Travel: A cinematic stay at the Mull spa hotel with filmic charm

There’s a book dedicated to scenes encountered by travellers who have stumbled across a setting which reminds them of something they might have seen in the offbeat films of director Wes Anderson.

What sort of films? Fantastic Mr Fox. The Grand Budapest Hotel. The Royal Tenenbaums.

And what sort of scenes? Symmetrical design, head-on camera angles, considered framing, bold colour palettes and a hint of something from another era being given a fresh appreciation with contemporary touches.

The book comes from an Instagram account started up by a couple in Brooklyn, New York, whittled down from the millions of pictures they’ve received from what they call Adventurers. They have two million followers and posts from all corners of the world. Now, The Sunday Post has discovered a new entry.

Step forward the Isle of Mull Hotel.

© Gerardo Jaconelli

Situated half a mile along the road from the Craignure ferry port, the hotel is, at first glance, fairly unprepossessing, a long pebbledash block, dating perhaps from the 1960s or 70s, when brutalist architecture was desired more so than the storied Western Isles Hotel with its Victorian history. Those who whizz past en route to Tobermory are guilty, perhaps, of judging a hotel by its exterior.

And its the interior of the Isle of Mull, or more specifically the scene which greets guests as they step through the door, which evoked thoughts of Wes Anderson once we arrived for a weekend break.

The new owners of the Isle of Mull, Crerar Hotels, have upgraded the building with bold contemporary style, but they’ve done it without sacrificing the 1970s fittings and fixtures which would once have dated the place and which now give it a touch of style on a par with short break des-res destinations like Mhor 84 and Monachyle Mhor, especially among those who now clamour to buy up the old G-Plan furniture their parents chucked out 30 years ago.

Don’t believe me? Try this. Stand at the top of the central staircase, which is framed perfectly by a rear floor-to-ceiling window looking over long grass towards Mull’s east shore and beyond to the ever-changing sea and sky.

In fact forget any thought that this is like a scene from a Wes Anderson film. It’s like a film all by itself.

And there’s plenty of substance behind the well-considered style too, both in the public areas and its 73 rooms, which are fitted with vintage touches like retro phones and old radios. Some ground floor rooms have their own hot tub for private dooking while looking out towards the Lismore lighthouse as the ferries criss-cross between the island and Oban.

There’s also the Driftwood spa and swimming pool, with various hydro therapy treatments and options of massages, scrubs, facials and wraps for men and women. But for the real away-from-it-all experience, guest can book time in the wilderness deck, a secluded set up of sauna, hot tub and cute, comfy solarium whose giant windows and skylight allow users to fully enjoy the surroundings.

Even in the squally showers which passed over as we sat in the heat of the bubbles in the outdoor tub, the experience, set just off the shore, felt like the sort of off-the-grid vibe people fly off to other countries in search of. And here it is, hidden from view, just off the Oban ferry.

The place is full of characterful touches, chief among those the cute sculpture walk through the woodland, where the colourful wooden carvings include castles and golden eagles. It’s especially atmospheric at dusk, when ground lights reveal the path through the woods. There’s even a pagoda in a pond sheltered among the trees to add to the atmosphere of the otherworldly wander.

Mull, of course, is an island rich in atmosphere, from the gorgeous white sands of Calgary Bay to the pastoral beauty of its rolling landscape. We took a trip out to visit the Isle of Mull Cheese farm, meeting the pigs and goats in the gardens and enjoying cake and coffee in the farm’s remarkable glass barn under a gigantic grapevine and a collection of rustic odds and sods from the farm’s past.

The island’s capital was busy with tourists and crew from a round the world cruise ship docked in Tobermory harbour, with many calling in to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust visitor centre to find out about the chances of seeing some of the other (regular) visitors to the waters around these parts.

Despite several trips to the island, this was a first visit to the tiny – and excellent – Mull Museum, which details the island’s past both prehistoric and in more recent times. Next door’s Tobermory Antiques shop also does a good line in exploring the past.

© SYSTEM

Dinner at the hotel’s Mara Bistro is a food lover’s dream with some ingredients direct from the herb garden and shoreline. From the Scottish beef, lamb and venison to the vegetables and the drinks menus, the emphasis is on keeping food miles low. We racked up a few in the car, though, touring the island – although our planned Calmac crossing to the sacred isle of Iona was scuppered by high winds at the last-minute on arrival at Fionnphort. Such is the unpredictable reality of life in the Hebrides. It gave us a chance to grab lunch at the award-winning Foodie Shack by the pier, and we spotted a pair of golden eagles on the way back to the hotel.

No journey across the island is wasted, especially not when the Isle of Mull Hotel is the day’s final destination.

P.S. Wildlife enthusiasts could not be in a better location on a visit to the Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa. From the shores of the hotel, guests can spot sea life such as dolphins, porpoise and whales as well as otters, ducks and seals. Further into the island, Mull is home to an incredibly varied cast of animals, with the magnificent golden eagles and white-tailed sea eagles at the very top of many wildlife-spotter’s wish list.

Factfile

Paul English was a guest of Crerar Hotels. Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa 4-star hotel located on Craignure, Mull From £106 per night with breakfast. More information here.