Think of it as a treasure hunt that every generation can enjoy. Geoacaching on Mull is a great way to find inspiration for walks to try, as you set off on new routes with a mission in mind: finding the cache! It might be hidden beneath a rock, tucked inside a tree stump or wedged within an old stone wall, or it may be stowed somewhere else entirely!

Geocaching on Mull will cultivate your curiosity as you explore new corners of the island that you might not have visited before. So, how can you get involved and where should you begin?

First, you’ll need to prepare your treasure hunting tools – that means having a GPS device, or a geocaching app downloaded to your phone to guide you once out hunting. You can also join geocaching.com, which is a great place to find cache coordinates and record your progress as you go.

Here are some of our favourite geocaching sites to discover on Mull:

1 The whisky cave at Treshnish

One of Mull’s best walks in its own right, you’ll pass through wildflower meadows and along dramatic coastline where the Treshnish Isles appear impossibly close. If you can tear your eyes away from the stunning scenery, then there are a number of caches to search for here, including in the whisky cave.

2 The standing stones at Glengorm

After setting your coordinates and sussing out the location of this cache, it’s only a short walk through stunning coastal scenery, with great views of Glengorm Castle and often passing Highland coos, to reach the wonderful café at Glengorm. Don’t miss the hearty soups, delicious burgers made with Glengorm beef and the mouth-watering array of cakes.

3 Salen Woods

A lovely circular walk that’s popular with locals climbs up through woodland, where at the high point fantastic views open up across to the Sound of Mull. Add a sense of adventure to this well-trodden footpath by finding the coordinates that conceal the cache.

4 Eas Fors

Over on the island’s remote west coast, Eas Fors waterfall cascades down the hillside before plunging into the sea loch below. A stunning view to enjoy as you search for the cache located in the surrounding area close by. If you choose to venture close to the waterfall, please take great care around the slippery rocks and keep well clear of the drops and away from the edge.

5 Rubh nan Gall Lighthouse

A wonderful there-and-back walk from the harbourfront in Tobermory, begin at the far end of the Main Street by the CalMac pier. Follow the footpath through coastal woodland to reach the beautiful lighthouse. There’s a lovely picnic bench and viewpoint along this path that makes a great place for a picnic after finding the cache.

As with all walks on Mull, be sure to choose routes that suit your ability and head out prepared. We hope we’ve inspired you to try geocaching on Mull and discover more of the island on foot.

Reconnecting with nature, recharging your batteries and exploring Mull’s most beautiful corners – this is the ambition of many who visit the island, and by simply carving a day out of your itinerary to dedicate to an all-day walk on the Isle of Mull, you can do exactly that.

Here are four ideas to get you started, with one for each corner of the island. Choose one or explore them all – the island is your oyster, enjoy it!

North Mull: The Treshnish Headland

This is a great choice for an all-day walk on the Isle of Mull that eases you in gently and rewards you with spectacular views. Beginning from the island’s west coast at the start of the Treshnish headland, just south of Calgary, a track takes you past Treshnish Farm and on towards the Coronation Meadow, where wild orchids and other native flowers grow in the breeze of the Atlantic.

Rounding the coast with views to the Treshnish Isles, you’ll pass over the ‘false’ beach – now a flat, grassy swathe, this was once at sea level! From here, the trail continues past the ruined village at Crackaig, before re-joining the single-track road to return to your starting point.

East Mull: Glenforsa and Ben Talaidh

Standing at almost 750m high, Ben Talaidh towers at the head of Glenforsa, and its iconic, conical peak can be seen from as far away as Tobermory in the island’s north east.

Climbing this Graham comes not only with fantastic scenery and views from the top though, as having followed the river Forsa through the farmed glen below, you’ll ascend past a bothy to the wreckage of a Dakota plane, which crashed into the mountain in 1945.

The summit affords excellent views across the island’s mountainous interior, west towards Loch Ba and Ben More, and east back to the Sound of Mull and mainland Scotland.

South Mull: Tireregan Nature Reserve

It always pays to be prepared when you head out walking on the Isle of Mull, but no where is this truer than of the Tireregan Nature Reserve. Although not featuring big ascents, the terrain here is challenging and you’ll navigate thick brush, woodland, bog and bracken as you make for the coast. For this reason, it’s a corner of Mull that often goes unexplored, feeling truly remote and untouched.

The reward for your efforts? A taste of Mull’s true wilderness, a wildlife haven, and one of the most unspoilt and beautiful beaches on the island – Traigh Gheal.

West Mull: Ardmeanach and The Burg

Another of Mull’s wildernesses, the Ardmeanach peninsula extends between Loch Scridain and Loch na Keal on the island’s south west coast. From the Scenic Route to Salen heading north, turn off towards Tiroran just after the small settlement of Kilfinichen and the adventure begins. It’s best to check the tides in advance, as the Fossil Tree at the end of the trail requires a low tide.

As you head west along the peninsula, you’ll pass a memorial cairn and the remains of Dun Bhuirg, affording historical interest along the way. Tracing the coastline, the views are rugged and spectacular. The grand finale of this walk is the Fossil Tree, cast in basalt lava and reached by an equally dramatic ladder bolted to the rocks! The return route retraces your steps, with excellent opportunity to enjoy the local wildlife as you go.

Find more inspiration for short to all-day walks on the Isle of Mull in our guide, complete with OS maps, route descriptions and photos.

The following photographic blog covers one of the Isle of Mull’s more remote and challenging areas, a lack of paths, difficulty navigating and tough terrain make this a serious expedition for the experienced only. This is not a suggested route!

Situated in the Isle of Mull’s south east the Laggan Deer Forest lies to the south west of Croggan on an area of land that is connected to the rest of Mull by two narrow isthmuses, one at Kinlochspelve, another at Lochbuie.

A glance at the map reveals that this is an area with interesting geology, history and some intriguing place names, from Glen Libidil, to Lord Lovat’s Cave.

Our day began with a spectacular sunrise over Loch Spelve, a large sea loch with a narrow opening to the Firth of Lorne at Croggan.

Starting our walk at Kinlochspelve by climbing the rugged hills via Gleann Bheag we began descending into Glen Libidil. There are many signs of former settlements on the hills here, thought to vary in age from the neolithic, to the medieval times up until recent history.

Glen Libidil means deep valley, or more accurately dale, an apt description that perfectly describes the lay of the land. There are areas of interest here for geology fans, including exposed Jurassic rocks and volcanic formations.

Reaching the coast at Glen Libidil there are excellent views over Argyll’s southern islands, including Scarba, Jura, Islay and closer to Mull the long chain of the Garvallachs. Winter gales had washed large quantities of kelp ashore, which was much appreciated by both the red deer and wild goats we saw dining in the area!

From here we followed the coastline heading south east toward Frank Lockwood’s island. The terrain here is beautiful, a mixture of cliffs, gnarled oak trees, waterfalls and raised beaches. The sea views are superb and an eye should be kept open for passing porpoise and otters. To the skies there are common sighting of eagles and the majestic red deer appear to thrive in the area, perhaps justifying the name Laggan Deer Forest.

Also of note along this section of coast are the remains of a shipwreck most probably the RFA Maine a vessel that was being used as a hospital ship when it was wrecked ashore on 21 June 1914 in dense fog whilst sailing toward Oban. The ship struck Frank Lockwood’s island, however the remains of the vessel have now washed up over a very wide area.

We paused for snacks and coffee at the beautiful pebble beach below Uirigh na Salach past which point we found the difficulty of the coastal terrain led us to backtracking to climb (some very steep ground!) uphill before descending again towards the bay of Port Ohirnie, one of the few sizeable bays along this rugged stretch of coastline and a listed anchorage for boats.

Port Ohirinie has an area of gently sloping ground with mature oak and ash trees along the coast. The beautiful Allt Ohirnie and Allt Bealach Luirginn combine to form a small river which flows into the bay. The remains of a small bothy or possible black house sit to the eastern side of the bay.

Continuing on we rounded Rubha nam Fear before the views over Frank Lockwood’s island open up. Frank Lockwood was a Liberal MP of the city of York and was said to be fond of visiting the island from Lochbuie in a rowing boat. The low lying island is host to a variety of birds and must have stunning views back towards Mull’s coast, which is especially rugged and dramatic in this area.

From here onward the terrain again becomes increasingly difficult. passing between huge cliffs and steep boulder and scree fields we headed north aiming for Rubha na Faolinn with plans for exploring some of the incredible geology and features along the way.

As we neared Lord Lovat’s bay we were optimistic that we may be able to explore Lord Lovat’s Cave. During the 1745 Jacobite rebellion Lord Lovat hid here in a cave with a chamber of around fifty feet in length. Lovat was a Jacobite and clan chief, known to switch allegiances at points he was eventually defeated at the Battle of Culloden and beheaded. During his time int he cave he was helped by the owners of Lochbuie House who supplied with with provisions.

Unfortunately a landslide of rocks has blocked the entrance to the cave, so our exploring was limited! However the area does still has a special feel to it if you are feeling imaginative!

Our route continued around the coast towards the stunning Laggan and Lochbuie, one of Mull’s most picturesque areas to visit. We opted to explore some of the hill country here too, before finishing our day with assistance of head torches!

If you would like to plan your next day out on the island then you may be interested in our series of more conventional walking routes, all detailed with Ordnance survey maps with routes marked on and photographs of the terrain: Isle of Mull Walking Guide

We’ve all had a little more time than usual to explore the local landscapes lately. It’s been no different here on the Isle of Mull, with many of us heading out to enjoy the coastline, woodlands and glens on our doorsteps. Here, we hope to inspire you to explore the island on foot with some of the best walks on the Isle of Mull.

Choose from these five of our favourites to get you started, from hill walks to wildflower meadows and geological wonders.

1 Summit Ben More

Of course, no guide to the best walks on the Isle of Mull would be complete without a nod to the island’s only munro. Ben More makes a fantastic peak to climb starting from the shore of Loch na Keal at Dhiseig.

In fine weather, enjoy clear skies and fantastic views over Mull’s mountainous interior from the top, as well as excellent panoramas across to Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles as you descend. For a more challenging climb, ascend via Beinn Fada.

2 Marvel at the Carsaig Arches

One of Mull’s most photographed features by intrepid walkers, the path to the Carsaig Arches is not for the faint hearted, but promises a breath-taking natural spectacle at the end.

It’s best done in fine weather as you hug the exposed, rocky coastline on the there and back route. You may find sure-footed wild goats and red deer keep you company!

3 Walk among the wildflowers

If you’re staying in a cottage in the north of the island, make a point of planning the Treshnish Point circular walk during your stay. Parking on the west coast of the island, this track leads you around the coastline past pebble beaches, the whisky cave and ruined village of Craickag.

There’s a chance to spot cetaceans off the coast, but what makes this walk most remarkable is the stunning display of wildflowers in early summer.

4 Trek to the Fossil Tree

Keen walkers will relish the opportunity to explore the remote and wild Burg peninsula in the south west of the island.

Parking in the designated area at Tiroran, head out for an all-day hike and experience some of Mull’s most remarkable coastal landscapes and wildlife, as well as the remains of a historic dun.

Consider the tides before setting out to ensure you’ll be able to descend to the Fossil Tree, before retracing your steps.

5 Venture beyond the Three Lochs

The Three Lochs are a regular pausing point for those enjoying the stunning drive through Glen More, but few venture further than the viewpoint. However, the surrounds of this chain of lochs offer excellent walking opportunities.

Enjoy a low level amble around the lochs themselves, keeping your eye out for hen harriers and short eared owls quartering the grassland. For hill walkers, the climb up Ben Fhada, with the optional addition of Creach Beinn, will offer plenty of interest. Although not always a path well trodden, this is undoubtedly one of the best walks on the Isle of Mull with stunning scenery on both routes.

Discover more fantastic walks on Mull in our extensive guide.

It’s easy to see how the headland dubbed Mull’s wilderness peninsula earned its name. Venture out on the tidal walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree and you’ll experience the wilds first hand, for while the route is for much of the way straight forward, the views are ruggedly magnificent.

Then, upon reaching the final leg of the outwards journey, the lower level scramble over rocks along the shore and the descent of the metal ladder to get there certainly add to the challenge. One made well worth it by the spectacular waterfalls and 55 million year old fossil tree.

Reaching the start

The walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree begins just beyond Tiroran in south west Mull, so Gardener’s Cottage, Woodland Cottage and The Old Byre make excellent bases from which to begin the hike.

Coming from the Ross of Mull, turn left onto the ‘Scenic Route to Salen’, then a few miles on, take another left signposted to Tiroran and Burg. Continue along the lane until you reach the parking area. Coming from the north, follow the coast road along Loch na Keal heading south. Pass the Gribun cliffs and later, the Tiroran Community Forest before turning right at the signpost for Tiroran and Burg.

The walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree

The walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree follows the southern coastline of the Ardmeanach peninsula for much of the way, before rounding the headland as you approach the tree. Cast your gaze in the direction of loch Scridain, which sits at your side all the way out, and take in the beautiful Ross of Mull scenery beyond. There are eagles to watch, wildlife to spot and – if you’re very lucky – perhaps even a passing pod of dolphins.

The route is easy going to start with, both for the navigator and for the feet. Simply follow the track towards the farm at Burg and then onwards through the woodland and the memorial to Daisy Cheape.

Bearing north to follow the coast round the peninsula, you enter the final stage of the walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree. It’s here that the journey begins to feel more like a hike. Waterfalls punctuate the sea and wilderness views, being all the more atmospheric after a period of rain. When you reach the metal ladder, descend carefully to the rock-strewn shoreline below before reaching the fossil tree.

As you’ll be on the shore, this walk is best planned carefully with the tides to ensure you can actually reach the rocky beach below to explore. Turn away from the sea to face the cliff you just descended and take in the majesty of the fossil tree remnants, dramatically displayed within their basalt lava cast, before returning the way you came.

The walk to MacCulloch’s Fossil Tree will take the best part of the day. Prepare to enjoy some of the most staggering Isle of Mull scenery as you venture there and back.

If you plan to enjoy some of Mull’s best walks, don’t miss our guide to the hike to Carsaig Arches too.