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Dervaig
Bunkrooms - Not quite a Hostel THE ISLE OF MULL The Isle of Mull is one of the larger Hebridean Islands – easily accessed from the mainland of Argyll through the bustling port of Oban – a 40 minute crossing affording wonderful views of Loch Linnhe, the Isle of Lismore and the dramatically positioned Duart Castle. The island has a lot to offer the independent traveller, families and groups. There is an abundance of wildlife including sea eagles (for which the island is now well known), golden eagles, hen harriers and otters along the shoreline. There are castles to visit, picturesque villages such as Dervaig itself and Tobermory to explore, varied walking in the ‘fairest’ island scenery, boat and land based wildlife trips to take and lots of beaches to discover and enjoy… For other ideas as to what to do on the island or where to go, why not look at www.holidaymull.co.uk and www.explore-mull.co.uk he well appointed and comfortable Dervaig Bunkrooms are not classified as a hostel because there is not a staffed reception desk and no one living on site! But rest assured the bunkrooms are well looked after - the Hall Keeper lives in the village and is often around. Dervaig Hall is a community run amenity in the village of Dervaig, which is 7 miles from Tobermory in the north west corner of the island. Dervaig is an attractive conservation village on the edge of a sheltered sea loch. Pretty whitewashed houses border a quiet main street. There are lovely walks along Loch Cuin, into the forest and to nearby standing stones. A traditional village pub serves good food and has a wide range of whiskies. Calgary Bay, with its sparkling sands and turquoise waters is 5 miles away, and is rated one of the worlds top beaches! |
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Dervaig Dervaig is located 7 miles from Tobermory in the north west of the island. It is a Conservation area with a pretty main street of white washed and well tended cottages, 2 great shops (a Post Office/Grocer and a Coffee/BookShop), the oldest Inn on the island serving good bar food and Kilmore Church with one of only 2 pencil towers in Scotland designed by respected architect Peter McGregor Chalmers. Walks and Beaches There are lovely gentle walks around the village – bird watching along the shoreline of Loch Cuin; through the forest above the village to the standing stones and out towards Quinish Point. The North West Mull Community Woodlands are on two sites – just up the Hill Road towards Torloisk and towards Calgary at Langamull. There are historic sites to discover within the Langamull wood and a beautiful white sandy beach with turquoise water and northerly views over to Rum and Skye not far from the woodland edge across some fields. Calgary Bay is 5 miles from Dervaig on a bus route – a glorious sweeping white sandy beach with shallow, clear turquoise waters. Nearby the Calgary Hotel has a Gallery Tearoom selling local artists work, and sculptures to discover along the Art in Nature woodland paths. Trips on land or by sea ‘Turus Mara’ operates 2 boats from Ulva Ferry which is a scenic 9 mile drive from Dervaig via Torloisk. If you don’t have a car, lifts can sometimes be arranged so please enquire with them. They do several different trips to Staffa, the Treshnish Isles and Iona. Alternatively, ‘Discover Mull Tours’ is Dervaig based and doing one of their day trips would be a great way to see more of the island, and learn about local history and enjoy their expertise in seeking out the wildlife. In Tobermory there is a good choice of boat trips for whale watching, sea fishing, sailing, visiting neighbouring islands. There is a Booking office in Taigh Solas for SeaLife Surveys and other information available online or through Tobermory Tourist office. The Isle of Mull has a deserved reputation of being a world class wildlife destination. The different habitats from rugged mountain, open hill and moorland to crofting pastures, extensive coastal grazing and Atlantic oak woodlands ensure a great variety of birds live and pass through! Mull is especially good for looking at sea eagles and hosts the only RSPB Sea Eagle Hide in the UK sited close to a nesting pair of sea eagles who have been breeding in the same area for many years. The Hide is not far from Dervaig Hall Bunkhouse at Loch Frisa on the way to Tobermory. http://mullseaeagles.blogspot.com and www.mullbirds.co.uk Dervaig Hall – Bunkhouse Accommodation Dervaig Village Hall was built 10 years ago, and the Hall Committee wisely included 2 en-suite rooms in the plans thus enabling the start of the comfortable, friendly and popular ‘Dervaig Bunkrooms’! The Hall accommodation cannot be classed as a hostel as we do not have a manned reception desk or any live-in staff but it is a very well equipped Bunkhouse, with excellent facilities and comfortable beds! Emma Leigh, our Hall keeper, lives nearby. She is often working in the Hall and pops in at other times! We have allsorts of guests – from families with children to backpackers from all over the world, to groups of university students on archaeology field trips and D.O.E participants – all enjoying the comfortable beds and community friendliness of Dervaig and the Hall Bunkhouse. Rooms The 10 beds within the 2 en-suite rooms, ‘Cuin’ sleeping 4 and ‘Quinish’ sleeping 6, can be booked individually or by complete room/s – with flexibility also on whether the rooms are single sex or mixed. (For example: if you are the first to book for the date you require you are able to specify if you would prefer a single sex or mixed dorm). The Bunkrooms are popular with families who can book either room as a whole and still enjoy the friendliness of the bunkhouse facility! Facilities The Hall Kitchen is well equipped with a fridge/freezer, microwave, toaster, kettle and cooker. There is a dining area in the Foyer adjacent to the kitchen, and a small communal sitting room with a selection of books and games as well as a TV/Video library (no reception). There is a payphone in the Foyer. There is a Sports pitch outside which is available for guests to use, if it is not already in use by regular groups, on a first come first served basis. Bedlinen is supplied and we can hire out towels if you require them. We regret that we cannot allow dogs (apart from guide dogs) to come into the Hall building. Dervaig Hall – Community Building Dervaig Hall is first and foremost a village hall but the bunkrooms and their guests are an integral and welcome part of Hall life. The main hall is used on almost a daily basis for community activities – anything from a ‘Bumps and Babies’ group to “Lunch Club’, Badminton or Yoga – and sometimes a Family Ceilidh – a evening event of music and dancing to which Bunkroom guests are welcome to attend along with other visitors to the island! The 2 Bunkrooms are quite separate from the communal areas of the hall located as they are on one side of the hall building, along a short corridor. The Bunkrooms guests have exclusive access to the bunkrooms, their en-suite bathrooms and sitting room. Use of the kitchen is shared at times with certain groups such as Lunch Club, Toddlers and the Producers Markets who need to use the kitchen and these times/dates are noted on the list of the activities taking place over the next few months. Most Hall activities can and do go ahead without disturbing bunkrooms guests – and vice versa. Staying in the bunkrooms entitles guests to use the kitchen, the bathrooms, the sitting room and the foyer. It does not imply access or use of the main hall. If the sports area outside is not being used, guests are welcome to use it within opening times for a small donation. Hiring the Hall The Hall is available for hire for all sorts of events - from a wedding or a birthday celebration to as a meeting space or for a dance. If you are booking the hall for a private event such as a wedding we can offer a reduced rate on booking both the hall and the 2 bunkrooms. This ensures privacy for your event as well as gaining the advantage of having the use of the 2 bunkrooms for extra accommodation, changing rooms et cetera! Please contact us for further details of the Hall Booking Conditions and the very reasonable rates we charge.
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The Committee of Dervaig Village Hall are very grateful to Peter Pinnington of Web-Grafix for all the work he has done voluntarily in setting up this website and in hosting this site for us, free of charge. |
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