Day 5 Mull, Staffa, and Iona Islands

Today we visited three of the Inner Hebrides islands along Scotland's west coast:  Mull, Staffa, and Iona. 

We started with a 1 hour ferry ride to Mull, followed by a two hour-38 mile narrated bus ride across Mull.  Our bus driver did a fantastic job entertaining us with local history and skillfully navigating the single track road where we were constantly stopping so that an on-coming vehicle could get by.

Arriving in the tiny village of Fionnphort, we then took a 35minute boat ride to the uninhabited tiny island of Staffa which is known for both puffins and it's basalt columns.  To view the puffins we had to had to hike a mile across the island, but it was worth it.

Leaving Staffa, we got back on the same boat which took us to Iona, an equally small island that is mainly known for the Iona Abbey which was the center of Gaelic monasticism for three centuries.  Today it is known for its relative tranquility and natural environment.  On spent two hours on Iona, having tea and scones, shopping the local craft stores, and just enjoying the scenery.

Leaving Iona, we took a 10 minute ferry to Mull, and then retraced our bus route across that island before boarding the ferry back to Oban.  We arrived in Oban just after 8 PM, where we had a wonderful dinner of lamb, halibut, rosé wine, and sticky toffee pudding.