large holiday cottage, near Oban

We have just had a long but amazing day out on the Treshnish Isles and Staffa, on board wildlife tour boat Turus Mara. The weather was dry and calm, but with a lot of low cloud which did spoil the views slightly, but otherwise it was perfect. The islands are on the far side of Mull and can be done as a day trip if booked in advance. You take the ferry from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull in the morning and are picked up by mini-bus to be whisked off to Ulva Ferry on the far side of the island. Here you board the boat and set out at a more leisurely pace to Staffa first of all.

Landing on the island can be a little difficult, and we were lucky that there was little swell and that the crew are very experienced. The obvious thing to do is follow the path along the rocks to Fingals’ Cave which many of us did. It is an amazing site, and hard to believe that these basalt columns are natural, as they are so perfectly formed and, well, un-natural looking!

The route round is a little slippery but helped hugely by a hand rail and some non-slip surfacing on the rocks. It might not be advisable with very small children, and you were given the option to stay on the boat if you preferred and view the cave from the sea.

After a reasonable time ashore we then headed back to the boat and on to the Treshnish Isles. These are home during the summer months to more than 6,000 guillemot, razorbill, puffin, kittiwake, fulmar, shag, skua and more. Again, getting ashore involves care but it is well worth it. As you make your way up the path onto the low cliffs you are walking between burrows with puffins popping up, unperturbed by your presence. It is a very surreal experience and one that I would love to repeat. The puffins are very willing models for photos so don’t forget your camera. Also, don’t forget to have a look at the other species that nest on the cliffs as they are just as fascinating.

The puffins tend to come ashore for breeding in April and will remain until their chicks are fledged, leaving again early in August to spend the rest of the year at sea. It is important to time your visit in this period as otherwise you will miss the action.