If you are hunting for gifts from the Isle of Mull, you have picked an island that punches well above its weight. Mull has the brightly painted harbour front at Tobermory, sea eagles overhead, whales off the coast – and a healthy number of makers turning all of that into things you can wrap.
Seven picks below from seven Mull makers – a hot sauce made with seaweed, a silver whale tail, a lambswool cowl and a mug that says Isle of Moo. All in stock as we write this, and every order is packed and posted by the maker themselves. Prices run from £6.50 to £65.
The usual reminder – parcels leave the island by ferry, so allow a wee bit of extra time if you have a date in mind.
Seaweed Hot Sauce – £6.50
Isle of Mull Seaweed, Isle of Mull
Hot sauce with a Hebridean twist – the seaweed brings umami and a slightly salty note, and a blend of spices brings the kick of heat. The makers suggest it on seafood, in salads or as a marinade, and seaweed carries minerals like iodine and iron, so you can tell yourself it is practically a health food. A safe bet for the person who puts sauce on everything.
Heilan’ Coo Isle of Moo Ceramic Mug – £10
Tobermory Gift Company, Isle of Mull
Drive around Mull and you will sooner or later meet a Heilan’ Coo roaming free, so Tobermory Gift Company put one on a mug and captioned it Isle of Moo. It holds 330ml, is dishwasher and microwave safe, and comes in four colours with a matching interior and handle. You can swap the standard wording for up to 40 characters of your own – pop your text in the notes at checkout. There are matching puffin, otter and stag designs if you are buying for a full herd.
MacLean Hunting Tartan Flower Brooch – £10
Sarah’s Weaving Shed, Isle of Mull
Sarah designs and weaves the fabric on a table loom in Tobermory, then forms each flower brooch by hand, so no two come out quite the same. The MacLean Hunting tartan runs deep greens and black with a fine white line through it. Pin it to a coat, a bag or a hat – and if you know someone with MacLean connections, this one picks itself.
Wee Soap Box – £22
Sol Soap, Isle of Mull
Six of Sol Soap’s cold process soaps in trial size, made in small batches in the Isle of Mull – scented with essential oils only, coloured with clays and seaweed. The line-up is Rosemary and Lavender, Bergamot, Pure Plain, Tea Tree and Lime, Cedarwood, and Ginger and Orange. Delivery is free, and the lucky recipient gets to find their favourite before committing to a full bar.
Hand Crafted Hebridean Acrylic Pen, Sea Swirls – £35
Hebridean Pens, Isle of Mull
A ballpoint pen hand-turned on the lathe in Craignure, in an acrylic the makers call Sea Swirls – inspired, they say, by wild swimming in the swirling sea. It takes standard Parker refills, so it will keep writing long after lesser pens have been abandoned in a drawer, and it arrives in a presentation sleeve, bag or box. A good answer for the person who has everything.
Celtic Whale Tail Pendant – £46
Drift Designs Mull, Isle of Mull
Visitors come to Mull hoping to spot whales – minkes most often, with the odd humpback passing through – and this pendant ties those hopes to the area’s Celtic heritage. It is pure silver, designed and handmade in the Isle of Mull, and each one carries its own character because every piece is made by hand. It arrives gift wrapped in an embossed blue box with UK postage included, dispatched within three working days – ferries permitting, as the maker cheerfully notes.
Cowl Scarf Buoy – £65
Eas Fors ~ Isle of Mull knit, Isle of Mull
A loop of 100% superfine lambswool, knitted in the Isle of Mull, in a colourway named Buoy. The textured pockets in the knit break a cold wind while the scarf stays light, so it earns its keep year round, and it loops over the head with no fiddling. It measures 36cm across the loop and 45cm wide, and lambswool is naturally breathable and hypoallergenic, which is more than most scarves can say for themselves.
Seven makers, one island
Everything here is made in the Isle of Mull, and every order sends the money straight to an island workshop – a tidy bonus to wrap up with the gift. The full Isle of Mull collection has plenty more where these came from.
If the whale tail has set someone dreaming of the coast, the earlier post on gifts for someone who loves the sea gathers more in that vein, and the Isle of Skye gift guide covers the neighbouring island’s makers.
