday with plenty of things to do.

It offers an enviable diversity of wildlife thriving everywhere from dense woodland glens to the grassy slopes of Ben More. Its many miles of coastline boast fantastic sandy beaches – particularly at Calgary and Ardalanish – whilst off-shore is one of Europe’s prime habitats for whales and dolphins. Meanwhile, lively Tobermory has a bustling vitality and is a great place to visit or simply to walk around. The village will be familiar to everyone as the setting for Balamory and the brightly painted houses provide a colourful backdrop to the picture-postcard harbour.

A world away from all this, but in reality just a short ferry crossing, tiny Iona is a deeply spiritual place, a historic Christian pilgrimage and yet another peaceful wildlife habitat with some glorious beaches. If you would like more islands ,you can also visit Ulva and Staffa during your stay. Children will also enjoy the miniature steam train in Craignure that passes stunning scenery before arriving at Torosay Castle. Duart Castle is also worth a visit while in this part of the Island with its spooky reconstructions.
We have included two organised wildlife experiences in this holiday.

• A Land Rover wildife safari, which will not only give you a fantastic overview of the island's history and geography, but will also give you the chance to spot golden eagles, white-tailed sea eagles, otters and deer in their natural habitat.
  
• Your second adventure will be a memorable Marine Wildlife cruise. This half day trip, specilally designed for wildlife enthusiasts of all ages, explores these inshore waters which are rich in wildlife, and you can enjoy looking out for myriad seabirds, harbour porpoise, dolphins and if you are lucky, minke whales and basking sharks.

Your hotel choice

For this holiday we have selected a cosy 17th century droving inn, ideally situated between Tobermory and Calgary in the pretty estate village of Dervaig. Popular with the locals, who come from far and wide to soak up its convivial atmosphere, as well as with families, this is a place where visitors can enjoy traditional island hospitality, regular live music and wholesome highland fayre. Hearty meals and lighter bar snacks both feature fresh seafood and the finest Mull beef and venison and there is an extensive children's menu. Accommodation (including family rooms) is quietly situated away from the hustle and bustle of the bar and residents can escape to a private lounge/TV room with glorious views over the village and glen. This really is a delightful place to rub shoulders with the friendly folk of Mull and is convenient to visit both the sandy beaches of the north coast and the colourful village of Tobermory.

The price of the above holiday starts from £335 per adult and £185 per child (when sharing a family room with 2 adults) for 4 nights between April and October 2008 staying in a family run 3 star inn in the village of Dervaig on a bed & breakfast basis.

Prices include a 4 hour Marine wildlife adventure boat trip and full day wildlife safari, as well as return ferry travel to/from Mull. Saturday ferry tickets in either direction between May and August are subject to a £10 per adult peak sailing supplement.

The wildlife safari is only suitable for children aged 8 and over. For a family with younger children we can arrange a guide on an exclusive basis, for a supplement of £270 for a family of 4.

Read about this holiday in this article from the Observer in May 2007.

All our touring holidays include a map of Scotland with recommended routes from your specified starting point, suggestions on places to see and visit depending on your personal interests and our expertise to help you get the most from your holiday. All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.

The McKinlay Kidd Guarantee

All our holiday prices include a service charge of £7 per person per night towards the costs we incur in researching, planning and designing your holiday. We guarantee to refund this service charge if you believe that arranging your holiday through McKinlay Kidd has not met your expectations for value. All we ask is that you write to us within 7 days of your return and explain your reason for claiming the refund. This will ensure that we can improve the experience for all our future guests.