The Hebrides had long been on our list of places we wanted to visit in the UK and when things aligned in 2026 we finally booked a week long stay on the Isle of Mull. When planning this trip there was one thing that was top of my Dad’s (Joe) mind: seeing a sea eagle (white-tailed eagle). They are notoriously difficult to see up close from the land but he knew about a boat trip where close encounters are all but guaranteed.
I knew nothing about white-tailed eagles nor Mull Charters before I stepped on the boat and it turned out to be the highlight of my entire trip to Scotland.
So here’s my experience: what to expect and everything you need to know about one of the UK’s best wildlife encounters - and just in case you were wondering, this is not a sponsored review!
What happened to white-tailed sea eagles
Sea eagles were once common across all of Europe, but by the 19th century the species was driven to near extinction (in Europe). In England they completely disappeared in the 1800s and Scotland soon followed in the early 1900s.
The industrialisation of farming and commercialisation of fishing pushed these industries into contact with sea eagles which were seen as predators that killed lambs, grouse, game birds and fish. For centuries, white-tailed eagles would be trapped or poisoned, but doing so was time intensive and difficult.
There were a few other factors that accelerated the demise of the white-tailed eagle, including the proliferation of firearms and laws that were enacted to support their destruction. Add in the fact that sea eagle nests are relatively easy to access and their fate was sealed.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that sea eagles were successfully reintroduced to the UK and despite continuing challenges, there are believed to be 150 pairs across England and Scotland. Mull is seen as a high-density habitat as it supports between 22 and 35 breeding pairs year round.
Mull Charters believe that it has reached the total population that the current habitat of Mull can support. The thought is numbers could be higher (as demonstrated in other parts of the world) if the food sources in Mull hadn’t been depleted.
Despite the numbers, challenges remain as white-tailed eagles still have the same reputational problems that drove them to extinction. Their reintroduction hasn’t been universally welcomed.
We spoke to a local farmer who still believes that the white-tailed eagles hunt their lambs and other animals, and are damaging the livelihood of local farmers. He stated that the eagles were hunted to extinction for a reason and that bringing them back recreated a problem that had been solved.
The conservationists believe there’s no actual evidence of sea eagles killing livestock and that, like many raptors, they are more likely to scavenge a carcass than hunt down something as big as a lamb.
It’s an ongoing dispute, but I believe the reintroduction of white-tailed eagles has brought back a small part of the ancient character of Mull.
What makes this trip so special
I’ve seen a lot of birds across the UK and the majority of the time you see something relatively mundane from a distance. Many are what my Dad would describe as “LBJ’s” (Little Brown Jobbies), some are very colourful, but on the whole birding in the UK mainly focuses on waders, seabirds, garden birds and medium sized birds of prey. It tends to be a genteel, placid affair.
That is until you see a bald eagle look-alike, languidly swooping over a Scottish loch directly towards your boat. The sight of a bird of prey with a 2 metre wingspan flying towards me was more in the league of seeing bald eagles on Vancouver Island, a California condor in Zion National Park and wedge-tailed eagles in the outback of Australia.
Whereas most birdwatching in the UK requires patience, even to see something from a great distance, Mull Charters offers you an up close experience. It was simply magical and up there with walking among thousands of puffins on the Island of Skomer for the best wildlife experience I’ve had in the UK.
However, it was also quite sad. We’d heard that the basking sharks hadn’t been seen in years and the fishing industry in Mull had declined due to the drop in fish populations in the area.
I’d read that the Island of Mull used to have large swathes of temperate rainforest, a habitat that is more akin to the standard territory of sea eagles.
Despite the joy of seeing the eagles return, it was a poignant reminder of just how much the UK has lost in terms of its wilderness and how far we still have to go if we are going to get any of it back.
What to expect from Mull Charters
The boat
I’ll be honest, the boat for the tour is pretty simple. It’s a small fishing boat, with an open deck (no shade) and a small cabin for the boat operator. Don’t expect a luxury cruise; there’s no toilet onboard (there is one at Ulva port) and it’s wooden bench seating. But glasses of wine and canapés are not what you’re here for.
The whole point of taking a trip with Mull Charters is their knowledge and expertise in finding sea eagles. Having said that, the tea break with biscuits was welcome midway through! :)
As the trip takes place within sheltered bays, you don’t need to be concerned about sea sickness or big waves. However, the open deck means that if it is rainy, you’re getting wet, and if it’s windy, you’ll feel the full brunt of the wind!
For us, this was a benefit as the weather was good and it meant that we had unobstructed views.
The experience
It only took 10 minutes for us to see the first of seven sea eagles, and it was clear that the eagles around the area knew to look out for the boat.
Mull Charters are the only operator licensed to throw fish selectively for the sea eagles. They are very careful with how they do this and ensure that they never overfeed or encourage reliant behaviour.
Their main goal was to support the population, but they openly told us that they will stop feeding the eagles if they deemed it wasn’t in the interests of keeping the eagles wild.
We’d only just got our bearings before the fish was thrown and a juvenile was swooping down to grab it from the water.
As I said above, nothing can prepare you for seeing this giant raptor flying straight towards you. Comically, the eagle was being harassed relentlessly by tiny gulls, who were annoyed at the sea eagle entering their territory.
On many trips like this, that single sighting would have been enough to make it worthwhile. However, they just kept coming.
Over the course of three hours, it was never long before we saw another eagle coming in to circle our boat before grabbing a fish that was a matter of metres away.
They were even able to position us to have Eas Fors Waterfall (translates as Waterfall Waterfall Waterfall in English) as the backdrop for a picture of one of the eagles.
The boat operators knew every bird by number and talked about them like an old friend. Our guide immediately spotted one with a cataract that they regularly see, but it was only when I looked at the photos afterwards that I was able to see it.
Their knowledge of the birds and the island was unparalleled, and throughout the three hours they reeled off so much information that meant there was never a dull moment.
They were clearly passionate about the wildlife here and had built an intimate knowledge of the sea eagle population.
Unfortunately, we weren’t lucky enough to see anything other than the eagles and a few other birds such as northern divers.
You might spot otters, dolphins, humpback whales and even orcas if you are very lucky.
It didn’t matter that we didn’t spot anything else though as we were all here for the eagles and they certainly delivered.
The tour options
Mull Charters offer two options: a ‘sea eagle adventure’ or a ‘Photo 6’ tour. As the name suggests, the Photo 6 trip has a smaller group of just six people and it’s specially designed for photographers. The sea eagle adventure is their standard trip.
All trips are three hours long with the main difference being that the Photo 6 trip is tailored towards photography - positioning the boat in the optimal place for the perfect lighting and angle. As my Dad and I have big lenses, we chose the Photo 6 trip.
There is a big price difference between the two, with the Photo 6 tour coming in at £110, while the standard tour is £60, so I do think you have to be a keen photographer to shell out for the Photo 6 trip.
As numbers are limited (and they only have two sailings per day), you’ll need to book well in advance to get onboard in peak season.
Tours only run between April and October. You can check their availability, times and prices on their website by clicking here.
Logistics and Ulva
Mull Charters operate from Ulva Ferry Port which is a bit of a distance from most tourist spots on the island. Parking is by donation and while there is plenty, it fills up quickly. I’d recommend arriving early to ensure you snag a spot. There are limited facilities at the ferry port, but there is a toilet that was in decent condition. It’s a 45 minute drive from Tobermory and a 40 minute drive from Craignure.
We highly recommend adding on a trip to Ulva after your tour. We did a loop walk to some basalt columns and a cave, but if you don’t fancy any exertion then still head across to the island to eat or get a coffee at The Boathouse.
This small restaurant serves food produced on Ulva and we still dream of their Cullen Skink and Mackerel Pate. They also serve good coffee and homemade cake.
This post isn’t sponsored, we paid for this trip in full.
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, that we will earn a small commission if you click through and decide to make a purchase. This helps towards the costs of running our website. Thanks for your support.
Everything you need to know about the short and circuit routes to Traigh Geal (Balfour Bay), one of the most beautiful beaches in the UK. With white sand, turquoise water and pink granite rock walls it’s a must do when visiting the Isle of Mull.