The pretty multicoloured town that inspired a very popular kids show… and it’s relaunching next year
EVERYONE will remember Balamory, the children’s show that showed off colourful houses and characters.
Well, the CBeebies classic was inspired and set, in the Isle of Mull’s main town of Tobermory.
The Isle of Mull’s capital, Tobermory, became the fictional town of Balamory.
Not only was it the inspiration behind the preschool show, but it was also filmed there between 2002 and 2005.
Fans will remember the colourful seafront houses of yellow, red and blue, which all matched a particular character.
The series is even set to restart next year, with two new series being filmed which will air in 2026.
But Tobermory is much more than a filming location in the Inner Hebrides.
The Isle of Mull’s capital is a great place for nature-lovers as you can see puffins, whales, eagles and otters.
Due to the amount of otters the scamper around the town, there’s are vans with a ‘drive slow’ warning sign because of them being on the roads around the coastline.
For anyone wanting sightings of whales and dolphins, there are services that offer short one-and-a-half-hour cruises to six-hour whale-watching trips.
Tour operators also offer expeditions across the Isle of Mull and the Ardnamurchan Peninsula.
It’s the best chance to spot iconic species such as the golden eagle, white-tailed eagle, otter, hen harrier and red deer.
For the kids, there are endless activities from exploring the nature reserves to playgrounds and an aquarium.
Aros Park is a great place for a runabout and there’s a path around the Loch that takes just under an hour to complete, and there’s a climbing frame for the younger kids.
The Tobermory Playpark was renovated in 2020 and is well-kitted out for toddlers with climbing frames, swings and a huge slide.
They’re great spots as they’re completely free.
There’s also a Mull Museum that you can pop into for free to learn more about the island. And the Mull aquarium, but this is currently closed and undergoing renovation.
Macgochans in Tobermory, is an award-winning restaurant and pub found in a former fisherman’s cottage.
Last year, they were named North Scotland Pub of the Year at the National Pub & Bar Awards.
On Tobermory you’ll also find a distillery, with some visitors saying they had the “best whiskey tour ever”.
It was founded in 1798 and is one of the oldest commercial distilleries in Scotland.
There are lots of places to stay in Tobermory from the beautiful Western Isles Hotel which has great views of the harbour and rooms start at £70 per night.
Western Isles Hotel were also the winners of Hotels of the Year Scotland 2023-2024.
There are also Airbnb options, guest houses and holiday caravans.
Tobermory has even been compared to Burano, an Italian island near Venice.
And this group of Scottish Islands are known to be the ‘happiest places to live in the UK’.