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!

Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more. The easiest way to get to the Isle of Mull is by taking the CalMac ferry from Oban to Craignure. I brought my own car, but if you’re relying on public transportation Oban has a train station – once you land in Craignure, you can take the bus to Tobermory. I always recommend booking train tickets in advance on Trainline. If you’re flying, Oban and Glasgow airports are closest – I book flights through Skyscanner. Looking for somewhere to stay on the Isle of Mull? Staying in Tobermory would be most convenient for this tour. You can also check out these options!


Booking.com

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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