The Boathouse
A seafood restaurant by the jetty on the Isle of Ulva, a two-minute ferry from Mull, with no bookings.
The Boathouse stands by the jetty on the Isle of Ulva, just off the west coast of Mull, a white-painted building with its name over the door and picnic tables on the grass in front.
To get there, go to Ulva Ferry on Mull, flip the sign to red, and the ferryman comes over to fetch you for a crossing of a couple of minutes.
The menu changes every day, depending on what the fishermen land on the doorstep: lobster, langoustines and crab, with freshly baked bread, seasonal salads, meat from the island farm, and home-baked cakes and coffee, with wine and cocktails too. It is run by Sam, Ro and Banjo, a seafood-mad butcher, a baker and, in their words, a space maker. The Boathouse opens from 9am to 5pm, with lunch from noon to 3pm, and takes no bookings, so just turn up. After lunch there are walks across Ulva, which its community bought in 2018.
The Daily
Arrives at 5am every day.
A free morning email to see what’s on this week, catch up on what’s happening in Scotland and find somewhere new to go.
Open 9am to 5pm, with lunch from noon to 3pm; no bookings.
At Ulva Ferry, flip the sign to red and the ferryman will collect you. It may not open at weekends, so check before you go.
- Getting there
- CalMac ferry: Oban to Craignure (50 minutes), Lochaline to Fishnish, or Kilchoan to Tobermory.
- Ferry
- Flip the sign to red at Ulva Ferry.
- Hours
- 9am to 5pm; lunch 12 to 3.
Opening hours
Their website- Monday
- 9am–5pm
- Tuesday
- 9am–5pm
- Wednesday
- 9am–5pm
- Thursday
- 9am–5pm
- Friday
- 9am–5pm
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Closed
Eaten here? Tell others what to order and when to go, and the best go on this page with your name.
Add your tipBy the jetty, Isle of Ulva, off Ulva Ferry, Isle of Mull, PA73 6LZ.
Isle of UlvaA small car-free island off the west of Mull, bought by its community in 2018, a minute's ferry ride away, with the Boathouse for seafood and a walled garden.Under a mile 1 min by road
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
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
Isle of UlvaA 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.Under a mile 1 min by road
Ulva 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
Eas 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
Places to stay near the Boathouse, and when each is next free.
Borradill House- Sleeps 6
- In Glenborrodale
- 17 miles from the Boathouse
Borradill Cottage- Sleeps 4
- In Glenborrodale
- 17 miles from the Boathouse
Fern Cottage- Sleeps 4
- In Croggan
- 18 miles from the Boathouse
Scotland, in print.
We want to show you the best that Scotland has to offer. The makers and the creatives, the enduring experiences, the evocative tales, the concealed corners. The roads less travelled that take you to places that matter. The adventures that gather you up and sweep you away. The blend of the wild and the artistic that makes Scotland what it is. We’d love for you to join us.
What we have written about it and more in Argyll and Bute.
For further reading, before you go. The details on this page were checked on .
- The Boathouse, UlvaThe menu, the hours and the ferry.theboathouseulva.comThe Boathouse↗
- The Boathouse on Google MapsDirections to Ulva Ferry.google.comGoogle↗
- Travel to Mull and IonaThe three ferry routes, buses and island roads.visitmullandiona.co.ukVisit Mull and Iona↗
- CalMac timetablesOban to Craignure, Lochaline to Fishnish, Kilchoan to Tobermory.calmac.co.ukCalMac↗