Ross of Mull
===Introduction to South of Mull=== Phone code: +44 (0)1681
Mull's southernmost peninsula stretches west for 20 miles from the head of Loch Scridain as far as Iona. Most visitors use it merely as a route to Iona but, if you've got the time and the weather's good, there are a couple of interesting little detours along the way.
The first village is Pennyghael, which has two hotels overlooking the loch, Pennyghael Hotel, Tel. 704288, Fax. 704205, which is open from Easter to October and has an excellent restaurant and Kinloch Hotel, Tel. 704204, which serves cheap bar meals. A tortuous, twisting side road leads south from Pennyghael over the hills and down to Carsaig Bay, from where you can head east or west along the shore for some dramatic coastal scenery.
The next village is Bunessan, a fairly unappealing place but convenient for an early ferry to Iona. You can also find out everything about local history and culture at the Ross of Mull Historical Centre, on Pier Road. Info - Easter-Oct daily 1000-1630. There's a wide range of accommodation available.
Two roads lead south from Bunessan. One leads to Scoor, near where is a great beach at Kilveockan. The other road splits near the coast: the left branch leads to Uisken Bay, where there's a nice beach; the righthand branch leads to Ardlanish Bay, which also has a good beach. You can spend the night at Uisken Bay at Ardachy House Hotel, Uisken, by Bunessan, Tel./Fax. 700505, open Mar-Sep, 7 en suite rooms, or the idyllic Uisken Croft, Tel. 700307, open from April to October.
Eating Out
Sleeping and eating: Accommodation on South Mull
Just before Fionnphort is Achaban House, Tel. 700205, Fax. 700649, Achaban House 7 rooms. This former manse is comfortable and well-furnished, and also offers dinner. E-F Burnside, Tel. 700208. 1 room. 2 mins from ferry pier, friendly with great views of Iona. Eating options are limited to the Keel Row Bar & Restaurant, where you can get moderately priced meals and enjoy a drink by the fire in the cosy bar.
Region
Inner HebridesLocal Sights & Activities for Ross of Mull
Fionnphort
The road ends at Fionnphort, the departure point for the small passenger-only ferry to Iona, just a mile across the Sound of Iona. The village is little more than a car park, a row of houses, a pub and a shop, but there are several inexpensive B&Bs for those arriving too late to make the crossing. Even if you're not staying, it's worth stopping off in the village to visit the Columba Centre, a museum which relates the saint's life story. Info - Mid-May to end-Sep Mon-Sat 1000-1800, Sun 1100-1800. Adult £2, children £1.
A road runs south from Fionnphort a mile to a campsite at Fidden Farm, Tel. 700427. Further south is Knockvologan, opposite Erraid island, which is accessible at low tide. The island has literary connections, for it was here that Robert Louis Stevenson is believed to have written Kidnapped. Balfour Bay on the south of the island is named after the novel's hero who was shipwrecked here.