5 of the Best Isle of Mull Hill Walks

This month, we’ve got inspiration for the adventurous, as we bring you some of the best Isle of Mull hill walks to take on. Mull may only be home to one munro, the mighty Ben More, but it offers plenty of rugged and often pathless peaks for the adventurous hill walker to sink their boots into. Read on to discover the summits you could be ascending when you stay.

1 Ben More

It only makes sense to start with the island’s only munro, which is often bagged as the first or final munro by those keen to bag them all. Standing at 966m, it may not be the tallest of munros, but it is one of very few that you climb from sea level to summit, making it no small challenge. It’s also the only munro in Scotland accessible by boat!

The majority of hikers will begin their ascent from Dhiseig on the south shore of Loch na Keal, where a fairly well-trodden route ascends the mountainside, largely following the course of the Abhainn Dhiseig river as it flows down to the sea and cascades through pretty pools.

For a substantially more challenging, and exhilerating ascent, suitably competent climbers may ascend the remote and rugged nearby Beinn Fhada (702m) first, before scrambling at times across the A’Chioch Ridge to reach Ben More.

However you bag this munro, there’s a sheltered cairn at the top as you rest and refuel, while taking in outstanding views across to Mull’s outlying islands and inland to Mull’s mountainous interior and the mainland beyond, too.

2 Beinn Talaidh

Standing at 762m, Beinn Talaidh’s shape makes it a very visually appealing summit to tackle. Your route begins with a fairly long but straightforward hike through Glen Forsa, before the real ascent begins. There’s plenty of interest in the meantime, with the remains of the 1945 Dakota plane crash on the hillside, Highland cows roaming the grasslands and plenty of wildlife activity too. If you want to break the hike, the MBA’s Tomsleibhe Bothy offers a base to overnight in the glen.

3 Ben Buie

Another eye-catching peak, Ben Buie stands at 714m, but don’t let it’s less-than-munro status fool you into thinking this will be an easy climb! There are two popular ways to ascend – the first, beginning to the north at the Three Lochs in Glen More.

The second, arguably more challenging, but vastly more beautiful, route is a climb up from sea level at Lochbuie, trailing burns, crossing scree and navigating crags to reach the summit. The views are simply spectacular on a clear day.

4 Beinn na Drise

This Isle of Mull hill walk offers an easier climb, but still a really lovely view to reward you. Beginning from the island’s north west coast just north of Laggan Farm, follow a track initially, before following the course of the Laggan Burn most of the way to the summit at 424m. The trig point at the top offers excellent views over Loch Tuath and Loch na Keal.

5 Dun da Ghaoithe

Your initial ascent of Dun da Ghaoithe won’t feel terribly adventurous as you trace the route of a gravel track uphill to the series of masts, after which the path ends, but you only have about a third of the way left to go from here.

Continue pressing on uphill to the summit at 766m, where the reward for your efforts are spectacular views both across Loch Linnhe to the Grampian mountains on the mainland, and inwards on Mull across the mountainous central glens to Ben More too.

Discover plenty more epic hikes, from hill climbs to coastal routes, with our guide and OS map printables to walks on the Isle of Mull.