When arriving in Oban, we could feel that this was an international tourist hub. This town situated on the mainland is the gateway to the islands and close to the Caledonian canal. No where else during our journey had we heard so many different languages spoken. We decided to take advantage of a relaxing day trip that would bring us to the beautiful islands of Mull, Iona and Staffa. In comparison, it would have taken us at least a week with our boat in an area with little secure anchorages.
For the first part of the round trip, from Oban to Mull (Scraignure), we took a ferry. We had come across so many ferries from Caledonian McBrayne in Scotland that it was quite nice to be on this big fast ferry for once. As a bonus, we passed by Freya, an elegant Hallberg-Rassy sailboat, whose knowledgeable owners we had met the evening before at the Kerrera marina.
Mull
The second part was a bus ride to the southwest of Mull (Fionnphort), through the mountains and along Loch Scridain. The bus driver was very interesting in his explanations about Mull. Many Scots left Mull to find a better life across the Atlantic. Our friends from Canada will recognise the name of Tabermory: it is the beautiful main town on Mull as well as a harbour surrounded by crystal water in Ontario, Canada.
The Ross of Mull and its coastline with pink granite rocks also reminded us of Canada: it looks similar to the north coast of the Saint-Lawrence River in Quebec (Côte Nord).
Iona
The journey continued via ferry to the island of Iona, famous for its Abbey. The abbey was a focal point for the spread of Christianity throughout Scotland and marks the foundation of a monastic community by St. Columba.
On this bright sunny day, we went for a walk on the island and were impressed by the clear blue water and the sandy beaches. The temperature was however still to cool for our taste.
Staffa
The final stop of our trip was the island of Staffa and its remarkable geological formation of basaltic columns. The waves eroded several caves in these structures. The most impressive one is Fingal’s cave. It is possible to go inside and listen to the motion of the water coming in and out.
Staffa is an uninhabited island, home to hundreds of seabirds. Puffins nest in burrows and rocky crannies around Staffa in spring. The mother lays one egg. The chick hatches in May – June and parents take care of their child on Staffa until early August when they fly off to the mid-Atlantic for the winter. We could have stayed for hours watching this little bird with a colorful beak attending to their nest. Their main food is sand eels, which they catch by diving up to 60m below the surface of the sea.
Our next journey will take us from the West to the East coast of Scotland through the Caledonian canal.