Druimnacroish is a small, friendly hotel, run by its owners and situated in a dramatic rural wilderness.

We always make time to help you make the most of a visit, and invite you to ask us anything at all about planning your trip. And however your plans turn out, we wish you a most enjoyable holiday.

Druimnacroish (pronounced Drum-na-crosh) sits on the western slopes of Glen Bellart in the north of the island. Until the 19th century a settlement, farm house and water mill, the buildings have now been refurbished as a small hotel.

Druimnacroish is a substantial stone building. The hotel is around two miles south of Dervaig on the road to Salen and around ten miles from Tobermory.

The glen is wonderfully peaceful, and the views from the hotel are superb. The rural setting provides a tranquil and restful atmosphere.

The building was restored from ruins as a hotel, and all the guest rooms have been given views to the front.

Druimnacroish is surrounded by three acres of gardens which produce flowers for the hotel as well as vegetables for the table.

The view from the garden goes right down the glen to the sea at Loch Cuin. If you time it right, you can just see the ferry to Tiree pass on the horizon.

This side of the building used to have the mill wheel in centuries past. While the water still flows through the gardens, the wheel is long gone.

Rooms:

Druimnacroish is a spacious hotel with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. There are just six guest bedrooms, a dining room, two lounges and a large conservatory. There is plenty of parking and a large mature garden.

The bedrooms have double or twin beds and are all en-suite with bath and/or shower. Two bedrooms are on the ground floor. All the rooms are a good size although one is particularly spacious.

The dining room seats just twelve and although we also take bookings from non-residents, we normally offer to hold a table for you on the evening you arrive.

One of the lounges has a log fire, but in summer the most popular place by far is the conservatory with its splendid views over the glen.

We have good supplies of maps and books with local interest and guests are welcome to borrow these. We also keep a good selection of board games and a variety of paperback fiction.

The hotel is licensed for residents and diners. Smoking is restricted to one of the lounges and is not permitted in guest bedrooms.

We are always available to see that you have whatever you require, and naturally take a personal interest in everything that's going on.

Food:

Our daily changing dinner menu usually offers two or three choices per course. We can't help but be influenced by the abundance of quality produce we have around us and we feature it as much as we can, serving local fish and shellfish, beef, venison, lamb, cheese and eggs.

We grow some of our own vegetables and, rabbits permitting, try to have something from the garden each day.

Occasionally a stray haggis finds its way into the garden and if we catch it, you can expect to see it on the menu the next day...

We can always cater for vegetarians or other dietary requirements, but we do ask that you give us advance notice if you have particular preferences.

We maintain a fairly short but we hope eclectic wine list with selections from France, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Chile and Mexico. We also stock a variety of Scottish and Dutch beers as well as a good selection of soft drinks.

At Breakfast time in addition to porridge, fruit and yoghurt we offer a range of dishes based on eggs, smoked fish and haggis as well as the " traditional" sausage, bacon & eggs.

If you would like a packed lunch, we are happy to provide you with sandwiches, fruit and a flask of coffee or tea. We bake all our own bread, so we need to know the evening before if you want sandwiches, or we may not have enough.

Activities Year Round:

The west coast of Scotland catches the Gulf Stream across the Atlantic and is reliably milder than the central or eastern mainland. Nearby Tiree is the sunniest place in the country.

However the weather can change rapidly and the clouds can be seen racing down the glen bringing rain and, in winter, hail showers.

The clear bright winter days are short but as memorable as the long summer evenings with their spectacular sunsets.

The seasons and the changing weather bring continuously changing light; the colours of the landscape have us in awe the whole year round.

Daily Activities:

We can recommend a whole range of great days out from Druimnacroish - taking into account things like the weather as well as how adventurous you're feeling.

For walkers we might suggest a route around the Treshnish headland which offers fantastic sea views, cliffs and caves. If your interests include fishing or golf, we can also point you in the right directions.

For those who enjoy walking, there are countless destinations, and we have guide books for many of them. For example, Ben More is a serious day's climbing. But there are also plenty of easy to follow, shorter routes from the roadside to viewpoints and places of interest.

One of the best ways to see and learn more about the rarer wildlife including otters and eagles is to join a small group led by a local expert for a guided "safari".

Local boat operators run day cruises and charters. Some set out to follow dolphins and whales, others visit the smaller islands like Staffa with Fingal's Cave, or Lunga where the puffins nest from late April to mid August.

You can also see a good deal of wildlife in and around our own gardens here at Druimnacroish. And you can always spend time in front of the fire after dinner, perhaps with a glass of malt, reading up on what you might do tomorrow...

About The Isle:

The Isle of Mull lies just off the west coast of Scotland. One of the larger islands in the Inner Hebrides, it is relatively accessible and boasts a dramatic and varied landscape.

As the eagle flies, the island is around 30 miles from north to south, but there are over 300 miles of coastline. The mountains in the central part of the island rise over 3000 feet but give way in the north and south west to rolling hills, rocky coast and sandy beaches.

Along with the smaller islands offshore (including Ulva, Iona and Staffa), Mull offers a splendid and unspoilt habitat for a wide range of bird, animal and marine life.

The island is reached by short ferry crossings from the mainland. The main ferry takes just 40 minutes from Oban, itself just 2 or 3 hours drive from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Sparsely populated, Mull has one small town (Tobermory) and a number of smaller villages as well as scattered crofts and farms.

Directions:

Being just a little off the beaten track, we hope some of these tips are helpful as you find your way here.

Getting To Mull:

The main car ferry comes to Mull from Oban, which is itself a comfortable 3 hour drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow.

If you are coming to Mull from Skye, Mallaig, Glencoe, Fort William, Inverness and the north, another popular route is to take the smaller ferry from Lochaline. A third, even smaller ferry runs between Tobermory and Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

Once On The Island:

• From the ferry landing at Craignure or Fishnish, turn right and drive towards Tobermory.
• As you pass through the village of Salen, the road becomes single track.
• Continue for another mile or so and just before the Tobermory road bears right over a bridge, there is a turning on the left sign-posted Dervaig.
• Follow this road to Dervaig for around nine miles.
• Druimnacroish is on your left, about 2 miles before the crossroads at the village itself.

or...

• From Tobermory, take the road to Dervaig.
• On reaching Dervaig, keep to the left of the Bellachroy (the village pub) rather than turning down the main village street.
• Just after the church and before the bridge, turn left (sign-posted Salen).
• Druimnacroish is on your right, two miles down this road.