Back in the summer, we took a trip to Scotland; Oban, The Inner Hebrides and Glasgow. Whilst in Oban we took a day trip over to Mull and Iona.
We were so lucky with the weather, we had originally been booked on the tour the day before but the weather had been awful and it was rainy on and off the following day as well. The weather was stunning and it certainly made our day trip.
Mull
The Isle of Mull is the second-largest island of the Inner Hebrides and lies off the west coast of Scotland and is known for its stunning views and is well known for its wildlife including whales, dolphins, and seals.
We caught the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Oban over to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. From here we travelled to Fionnphort to take the short ferry ride over to the Isle of Iona.
Everywhere we looked were spectacular views.
Every turn of the road brought beautiful views; cottages, harbours, and beautiful sea views.
The weather was spectacular and at times it felt like we were on a Mediterranian island and not in Scotland!
The beautiful white sandy beaches were stunning.
Iona
Iona is a holy Isle and the small Island is known for its Abbey where several kings of Scotland, Ireland, and Norway came to be buried. In later centuries, the chiefs of powerful clans also made this their final resting place, including those of the MacKinnons, MacLeans and MacLeods.
Iona has been described as the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland. In 563AD St Columba and 12 companions came over to Iona from Ireland and then on to the mainland to convert people to Christianity. Columba’s fame has brought pilgrims to Isle since the 7th century.
There are stunning views over to the Isle of Mull as well as the views to Islay to the south and the Treshnish Isles and Staffa to the north.
There are also the remains of an Augustinian nunnery on the Isle. The nunnery was founded at the same time as the Benedictine Abbey and is one of the best-preserved medieval nunneries in Britain.
There are several boat trip operators working from Iona, you can take a trip to local isles such as Staffa to see the world-famous Fingal’s Cave or the Treshnish Isles. Both trips offer plenty of opportunities to see local wildlife such as puffins, seals, and dolphins in their natural habits.
And what better way to finish this amazing day than with a cream tea overlooking the sea!
It was an amazing day and I only wished we had more time to explore further.
You can read more about my Scottish Adventures here.
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