staffa tours from tobermory

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Turus Mara are a family run business, established in 1973, and have been visiting Staffa and the Treshnish Isles for half a century.

Discover our range of trips, treshnish isles and staffa wildlife tour from mull (restarts april 2024), treshnish isles and staffa wildlife tour from oban (restarts april 2024), staffa tour from mull, big bird trip from mull, staffa tour from oban, iona and staffa tour from mull, book a trip with us, what to see, discover our magical islands, follow us for our latest updates, rate & review turus mara, from puffins to basking sharks to seals and dolphins.

Staffa Tours

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Staffa & Fingals Cave Treshnish Wildlife Tour

Take a tour to the most dramatic of all the Scottish islands: Staffa, with its hexagonal pillars and Fingal's Cave. Keep an eye out for Basking Sharks Dolphins, Porpoises and Minke whales which are often seen during the warmer months.

• Duration: 4 Hours (approx.)

Wildlife Adventures with Sea Life Mull

The Wildlife Adventure is a fun-filled cruise to give the whole family a taste of whale watching.

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Departing Kilchoan and Tobermory

Departing from fionnphort, mull and iona.

• Staffa Tour
• Staffa 'Early Bird' Tour
• Wildlife Cruise, Treshnish Isles and Staffa Tour

Departing from Oban

• Three Isles Excursion
• Three Isles 'Early Bird' Tour

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Staffa Tours

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

STAFFA TOURS (Isle of Iona) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Staffa Trips

Join Staffa Trips

on their sailing from Fionnphort and Iona twice daily.

On arrival at Staffa, you’ll be given at least one hour ashore to visit Fingal’s Cave, created 59 millions years ago by volcanic activity.  You’ll also have time to explore the island and appreciate the unique landscape.

Puffins can be seen ashore in season and often guillemots, fulmars, great skuas, eider ducks, gannets, kittiwakes, black-backed gulls, great northern divers and razorbills are visible on the water.

Trips depart daily from Iona at 09.45am & 1.45pm  and Fionnphort at 10am & 2pm.

Full journey time is 3 hours, including over an hour on Staffa. Trips operate March to October.

Prices: Adult £40 Children £20 Under 5’s free

Please check  www.staffatrips.co.uk  for more details.

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• Staffa Tours
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• Area Ardnamurchan
• Contact Staffa Tours
• Opening Times April to August (please check our website)
• Tariff Adult £65, Child £32.50
• Address The Boat Shed Isle of Iona PA76 6SW
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• Website www.staffatours.com
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Discover the most beautiful and interesting places on the West Coast of Scotland with our tours to the Isle of Staffa, home to the world-famous Fingal’s Cave, the ornithological heaven of the Treshnish Isles, the sacred Isle of Iona and the wildlife mecca of Mull.

Departing from Tobermory, Mull or Kilchoan, Ardnamurchan this highly recommended tour takes in the Isle of Staffa, Fingal’s Cave and the Treshnish Isles in one day. A brilliant day out for all the family, with spectacular scenery, the chance to spend time with Puffins and spot whales, dolphins, basking sharks, sea eagles and many seabirds.

After a short one hour sail, we land on the idyllic Isle of Lunga, the largest of the Treshnish Isles . Surrounded by wildflowers and stunning secenery, the main attraction that can be seen close up is the large Puffin colony nesting in burrows in the grassy hillside, these co mical birds are incredibly inquisitive and will come within a few metres of you. Lunga is also a popular habitat to an ever increasing number of Guillemot, Razorbill, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Shag, Great Skua and a Seal colony.

After spending up 2 1/4 hours ashore exploring the Treshnish Isles, we take the short 15 minute crossing to the geological wonder of Staffa, culminating in a visit to the world famous Fingal's Cave.

Returning home

You are given further opportunity to stop by our local White - tailed Eagle nest and enjoy the magnificent surrounds of Coll, Tiree, Calgary beach, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse and the beautiful small isles to the North and another chance to sight our iconic marine mammals!

Please Note

This tour is highly recommended for passengers staying in the north of Mull and in Ardnamurchan, sailing directly from Tobermory saves many hours of driving to our other departure points.

To choose Tobermory or Kilchoan departure when booking you need to proceed to payment page.

0945 Depart Tobermory

1000 Depart Kilchoan (depart from the Mingary Pier)

Please note

This Tour will revert to the shortend Staffa & Treshnish Tour after 9th August and during April and September timetables may be reduced. Please contct us for full details.

Click here to download our brochure

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Tobermory & Staffa Tour

• Duration: 10 Hours (approx.)
• Product code: P7YFF0

This tour allows you to enjoy the picturesque village of Tobermory, famous for its coloured houses as well as magical Staffa, home of the famous Fingal's Cave.  

Tour departs Tuesday to Friday from Oban at 0725, returning to Oban at 2005.

Operates from Tuesday 30 March until Friday 03 September 2021.

The tour departs from the Ferry Terminal Railway Pier, Oban on Caledonian MacBrayne’s MV Isle of Mull, crossing the Firth of Lorn to Craignure on Mull where you join your West Coast Motors bus which will take you to Tobermory.  Once in Tobermory you will head to the Staffa Tours boat in Tobermory Marina which will take you to Staffa.  Sailing via the North Coast of Mull to the magical island of Staffa, you will have approximately one hour to explore Fingal's Cave and walk along its cliff tops before sailing back to Tobermory.  Arriving back in Tobermory, you will then have several hours before joining The Tobermory Topper service which will take you back to Craignure to catch the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry back to Oban.

Sailings and landings subject to favourable sea and weather conditions. We recommend bringing a packed lunch as there will be no opportunity to purchase food until you return to Tobermory.

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Tours from Oban

Three Isles Tour - Mull, Iona & Staffa

Adult £94 | Child £47

Mull and Iona

Adult £54 | Child £28

Tobermory, Treshnish, Staffa

Adult £109 | Child £55

Tobermory and Staffa

Adult £97 | Child £48

Wildlife Tour

Adult £99 | Child £49

Three Isles Early Bird

Adult £88 | Child £44

Iona Day Trip Winter Special

Adult £27.90 | Child £14

Tobermory Day Trip Winter Special

Adult £19.90 | Child £10

In and Around Mull

Explore the island on our local bus routes

The insider's guide to Mull, Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles.

Tours from Mull

The Three Isles Tour (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Adult £71 | Child £35

Mull and Iona (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Adult £38 | Child £19

Tobermory, Treshnish and Staffa (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Adult £81 | Child £40

Tobermory and Staffa (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Adult £69 | Child £35

Wildlife Tour (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Adult £75 | Child £37

Three Isles Early Bird (Departing from Craignure, Mull)

Tobermory, treshnish & staffa tour.

Duration: 12 Hours

Discover picturesque Tobermory, the abundant wildlife of Treshnish and the geological wonders of Fingal’s Cave on Staffa!

The uninhabited Treshnish Isles are a haven for wildlife and a fantastic place to see not only an abundance of nesting seabirds but the colourful, comical Puffins up close!  You will be amazed at their characters and just how inquisitive they are.  

Staffa is home to the awe-inspiring Fingal’s Cave!  Marvel at its unique structure – a sea cave formed completely in hexagonally jointed basalt.  Staffa is also perfect for meeting the nesting Puffins, congregating on the cliffs from early May to the start of August.

Tobermory is a vibrant, popular town, famous for its colourful houses and shop fronts!  Enjoy exploring this picturesque town and sampling the local delights from its bustling restaurants, cafes and shops.

Trying to book tickets for tomorrow? – Our online booking system requires at least 24 hours’ notice, however, we may still have tickets available.  Please call us on 01586 552319 to check for last-minute availability or pop into the West Coast Motors Tour shop, located in George St, Oban.

Tour Itinerary

The tour departs from the Ferry Terminal Railway Pier, Oban on Caledonian MacBrayne’s MV Isle of Mull, crossing the Firth of Lorn to Craignure on Mull where you join your West Coast Motors bus which will take you to Tobermory. On arrival in Tobermory, you will head to the Staffa Tours boat in the Marina, adjacent to the coach terminal, where you will depart for The Treshnish Isles. You will then spend approximately 2 hours on The Treshnish Isles before setting sail for Staffa where you will have approximately one hour to explore before sailing back to Tobermory. Arriving in Tobermory, you will then have around 1 hour and a half before joining your coach which will take you back to Craignure to catch the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry back to Oban.

• Sailings and landings are subject to favourable sea and weather conditions.
• We recommend bringing a packed lunch along as there will be no opportunity to purchase food during the tour until you return to Tobermory.

Head over to our FAQ section for more information and useful tips to make the most of your day trip!

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Away With Maja

Isle of mull daytrip: staffa and puffin-watching on lunga.

I planned my entire trip to the Isle of Mull around one experience – or really, just around a couple of hours. I wanted to see puffins on Lunga, and so off I went to Scotland in June. The best time to see puffins is between April and July, before they fly off in August. Staffa Tours combined the best of both worlds with a visit to out-of-this-world Staffa, and the Treshnish Isles for puffin-watching. It was truly the most incredible day of my life!

Departing the Isle of Mull

Our Staffa Tours trip departed from Tobermory at 9:45am. We sailed across the Sound of Mull to Kilchoan (on the Scottish mainland), which only took about 15 minutes. From there, we sailed towards Staffa. It was awesome getting to see Ardnamurchan Lighthouse in the distance—this is the most western point of Scotland and of Britain in general! We also got to see Calgary Bay in the distance – I had swum here just the night before! Thankfully, the waters were pretty calm. Trips can be canceled due to bad weather, extreme wind, or rough seas, but I had nothing but blue skies and perfect conditions on my trip! You can sometimes see dolphins or porpoises in the water here – we saw a porpoise very briefly before it disappeared.

Our boat sailed through the channel between several of the Treshnish Isles before making the journey to Staffa. We could see puffins in the water, on shore, and flying around! But it was time to explore Staffa first.

Exploring Staffa

If you’re not visiting Lunga or any of the Treshnish Isles, you still have a chance to spot puffins on Staffa. But there’s enough to keep you busy for a few hours if you’re not into birdwatching. There are plenty of walking paths that criss-cross over the island – the views towards Mull are stunning.

Fingal’s Cave is by far the best thing to see on Staffa, around Mull, and in the Inner Hebrides in general! While its origin is shrouded in myth and legend, seeing the blue waters lap around the hexagonal basalt columns is simply spectacular. It reminded me so much of the Giant’s Causeway and parts of Iceland ! I loved getting to see Fingal’s Cave up close, but it was also great to see it from the water as we sailed up to Staffa.

Puffin Heaven on Lunga

The island of Lunga, the largest of the Treshnish Isles, is famous for its wildlife and birdwatching. In particular, it is one of the best places to see puffins in the entirety of the UK. While yes, there are lots of other birds (especially if you walk out to Harp Rock), people come here to see the puffins. I planned this entire trip to Scotland to see puffins on Lunga, and I was not disappointed.

You can get SO close to puffins, who seem very unbothered by people watching them and snapping photos. As in, you can be just a few feet away and close enough to take selfies with them!!

I could have spent all day just watching them and taking pictures. They are so freaking cute I just can’t get over it!!! Some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken in my entire life were of the puffins on Lunga. I also saw more expensive camera gear here in one place than I ever have before. This is such an incredible opportunity to get to see puffins up close. If you are remotely interested in birdwatching or photography, or you just think puffins are cute and you love them, you can’t miss this. We had a full two hours on Lunga to puffin-watch to our hearts content. I don’t know if I have ever been so happy!

Back to Tobermory

With most of the days’ excitement over and done with, the journey back to Tobermory on Mull isn’t all that exciting. There are still beautiful views though, and who knows you might get a dolphin greeting as well! We got back to Tobermory right on time, at 4:30pm. It is a full day tour, but even if you’re short on time on your trip to the Isle of Mull, it’s worth it.

You can find out everything you need to know about Staffa Tours on their website . I really recommend this company, I had such a great day and all the staff were really nice and good at pointing out wildlife and landmarks to us on our sailing!

If you’re headed to the Isle of Mull, you can’t miss the trip to Staffa. And if you’re visiting between April and July – or if you’ve planned your entire trip around this! – you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to see the puffins on Lunga. This was simply one of the best days and such an amazing experience!

Have you ever visited Staffa or Lunga? Did you see the puffins?

You might also like my posts:

What To See On The Isle Of Mull And Iona In Scotland

A 7-Day Itinerary For The North Coast 500 In Scotland

What To See And Do In Dumfries And Galloway, Scotland

Alternative Isle Of Skye: 4 Ways To Avoid The Crowds

All of my Scotland posts!

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3 thoughts on “ isle of mull daytrip: staffa and puffin-watching on lunga ”.

[…] too. This was one of the most incredible days of my life! You can read my full blog post on the Staffa and Treshnish Isles daytrip here. I booked a day tour with Staffa Tours, to see Staffa and the Treshnish […]

[…] was one of the best puffin experiences I’ve had. And trust me, that’s saying a lot! (Lunga on the Treshnish Isles is up there, too.) If you’re interested in spotting seabirds, or just want a boat trip out to see […]

[…] Isle of Mull Daytrip: Staffa and Puffin-Watching on Lunga […]

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ISLE OF MULL

Staffa and Treshnish Isles Wildlife Tour

• Departs: Tobermory, Ardnamurchan

Wildlife Tour Tobermory, Treshnish & Staffa

• Departs: Oban

Wildlife Tour

Staffa and Treshnish Isles Wildlife Tour from Fionnphort or Iona

• Departs: Iona, Fionnphort

Staffa Tour from Iona or Fionnphort

Wildlife Adventures with Sealife mull

• Departs: Tobermory

Three Isles Early Bird Tour

Tobermory & Staffa wildlife tour

Three Isles Tour – Mull, Iona & Staffa

About isle of mull.

Mull has a rich cultural heritage and is home to many historical sites and monuments. The island’s main town, Tobermory, is famed for the cheerful colours of its waterfront buildings and the yachts bobbing in the natural harbour. Tobermory is also well known for being the setting of hit children’s TV show Balamory.

Beautiful beaches and bays abound, from Calgary and Kilninian in the north to Loch Buie and Carsaig in the south. Mull has an abundance of wildlife on its land and in its waters, with curious puffins on surrounding seabird colonies and great whales and basking sharks swimming just off the coast. There are guided boat trips to the neighbouring islands, includingthe Isle of Iona and Staffa.

Perhaps the most famous sight on Mull’s coast is Duart Castle, home of the Chief of Clan Maclean. In its commanding position on a promontory on the south east of the island, it evokes the history of the highlands and its people.

Duart has had a stormy past. Built in the 13th century, its 14ft thick Keep walls with mounted cannons posed a significant defence and offence against enemies. However, in 1691 it was sacked by the Duke of Argyll, and after Clan Maclean’s support of the Stuarts in 1715 and 1745 the castle was left in ruins until 1912, when it was restored by the present chief’s great-grandfather.

Lady Rock, the tiny reef between the Lismore lighthouse and the Mull shore, was the scene of a famous attempted murder by one of the chiefs of Clan Maclean, who inhabited Duart Castle on the promontory opposite. He bound up and left his wife to drown on rocks that he knew would be flooded by the incoming tide.

However, unbeknown to Maclean, she was rescued by passing fishermen and taken to her father, a great nobleman. When Maclean went to his father-in-law’s castle to tell him the sad news, she was presented to him alive and well. Shortly afterwards Maclean himself suffered a violent death. The island’s romantic atmosphere fosters countless stories such as this, many endowed with a kernel of truth.

All over Mull there are regular sightings of species such as white tailed sea eagle, golden eagle, diver, merlin, peregrine, buzzard, hen harrier, plover, raven and woodland birds like goldcrest, warbler and tree creeper. Most of the raptors live on the sea cliffs on the west of Mull, but some are also spotted inland on the hills and moorlands with Ben More, Mull’s highest mountain, being home to golden eagle and peregrine.

On the coast and shorelines live red throated and great northern divers, eider, merganser, as well as more recognised species such as shag, cormorant, oystercatcher, tern, kittiwake and common gull, while some of the larger sea lochs attract razorbill and the ever-popular gannet.

The shallow and deep waters around Mull’s coastline are clear and rich in nutrients which naturally attracts a great variety of sea mammals, a great attraction for Mull’s tourism. Whales, dolphins and porpoises provide the main attractions especially from onboard a boat as they are often seen at close quarters rising to the surface, the sometimes acrobatic dolphins in particular. In addition, during the summer months, the mysterious basking shark returns, their massive fins visible of course by boat but also regularly from the shore.

Sea otters inhabit the rocky, seaweedy coastal areas but are often elusive and hard to spot, surprising considering that Mull has one of the UK’s densest otter populations.

Mull’s diverse terrain of narrow, sheltered glens and rolling, open moorland provides the perfect habitat for some of the UK’s favourite as well as rarest wild animals. The heathery moorlands and steep hill and mountain sides are roamed by magnificent red deer, feral goat and mountain hare. Further down in secluded glens, among the woodland, rabbits and stoats are plentiful, but the careful observer may also be lucky enough to glimpse polecat, and by rivers and lochs the seldom seen mink.

Tobermory has become the heart of the Isle of Mull since it was purposely built as a fishing port in 1788; as designed by the Dumfriesshire engineer Thomas Telford.

The renowned ‘post-card perfect’ harbour of brightly coloured buildings, attributable to the popular BBC children’s programme ‘Balamory’, host welcoming accommodation, popular gift shops and a plentiful choice of delicious eateries; making it a desirable visiting location for all of the family.

Tobermory can also be known for its popular Whisky distillery, pottery workshop, locally sourced fish and shell-food restaurants, Isle of Mull cheese farm, and the historical wreck of a Spanish Galleon sunk in the bay during the Armada of 1588. A number of television and radio broadcasts feature Tobermory for its idyllic character and attractions, as well as excellent public transport links and free parking.

The town is recently more admirable for catching a glimpse of iconic wildlife species; from Golden and White-tailed Eagles and other marine birds soaring the skies to Otters, Dolphins and Porpoise swimming in the harbour.

Tobermory harbour makes for the ideal destination to enjoy and depart from to explore the magnificent coasts, which are significant feeding grounds of Basking Sharks, Minke Whale’s, Orca’s and less rarely sighted sea life such as the Sunfish and Leatherback Turtle! It is the perfect base for exploring the west coast of Scotland’s islands and marine life by sea; with the newly purpose built ‘MV Islander’  being the first to provide an opportunity to visit, via Kilchoan, Coll, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles from Tobermory.

Certainly the approach to Craignure pier is dramatic, the slopes of Dun da Ghaoithe (2,512 ft) dwarfing the sheltered, richly wooded bay. Opposite Craignure village is the mouth of Loch Linnhe, which extends north-eastwards for more that forty miles, its upper reach overlooked by the highest mountain in Great Britain – Ben Nevis at 4,406 ft. On a clear day the mountain’s massive shape can be seen from many places on the east coast of Mull.

Leaving the jetty at Craignure, turn westwards to take the romantic road that strikes across southern Mull to Iona in the extreme west. A little more than a mile out of the village is Torosay Castle, an imposing Victorian building set in beautiful grounds. Both the castle and its grounds are open to visitors who may care to travel the short distance from Craignure jetty by steam railway.

A little further on from Craignure is the turning that leads to Duart Castle, home of the Chief of Clan Maclean. Its commanding position, as well as the aura of history that radiates from it, attracts many visitors to its doors. The thirteenth century keep has walls 14 ft thick, and the cannon mounted on them commanded the passage of the Sound of Mull at its narrowest point.

Duart is open to the public in the summer months and many fascinating relics of the clan’s history are on display, as well as a famous exhibition of Scouting.

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