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Sheila's Cottage on Ulva, a restored thatched croft house of stone among ferns.
Isle of Mull

Isle of Ulva

A community-owned island a couple of minutes by foot ferry off Mull's west coast, with no cars, seafood at the Boathouse and woodland walks.

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Welcome

Ulva is a community-owned island off the west coast of Mull, a couple of minutes by foot ferry from Ulva Ferry.

Its name comes from the Norse for Wolf Island. More than 800 people lived here in the late eighteenth century, farming, fishing, weaving and gathering kelp, and since 2018 the island has been in the hands of its community, which is restoring its buildings and landscape. There are no cars: the ferry carries foot passengers and bicycles, and the Boathouse by the landing serves seafood.

Beyond the landing are woodland trails near Ulva House, a walled garden cared for by volunteers, and a coast and moor where white-tailed sea eagles nest and you might see otters and seals. Walkhighlands lists four walks, from a farm walk of 3.75 kilometres in about an hour to a 13 kilometre return to Ormaig and Kilvekewen. The church and Sheila's Cottage are closed while money is raised for their repair. The ferry runs on demand on weekdays from April to October, so you can turn up and go.

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The Daily for 4 November, from Scotland with love. A pink sandstone castle bristling with conical turrets and a Union Jack flag rises above a gravel forecourt, autumn-tinged ivy climbing one wing beside cannon displayed on the lawn.
Not farTreshnish Isles11 milesSee itTreshnish Isles
Before you go

The foot ferry runs on demand from Ulva Ferry on Mull, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, from 1 April to 31 October 2026.

There is no need to book it, and sailings depend on the weather.

Where
The Isle of Ulva, off Ulva Ferry on the west coast of Mull. The island is managed by the North West Mull Community Woodland Company.
Open
The foot ferry runs on demand Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm, from 1 April to 31 October 2026. It does not run on Saturdays, and Sunday sailings are not running in 2026.
Price
Ferry fares: adults £8, children £4, bikes £2; well-behaved dogs travel free. Pay by cash, card or contactless.
Booking
No need to book the ferry: just turn up. Sailings depend on the weather, and the ferryman makes the final decision on whether it is safe to sail.
Parking
Daytime parking near the ferry at Ulva Ferry, with some electric hook-up points. Ulva is car-free, so vehicles stay on Mull.
Dogs
Well-behaved dogs travel free on the ferry.
Getting there
From Craignure it is about a 45-minute drive to Ulva Ferry; the last 9 miles from Salen are single-track beside Loch na Keal. West Coast Motors run a bus from Craignure to Tobermory via Salen, and community transport from Salen to Ulva Ferry can be booked in advance. CalMac sails Oban to Craignure in 50 minutes.
Access
Ulva has no cars. The ferry takes foot passengers and bicycles.
Food
The Boathouse by the landing is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and takes no bookings.
Walks
Walkhighlands lists four walks: a farm walk of 3.75km (1 hour), a woodland walk of 6km (2 to 3 hours), a Livingstone walk of 7.5km (2.5 to 4 hours) and Ormaig and Kilvekewen at 13km return (3.5 to 4.5 hours). Walking can be dangerous and walkers are responsible for their own safety: always carry a backup means of navigation and do not rely on a single phone, app or map. The waters round Ulva can be unpredictable, so anyone going by kayak or boat should be experienced.
Closed
Ulva Church and Sheila's Cottage are closed while funding for their restoration is raised.

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Where it is

The Isle of Ulva, off Ulva Ferry on the west coast of Mull.

Close byOff Mull's west coast.
  1. The Boathouse on Ulva across the sound, white on the rocky shore with a Saltire flying.Ulva Ferry PortThe jetty on Mull's west coast where the foot ferry crosses to Ulva, with a pontoon and parking by the road.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. The white Boathouse on Ulva under a pink sunset sky, dark pines behind.The BoathouseA seafood restaurant by the jetty on the Isle of Ulva, a two-minute ferry from Mull, with no bookings.Under a mile 1 min by road
  3. The Boathouse and the slipway on Ulva across the sound, white cottages under trees.Ulva Farm WalkThe shortest waymarked walk on Ulva, 3.75km round the farm, Ulva House, the walled garden and Telford's church.Under a mile 1 min by road
  4. Victorian villa with bay windows and turret roof, set above a sloping lawnUlva House GardenThe garden of Ulva House, the island’s historic heart and once the seat of the chiefs of Clan MacQuarrie.Under a mile 1 min by road
  5. Eas Fors WaterfallEas Fors WaterfallThree waterfalls by the road north of Ulva Ferry, the last plunging a hundred feet over a cliff into the sea.2 miles 6 min by road
  6. Lip na Cloiche's garden in flower, a small white greenhouse among dense beds of plants.Lip na Cloiche GardenA small, densely planted garden by the shore at Ulva Ferry, open all year, dawn to dusk, for a donation.3 miles 8 min by road
Directions
The white Boathouse by the landing on Ulva, people at picnic tables in the sun.AttractionsIsle of UlvaA step away
AttractionsLoch na Keal road3.6 miles
The pale timber building of Croft 3 on the croft, the sea and hills behind.RestaurantsCroft 34.4 miles
Riders on horseback cross a shallow, seaweed-covered shoreline under stormy skiesAttractionsPony Trekking6.5 miles
The dining room at Ar Bòrd in Dervaig, a table laid for dinner on a herringbone rug, with a pine dresser, a bookcase and windows looking out on green fields.RestaurantsAr Bòrd7.5 miles
ShoppingEas Fors, Salen9.8 miles
Golf balls near the hole on a putting green with two playersAttractionsGolf on Mull10 miles
Walkers on the rocky summit ridge of Ben More, snow lying in the corries.AttractionsBen More, Mull10 miles
The Island Sauna Shack, a blue converted horsebox with a stove chimney, on a rocky shore by the sea.ActivityIsland sauna shack11 miles

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the island, and when each is next free.

The house's gabled wing with a decked terrace and two chairs, solar panels along the roof, seen across a grassy slope.Borradill House
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Glenborrodale
  • 17 miles from Ulva
Free 15–18 NovBorradill Cottage, ArdnamurchanBorradill Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Glenborrodale
  • 17 miles from Ulva
Free 29 Nov – 2 DecA landscape view of the whitewashed cottage in low evening sun, its blue doors, lit lamps and teak chairs, smoke rising from the chimney.Fern Cottage
  • Sleeps 4
  • In Croggan
  • 18 miles from Ulva
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay on MullAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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What we have written about it and more on Mull.

From the magazineA Weekend Exploring the Isle of MullFrom the magazineIsland Adventures On The West Coast
More on Mull
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For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .