Lochbuie – A Tower House, a Stone Circle and a Sandy Bay
About 5 miles on foot.
Lochbuie sits at the end of a long single-track road on the south coast of Mull, at the head of a sea loch ringed by hills.
A level walk of about five miles goes round the shore from the road end to the roofless tower of Moy Castle, a small stone circle in a field, and the pale sweep of Laggan Sands. You can't go inside the castle, but you walk right past it.
- Time
- About two hours: a round of 8 km, or 5 miles, on the level.
- The path
- Rough tracks, a quiet road, a very boggy field and sand. Not for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
- Where to start
- By the shore at the end of the Lochbuie road, across from the Old Post Office tearoom.
- When to go
- All year in daylight. From November to January set off by 12.30pm. The Old Post Office tearoom is seasonal: ring before counting on it. No ferry to Mull on 25 December or 1 January. Wind can stop the boats: look at CalMac's service status page on the morning you travel.
- Dogs
- On a lead: cattle and sheep graze round the loch.
- Children
- Level all the way; the castle is not to be entered.
- Toilets
- None at Lochbuie.
- Before you set out
- Nobody may go inside Moy Castle, for safety. The stone circle's field is very boggy and often has cattle in it. No ferry to Mull on 25 December or 1 January. Wind can stop the boats: look at CalMac's service status page on the morning you travel.
The walk
Park by the shore at the end of the Lochbuie road, across from the Old Post Office tearoom, where there's plenty of room. The walk goes east round the head of the loch from here, and Walkhighlands gives the full round as 8 km, or five miles, with almost no climbing: allow two hours. Moy Castle comes first, a tall, roofless tower house on the shore with trees round it and a beach of dark boulders in front. Hector Maclean, founder of the Maclaines of Lochbuie, built it in the 15th century, and the family lived in it until 1752. It has been made stable in recent years, but nobody is allowed inside, for safety, so this is a castle to walk past and look up at. The Lochbuie stone circle is a short way inland, a ring of small standing stones with taller ones set apart from it. The field it stands in is very boggy and often has cattle in it, so wear boots and keep a dog on a lead.
Beyond the castle the way leads on to Laggan Sands, a broad sandy bay, and the mausoleum of the Maclaines in its graveyard behind the beach. It's all rough track, quiet road and sand. There are no public toilets at Lochbuie. The Old Post Office opened for its 2026 season on 2 March, from 10am to 3.30pm every day with lunch from noon to 2pm. It doesn't say when the season ends, so ring 07789 847530 before counting on it, and bring food if in doubt. From November to January, set off by 12.30pm. Lochbuie is 14 miles from the ferry at Craignure, about 35 minutes' drive, most of it single track.
Mull is reached on CalMac's car ferry from Oban to Craignure, a crossing of 50 minutes to an hour. Book the car on before you travel, and be at the pier 30 minutes before the boat sails. On the winter timetable, from 19 October 2026 to 12 March 2027, a morning boat leaves Oban at 9.50am from Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am on a Monday and 9.45am on a Sunday. The last one back leaves Craignure at 5pm, or at 9.10pm on a Friday or Saturday. The other way over is the small ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish, which can't be booked: in winter its last boat back leaves Fishnish at 6.05pm from Monday to Saturday and 5.10pm on a Sunday. Until 18 October the summer timetable applies, so read the times on CalMac's Oban to Craignure page. Wind can stop the boats: look at CalMac's service status page on the morning you travel.
If it rains
There's no shelter anywhere on the round, and the stone circle's field is a bog after rain. On a wet day walk only as far as Moy Castle, a few minutes along the shore, and leave the sands for a dry one.
Before you go
Book accommodation nearby
If you are staying over: here are ours nearest where the day starts and ends.
The nearest of ours is Fern Cottage in Croggan, 6 miles away. Sleeps 4.
Book the car onto CalMac's Oban to Craignure ferry before you travel, out and back, and be at the pier 30 minutes before the boat.
For further reading, before you go.