Tobermory Harbour
Tobermory is the main town of the Isle of Mull and its harbour front is instantly recognisable as one of the most distinctive and charming townscapes in Scotland, a terrace of brightly painted buildings in red, yellow, blue, green and pink that wraps around the sheltered bay and is reflected in the still waters of the Sound of Mull. The town was planned in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society as one of a series of model settlements intended to develop the fishing industry in the Scottish Highlands, and its planned origins explain the regularity and neatness of the main street layout compared to the organic settlements typical of island communities. The harbour has an interesting historical footnote connected to the Spanish Armada: one of the fleet's ships, the San Juan de Sicilia, was anchored in Tobermory Bay in 1588 while taking on supplies and was subsequently destroyed by an explosion, possibly sabotage by a local clan, killing most of the crew. The wreck site has been the subject of intermittent salvage attempts over four centuries, with occasional artefacts recovered from the silted seabed, and the Tobermory Galleon remains one of Scotland's most persistently discussed marine archaeological mysteries. Today the harbour serves as the base for the Mull fishing fleet and numerous pleasure craft, and the waterfront buildings house restaurants, shops, galleries and businesses serving both residents and the substantial tourist trade that Mull attracts throughout the summer. Boat trips from the harbour to observe whales, dolphins and basking sharks operate during the summer months, taking advantage of the exceptional wildlife-watching opportunities available in the surrounding Hebridean waters. Tobermory provides excellent access to the broader pleasures of Mull. Distilleries, wildlife watching hides, the walks to Glengorm Castle, trips to Iona and Staffa, and the extraordinary geological features of the island's interior and coastline all make Tobermory a natural base for exploring one of Scotland's finest islands.