Ambassador Field Notes: Camping and Hiking on the Isle of Mull

Living in the Scottish Highlands, Ruffwear Ambassador Siobhan is passionate about exploring the beautiful country of Scotland. Whether she’s camping, road tripping, paddleboarding, or hiking, her dogs Roshe and Lunar are always by her side.

We’re just back from our second camping trip of the year with the dogs — we spent a long weekend on the beautiful Isle of Mull.

While we had a mixed bag of weather and a last-minute change of hiking plans due to my mum breaking her wrist, we had the best time, and I’m pretty certain the dogs did, too. I try to go on at least one camping trip a year with my mum, auntie, little cousins, and of course, the dogs.

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of our hiking trip on the Isle of Mull.

The Journey to the Campsite

For the journey to the campsite, the dogs wore their Hi & Light™ Harness and Lead sets. They’re a nice lightweight set to pop on when needed for any stops when traveling and give that extra bit of security over a collar when they’re out on the ferry deck. The set was extra useful for a slightly nervous Lunar, who wasn't a fan of the different noises and car alarms going off during the ferry ride. After a fairly short ferry ride of only about 45 minutes, we arrived in Craignure and began the journey down to the south end of the island to the campsite.

My goal is always to get the prettiest spot possible at the campsite, and also somewhere with quick and easy access to somewhere I can walk the dogs from the tent. We achieved just that with our spot right down at the beach front, tucked away in a corner, with a gate accessing the beach in front of us. It was perfect!

Exploring Iona

Once we got the tent set up and the car unloaded, we decided to take another short ferry ride over to the small Island of Iona. The ferry port is only 5 minutes from the campsite, and the ferry journey itself is just about 5 minutes long.

We beelined it to the beautiful beaches on Iona to give the dogs a good run around and a play in the water. Lunar is ball daft, and to Roshe, there is nothing better than his Lunker™ Toy, he goes crazy for it!

After wandering around Iona and getting a bite to eat, we hopped back on the ferry to head back to the campsite for night number one.

Day 1: Adventuring on Mull

Our first full day on Mull was supposed to see us ‘bagging’ the only Munro on the island — a Munro is a mountain in Scotland over 3000 feet, of which there are 282. However, with my mum breaking her wrist the week before in Glencoe, we opted to head for a lower-level hike instead.

The day started with a fry up for the humans (maybe sparing the odd sausage for the dogs), and the dogs had their breakfast in their Bivy™ collapsible bowls. I love these for camping trips. They’re sturdy enough to hold water, wipe nice and clean after food, and they fold down flat which is great for packing.

After we fueled up for the day, we headed to the Treshnish coast. The whisky cave circuit is a beautiful 11-kilometer hike (about 7 miles) along the coastline of the Treshnish peninsula. A bonus? You can peek inside a cave down the cliffs and may even spot some whales in the sea.

It was a sunny, hot day, so I again opted to outfit the dogs in the Hi & Light™ Harness so they stayed nice and cool. This time I paired the harnesses with their Roamer™ bungee leads, which are my go-to for a hike. They have just enough give to let the pups explore as they please, but still keep them close to me.

The weather was beautiful for the entire walk, but the sun being out meant that we had to keep an eye out for adders (a species of venomous snake). We actually saw one, so I was glad that the dogs were on their leads. When leads are required for the whole hike like this one, it’s definitely useful to be able to use the bungee leads and wear them waist-worn so I can be hands free.

Day 2: Tobermory

Day two saw us heading up towards Tobermory for a quick wander along a trail with some waterfalls before popping into Tobermory itself for a look around. Tobermory is known for its colourfully painted houses, so I felt it was only right that the dogs wore their colourful kits, too — their Front Range™ Collar and Lead sets.

After lunch at the Isle of Mull cheese cafe and farm shop, we headed over to Calgary Beach for some more beach fun, much to the dogs’ delight. The noises that come out of Roshe while he’s waiting for his Lunker™ Toy to be thrown are truly hilarious.

I of course ended up with two very soggy doggies, so I popped their Dirtbag™ Dog Drying Towels on them for the journey back to the campsite. These are super handy to have stashed in the car and ready for use after a soggy walk.

Day 3: Packing Up

Our last day on Mull was here before we knew it, so after one last run around on the beach in front of the campsite, it was time to pack everything up again. It’s a bit like a game of Tetris trying to fit everything back into the car, but I think I’ve got the packing nailed at this point, and honestly feel like it’s a skill I should be able to put on my resume.

If someone asked for my ultimate favourites that come on every camping trip, here’s what they’d be:

• Mt. EverRest™ Dog Cot
• Hi & Light™ Harness & Lead
• Roamer™ Bungee Dog Lead
• Bivy™ Collapsible Bowl
• Dirtbag™ Drying Towel
• Kibble Kaddie™ Dog Food Travel Bag
• Haul Bag™ Dog Travel Bag

Tips for Camping With Dogs

If you haven’t camped with dogs before, I have some quick tips that have proven helpful during our escapes.

• Try out your tent somewhere closer to home first, set it up in your garden or a park and let your dogs get comfortable with it.
• Keep things as normal as you can for them, if your dog sleeps in a crate at home, take along a soft crate for the tent, too. Lunar loves her crate so this is what I do, and she slept in it the first few trips, but I won’t lie… she now prefers to be in my sleeping bag with me.
• Keep the tent clean when you’re adventuring with dogs — although it is not an easy feat. Use gear like the Dirtbag™ Drying Towel and the Mt. EverRest™ Dog Cot to give your pups somewhere comfortable to dry off and chill out when you get back from an adventure.

I couldn’t be without the dogs now on a camping trip. I’d like to think they enjoy it just as much as I do, getting to visit new places and explore before heading back to the coziness of the tent for the night.

Happy camping!