Boat Trip Providers on Mull
There are a number of Boat Trip companies on Mull, some setting off from Tobermory, others from Ulva Ferry and some from Fionnphort. All of their details can be found here:
Sea Life Mull
Staffa Tours
Turus Mara
The Islands Around Mull
There are many beautiful islands dotted around Mull and they are really worth a visit in their own right.
Iona
A place of tranquillity and natural beauty, Iona is an even more ancient island than Mull. The island is a mile wide and three miles long. You can wander around the abbey set up by St Columba in 563AD. Bodies of kings of Scotland, Norway and France were interred here. (The Labour Party leader John Smith is buried here. His epitaph reads ‘An honest man’s the noblest work of God’. His daughter was married on Iona in 2007). You can stroll through the ruined, but well-tended, nunnery. Founded around 1200 it was the only medieval convent in Scotland. From Fionnphort (pronounced Finn-a-Fort) you can take the ferry to Iona. (It will take around 2 hours to drive from here to Fionnphort)
Staffa
Lying 6 miles west of Mull Staffa is entirely volcanic in origin. The hexagonal columns of basalt give way to a series of caves, the most famous being Fingal’s Cave which has been visited by many luminaries – Felix Mendelssohn (who was inspired to compose his Hebridean Overture), Boswell and Johnson, Sir Walter Scott, Turner, Keats, Wordsworth, Robert Adam, Robert Louis Stevenson and, of course, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Puffins, kittiwakes and shags nest on the island. Whales, dolphin and seal can be seen the surrounding waters.
Ulva
A ferry can be taken from Ulva Ferry on Mull to this privately owned island. Ulva has a thriving population of about 20. There are good walks on the island; though roads are not tarred so do have stout footwear. You may spot red deer, hare, rabbits and otters. A good tea/coffee/lunch can be taken at the Boat House Tearoom. No crossings on Saturdays.
The Treshnish Islands
The group of small islands and skerries are Sites of Special Scientific Interest and a Special protection Area due to the marine life and the breeding seabirds. These islands are uninhabited but boat trips can be taken to see the wildlife there.
Ardnamurchan Peninsula
One of the cruises from Tobermory (Hebridean Adventure) sails across to Ardnamurchan and Loch Sunart and takes in some walking and lunch at the inn there.