Traigh Bhan Nam Monach (White Strand of the Monks) Iona

The islands of Mull, Staffa, Lunga and Iona, located in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland, had been on my bucket list for some time.

But are they worth visiting?

Our 12-day camper van trip to the Isle of Mull in May ‘25 coincided with a spell of absolutely glorious weather. Days of unbroken sunshine, perfect walking temperatures, a fresh breeze, and not a drop of rain. We knew how lucky we were and appreciated every precious moment.

Killiechronan Camp Site, Isle of Mull — Killiechronan Camp Site

How long is the ferry to Mull?

The 45-minute Calmac car ferry journey to Mull from Oban is a breeze (even with a large campervan) and is also very scenic. There’s a small café onboard and one at the port, which sells some local products and delicacies.

The ferry is very dog-friendly too – as long as your dog can get up and down the very steep flights of steps.

Even at the tourist honey spots of Tobermory and Iona you can easily escape into pristine nature.

What is the population of Mull?

As the Calmac ferry pulls into the small village of Craignure you begin to realise how sparsely populated Mull is. It has been inhabited since the end of the last ice age, but the population fell dramatically in the 18th and 19th centuries as a result of the Highland Clearances and the Potato Famine, from 10,000 to only around 3,000 in current times. This means the island has plentiful scattered ruins of cottages, crofts and villages, lending poignancy to its beautiful landscape.

Nowadays, the local population is hugely increased by tourists from spring to autumn: Mull is one of Scotland’s most visited islands. We were surprised by the number of people visiting from Europe (especially Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France) and also the US and Canada (many presumably coming to explore the lands of their ancestors). This, combined with a genuine shortage of accommodation, means that you do need to book ahead outside of low season – all the campsites we stayed at were full.

But most people seem to head to Tobermory and to Iona – and even at those two honey spots you can easily escape into the pristine nature that Mull has to offer.

What wildlife is on Mull?

The first thing that will invariably come up if you Google ‘The Isle of Mull’ is its wildlife. And its stunning natural beauty, but mainly its wildlife. It is a land where, according to Google and tourism websites, sea eagles, golden eagles, sea otters, red deer, puffins, whales, and dolphins are abundant – you almost get the impression you’ll fall over them. And we did see far more wildlife than we've seen anywhere else: a pod of dolphins swam by whilst we were walking along the coast, golden eagles soared above our heads on both inland and coastal walks, and startled red deer gazed at us with their huge eyes as we wandered past Loch Ba. But we failed to spot either otters or sea eagles - probably because we didn't put enough knowledge, effort and patience into our search (‘search’ is wildly overstretching it!)

To really experience (and see) these elusive wonders you should book a relevant wildlife tour.

There’s an incredible variety of birds on the Isle of Mull. In addition to plentiful Willow Warblers, Cuckoos and Oystercatchers, I also heard and sometimes saw:

Staffa and the Treshnish Isles: Puffins!

I wanted to fulfil a lifelong dream of seeing Atlantic Puffins, and so booked a Staffa and Treshnish Isles tour with Turus Mara. I was attracted to Turus Mara by the small boat size (being worried about disturbing the puffins), but discovered that they simply pile as many people as possible into said boat – it was rammed. Take your own refreshments, walking shoes and binoculars – the landing and tracks on Lunga (where the puffins are) are tricky and would be especially so after rain. Land access to Staffa wasn't possible because the jetty was being repaired, but seeing the soaring basalt columns and the magical, legendary Fingle’s Cave from the boat was incredible – plus I had my first sight of Atlantic Puffins flying low over the sea in their hunt for sand eels. SO exciting!

Then onto Lunga – the largest of the Treshnish Isles and a sanctuary for all kinds of seabirds that nest there in huge numbers. I couldn't believe how the puffins were so unafraid of humans – you have to stay at least 2m away from them, but they carry on their lives without seeming to be bothered in the least – surely there can be no cuter bird? I was able to take these photos and videos just on my iPhone.

There were also thousands of razorbills, which were equally unafraid, and Harp Rock (reached by a narrow cliff path through masses of wildflowers) was a real spectacle of nature – I’d never seen anything like it. Tens of thousands of puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars all jostling for position and creating an absolute din – it was like being in a David Attenborough nature film. Truly breathtaking and awesome in its truest sense. Very highly recommended indeed!

The Isle of Iona

We spent a day on the tiny island of Iona (the ‘cradle of Christianity in Scotland’), starting with a great takeaway coffee from the very cute and tasteful Iona Craft Shop, that we drank in the ancient St Oran’s graveyard. We then headed off into the hills for an awesome hike.

The route took us over low hills spangled with wildflowers to the Western shores, where huge numbers of sea and wading birds (including Dunlin and Sanderling) shared soft white sand beaches with free-roaming Highland cattle and Hebridean sheep.

North End Beach, Iona, Scotland — North End Beach, Iona

We then followed the rocky coastline to reach the breathtaking North End Beach, where transparent turquoise waters are fringed by white sands in a sheltered bay. The most beautiful beach we’ve ever seen – it even beat Antigua! I would’ve loved another day so we could walk to the South end of Iona too, where there were Corncrakes at that time of year (May).

So, is it worth visiting the Isles of Mull, Iona, Staffa and Lunga?

Yes, most definitely! Take your chances with the weather, pack suitable clothing and head off into the great outdoors to experience, see and ‘feel’ the naturally stunning scenery, wildlife, history and culture.

All four islands certainly exceeded our expectations – every day we thought ‘surely it can’t get better than this’ and every day it did. An absolute natural paradise!

The Scottish islands of Mull, Iona, Staffa and Lunga: an absolute dream for nature lovers