Went to Tobermory on Isle of Mull last week to take the kids to where Balamory was filmed. Complete waste of time. The island is great but not a lot to keep young kids occupied and there was a distinct lack of anything to do with the programme there. Not sure what i was expecting but more than a badly photocopied sheet from tourist information thats for sure. Took about 30 mins to walk around and find the houses which left the rest of the holiday to find something to do.

For nature loving couples its a fantastic place. Need your walking gear to get the most out of it i reckon. However kids too young for full on expeditions to see birds nests etc.

Just thought id let you know in case anyone else was thinking of taking their kids there. Whilst the island is scenic etc i have better places to visit around Co. Durham and could have saved a fortune.

Oh well, we live and learn! At least we saw some eagles and otters.

without coming across as being ars*y, to me its a bit of a relief that it hasnt been truned into another disneyfied version of itself just for a kids tv show. in 20 years the kids will thank you more for taking them somewhere beautiful and unspoilt and developing a life long love of the great outdoors, rather than looking back fondly on a themed pencil case or a balamory gonk....

just my two penneth

And they wonder why no-one holidays in the UK...

I appreciate that you dont want it becoming so comercial that it spoils the existing area, but there has to be a happy medium between boring Britain and OTT USA

I went there for a stop off whilst boating around finding dive sites. I hadn't realised the houses were different colours until my chums pointed it out as I'm colourblind! I thought the place was charming and like many of the other West Coast fishing towns and villages, unspoilt by the commercialism that is tourism!! I'll be going back there soon with Owelly jnr but we're not expecting it to be like Balamoryworld.

Dont get me wrong, i dont like over commerciallised resorts. No desire for Disney land. Absolutely love countryside etc. But even the Lake District is relatively unspoilt but with things to do. Northumberland and North Yorkshire has loads to do etc. All im saying is that if you plan to spend a week in Mull with young kids expecting plenty of family things to do then there isnt. If you are a couple or kids are old enough to go on several mile walks in variable weather then it will be OK.
Mull is a great place. Tobermory is rather quaint etc and worth visitting at least once. Iona was also very beautiful, just not with sub 6 year old children.

We'll be splitting the trip with diving, hooning in the boat, sitting in cafes and eating undercooked burnt food off the BBQ. As you say, there isn't much for the young-uns. You have to do some homework to find the right places and then plan the trip to suit!! When Jnr was a baby, he just gurgled and when wherever he was put. But now the little chimp is 3 and has an opinion on everything!! Trips will have to be very carefully planned to prevent the boredom for him and us...!!

no, not so good for the kids but i go every year for the rally!!