We start the morning in Fionnphort harbour and board the foot ferry for a short crossing to the 'sacred isle' of Iona, taking in the glorious scenery on the way. 

This beautiful island, home to the iconic Iona Abbey, is one of the oldest Christian religious centres in Western Europe and is reached by a short walk from the ferry landing.

There is also an opportunity to visit Fingal's Cave. This is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, known for its natural acoustics and fascinating hexagonal basalt columns. Composer Felix Mendelssohn visited Staffa Island, where he jotted his first notes of the Hebrides Overture Fingalsӧhle (Fingal’s Cave). Allocated time ashore is around two hours, depending on the tides. There may also be a chance, depending on the time of year of your visit, to see the puffins May to early August are the best months to see the colony and watch the puffins searching for sand eels to feed their young, making this a worthwhile trip for any nature lover. These delightful and comical-looking little birds spend some months entirely at sea, leaving their colonies towards the end of July- August .

We will continue heading on to Tobermory for our second overnight resting place.

ACCOMMODATION

MACKAYS

Guest House

Corran Esplanade, Oban

The award-winning property stands out on Oban's beautiful seafront

The spacious en-suite rooms boast king-size or super king-size beds

 Easy chairs 

large flat-screen TV 

The superb bathrooms offer top quality accessories, Bathrobes and large towels

COMPLIMENTARY

DINNING

The Ninth Wave

Award-winning game and seafood restaurant on the Isle of Mull

Lobster, crab, hand-dived scallops and fish are often caught only hours before appearing on your dinner plate

More Info

BREAKFAST

Mackays

We will continue the route back to Craignure to catch the ferry back to the mainland. On route, we can arrange a private tour of the legendary Inverawe Smokehouse before heading on to Kilchurn Castle. The castle’s dramatic location at the head of Loch Awe, with the peak of Ben Cruachan visible, is one of the most photographed locations in Scotland. 

The inscription over the front door recognises John Earl of Breadalbane and his wife, Countess Mary Campbell, and contains the date of 1693. From the top of Kilchurn

Castle, you can see the original territory of Clan Campbell.

As we head back to Crianlarich, we will travel further down into the Trossachs & Loch Lomond area, which is steeped in history, famous events, and notable individuals like Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and Rob Roy MacGregor. Their stories have been told by numerous novelists, the most famous being Sir Walter Scott.

He wrote about Rob Roy and Loch Katrine in his novels and poems and is partly responsible for the popularity of the area today. Many of the characters have been portrayed in films about their lives, such as Rob Roy (1953, 1995), William Wallace in Braveheart (1995), and Mary Queen of Scots (1971), played by Venessa Redgrave.