Visiting one or more of the off-shore islands is always a great experience for our guests and one of the pleasures of locating your stay in Fionnphort. The Ross of Mull Bunkhouse is the perfect accommodation for a boat tour leaving from Fionnphort Pier to Staffa, the Treshnish Isles and other off-shore islands. Read about a trip to Inch Kenneth here>. It is a 15 minute walk or a few minutes in the car to Fionnphort Pier where the tours depart and the ferry to Iona can be boarded for a 10 minute crossing. The companies who offer tours to the off-shore islands from Fionnphort from April to September are as follows:
Staffa Trips
www.staffatrips.co.uk
+44 (0) 1681 700358 (Landline) or +44 (0) 7591 060267 (Mobile)
Staffa Trips operate a regular timetable to Staffa
Staffa Tours
www.staffatours.com
+44 (0) 7831 885985 or +44 (0) 7732912370
Staffa Tours operate a regular timetable to Staffa and Lunga in the Treshnish Isles. Note that the trips to Lunga cease at the beginning of August when the puffins and other nesting birds leave the island
Alternative Boat Hire
www.boattripsiona.com
+44 (0) 1681 700537
The Alternative Boat Hire operate a less regular timetable but can be booked for Staffa, Lunga and specialist tours to other islands such as Soa, Inch Kenneth, Ulva and Gometra
The Island of Iona lies just off the tip of the Ross of Mull and there is a regular ferry from Fionnphort to Iona - see the summer timetable here>.
From April to the beginning of August, a close encounter with nesting puffins is possible at Lunga in the Treshnish Isles and on Staffa. Luckily, the puffins seem to welcome visitors and are not in the least disturbed. One theory is that the puffins have worked out that the skuas which predate their chicks don't come near when people are around. Apart from puffins, many other birds nest on these islands and the surrounding waters are also habitat for otters, minke whales, dolphins, porpoise and basking sharks.
Weather conditions can sometimes affect boat tour departures or landings at the islands, so if you can allow some flexibility in your itinerary to spend a few days in the area, it would allow more time for a boat trip in the best weather conditions. There are plenty other places to visit on the Ross of Mull while planning the perfect boat trip!
