Everything starts in Oban, three hours from Glasgow. From there a large car ferry crosses to Craignure on Mull. Iona is a second, short ferry from the far end of Mull; Staffa is reached only by small tour boats.
Routes at a glance
| From | How | Time | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow | ScotRail train to Oban (West Highland Line) | about 3 hours | from around £15–30 |
| Glasgow | Car by Loch Lomond and Inveraray or Tyndrum | about 2½ hours | fuel |
| Edinburgh | Car, or train via Glasgow | about 3 hours / 4¼ hours | train from around £25 |
| Oban | CalMac ferry to Craignure (Mull) | about 50 min | a few pounds on foot; cars extra — book ahead |
| Craignure | Bus or car to Tobermory / Fionnphort | about 45 min / 1¼ hours | bus around £8–12 |
| Fionnphort | CalMac passenger ferry to Iona | about 10 min | a few pounds return |
Times and prices are approximate and change with season and booking date — check operators for current timetables and fares.
Getting to Oban
Trains from Glasgow Queen Street run several times a day along the West Highland Line, splitting from the Fort William route at Crianlarich; the station is beside the ferry terminal. Citylink coaches from Glasgow take about three hours. By car, the route by Loch Lomond, the Rest and Be Thankful pass and Inveraray is the more scenic; the road through Tyndrum is slightly quicker. From Fort William, Oban is about an hour south.
Ferries to Mull
The main route is Oban–Craignure, with several sailings a day. Foot passengers can normally just turn up; vehicles should be booked well ahead in summer, at weekends and around school holidays. Two shorter crossings need no booking: Lochaline–Fishnish (about 18 minutes, from the Morvern peninsula) and Kilchoan–Tobermory (about 35 minutes, from Ardnamurchan). CalMac’s west-coast fleet has had well-publicised reliability problems, and weather also causes cancellations: check the service status the evening before and on the morning of travel, and avoid tight onward connections.
Across Mull to Iona
From Craignure, the road to Fionnphort is 35 miles of mostly single-track through Glen More and along the Ross of Mull: allow an hour and a quarter. Buses connect with the main ferries in both directions, which makes a day trip to Iona on public transport perfectly possible. The Iona ferry is frequent in summer and less so in winter; only residents’ vehicles are carried. Leave your car in the car park at Fionnphort.
Getting around Mull
A car gives the most freedom. Roads are nearly all single-track with passing places — see our driving etiquette — and locals have ferries to catch, so pull in and let them by. Without a car, buses run from Craignure to Tobermory and to Fionnphort, timed to meet ferries, with a much-reduced service on Sundays; guided tours and boat trips cover most other needs. Cycling is rewarding but hilly.
