Western Isles Hotel

The Western Isles Hotel stands on the cliff above Tobermory, the largest of the Victorian-era buildings that the town’s better-off visitors put up in the 1880s when Mull was first reaching as a fashionable destination. From its position on Memorial Road, the hotel looks straight out over the harbour and across the Sound of Mull to the mainland; on a clear evening the view runs from Ardnamurchan in the north to Morvern in the south, with the lights of Lochaline pricking out after dark.

The building was opened in 1883 as a railway-and-steamer-era hotel for the Glasgow visitor traffic, the Caledonian and Oban Railway had reached Oban in 1880 and the David MacBrayne steamers were calling at Tobermory daily. The original Victorian range is more or less intact; a conservatory was added on the seaward side and now serves as one of the eating spaces. The restaurant and bar work both as a hotel offer and a destination for outside diners; the seafood comes off the local boats and the kitchen leans seasonally on Mull-reared meat alongside.

Memorial Road is a steep walk up the hill from the harbour, fifteen minutes on foot, and the climb is not gentle. Parking is on-site at the hotel. The walk back down to the seafront for the evening is the easier direction.

Rates, restaurant booking and current availability at the Western Isles Hotel website.