Craignure or Gairloch: Which Is Better Value?
Craignure averages £240,000 against £235,000 in Gairloch, a gap of £5,000 or 2%. You would need £500 more deposit and about £26 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Gairloch charges £149 less council tax at Band D.
Craignure averages £240,000 against £235,000 in Gairloch, a gap of £5,000 or 2%. You would need £500 more deposit and about £26 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Gairloch charges £149 less council tax at Band D.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £5,000, or 2%. On a 10% deposit that is £500 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £485,000 against £262,500.
Craignure against Gairloch
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Craignure and Mortgage advice in Gairloch.
Schools and families
Scottish schools are inspected by Education Scotland without a single overall grade, so the choice turns on catchment and the latest inspection reports.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Band D council tax is £1,783 in Craignure and £1,634 in Gairloch, a difference of £149 a year.
The honest verdict
Gairloch is cheaper to buy on these figures.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £500 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Craignure
In its favour- The gateway to a world-class island, scenery, wildlife and community
- Duart Castle, the Sound of Mull and the whole island on the doorstep
- A safe, close-knit island community
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept, identical across Mull
- Total ferry-dependence, the CalMac Oban crossing is weather-affected and has documented reliability issues
- No full A&E anywhere on Mull, serious cases mean a ferry crossing or air ambulance to Oban or Glasgow
- Long single-track island roads and slow journeys across Mull
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D), and a second-home premium applies, high on Mull
Best for Island & tourism workers ★★★★☆
Craignure's ferry terminal, the hotels, Duart Castle, the estates and Mull's tourism are genuine local employers, and living close to the island's front door is a real draw for those working here, homes to buy, though, are limited.
Gairloch
In its favour- One of the loveliest villages on the Wester Ross coast, beaches, Inverewe and Torridon nearby
- Its own high school, a genuine plus for such a remote village
- No ferry and no bridge, it is mainland, reached entirely by road
- A simple Scottish council-tax bill, no police, fire or community precept
- A very limited, holiday-market housing stock, local affordability is a genuine strain
- No hospital A&E, the major A&E is Raigmore in Inverness (~70 miles / ~1.75 hours)
- No railway, the nearest railhead is Achnasheen (~28 miles)
- Scottish Water is a separate charge (~£652 at Band D), and a second-home premium applies
Best for Wester Ross & coast lovers ★★★★★
Sandy beaches, Loch Gairloch, the Torridon hills, Beinn Eighe, Inverewe Garden and dark skies, some of the most spectacular coast and mountain scenery in Britain, on the doorstep.
Craignure and Gairloch, side by side
| Measure | Craignure | Gairloch |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £240,000 | £235,000 |
| Average detached | £485,000 | £262,500 |
| 10% deposit | £24,000 | £23,500 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £1,263 | £1,236 |
| Band D council tax | £1,783 | £1,634 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
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