Isle of Mull, Iona & The Highlands
4 Day Tour from Edinburgh
Overview
Discover Scotland’s rugged west coast, these wild, yet tranquil western isles are ideal for spotting wildlife such as seabirds, eagles, dolphins and even whales.
Visit Iona Abbey, still a place of worship today. Ramble up to Iona’s highest point at Dun I for panoramic views to other Hebridean islands such as Tiree, Coll and the Treshnish Islands. On a really clear day you’ll glimpse Rhum, Eigg and Skye and even the Irish coast.
Stroll along Tobermory’s harbour front with its brightly painted houses. Get off the beaten track to the wonder of Fingal’s Cave on Staffa and dip your toes in the azure waters of some of Scotland’s best beaches.
Coach Air Filtration
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Small Group Tours
Max 16 Persons
Tour Duration
4 Days – 3 Nights
Day 1
From Edinburgh we’ll call in to Glasgow before exploring the conservation village of Luss which sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. We’ll stop to admire the stunning views at the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’. These words were etched on stone by weary soldiers who built the military road in 1750, and on reaching the top, they rested and were thankful for it.
Visit Inveraray Castle, built in 1745 by the 3rd Duke of Argyll, chief of the powerful Clan Campbell. The castle also appeared in a Downton Abbey special. You’ll have time stroll around the town, its white-washed buildings are a great example of Scottish Georgian architecture.
The busy port of Oban, ‘Gateway to the Isles’, welcomes us and is where we board the ferry to the Isle of Mull. On reaching Mull it’s a short drive to Tobermory with its brightly painted houses overlooking the harbour.
Day 2
Enjoy the picturesque drive to Fionnphort where we’ll take the short passenger ferry to the tiny sacred island of Iona. It’s been a place of Christian worship and pilgrimage ever since St Columba came from Ireland to establish a monastery here in 563 AD.
Visit Iona Abbey and take a walk up Torr an Aba, the little hill above where St Columba’s writing hut is thought to have stood. Explore St Oran’s Chapel and Reilig Òdhrain, the graveyard where 48 ancient kings of Scotland, including Macbeth, are said to be buried.
For wildlife lovers there is an optional boat trip to Fingal’s Cave on uninhabited Staffa. The best time to see puffins is from early May to early August. Dolphins and porpoises are often seen playing in the water. Look out for minke and fin whales or even the elusive basking shark.
Fingal’s Cave is a geological wonder with its hexagonal basalt rock columns formed millions of years ago by volcanic eruptions. Its evocative acoustics inspired Mendelssohn to compose his Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave) after he visited in 1829.
Day 3
The Kilmore standing stones lie above the village of Dervaig and nearby there are signs of an ancient fort and a Highland clearance village. We can’t miss out on a visit to one of Scotland’s finest sandy beaches at Calgary Bay, where glistening white sands rival any foreign destination.
A one-minute ferry takes us to Ulva, an island haven for walkers and wildlife enthusiasts that’s definitely off the beaten track. It’s a truly unspoilt isle with pristine blue waters rolling onto white shell beaches and woods carpeted in billiard green moss.
Keep an eye out for sea eagles, golden eagles and otters. The isle’s Boathouse restaurant serves tasty home-baking. Back in Tobermory there are traditional Scottish pubs, souvenir shops and Tobermory Distillery where a dram of single malt awaits.
Day 4
Our first ferry today takes us over the Sound of Mull to Lochaline, this spectacular peninsula was shaped thousands of years ago by volcanoes and ice. An hour later we’re lining up for the small Corran Ferry en route to Glencoe, Scotland’s most famous glen.
We’ll emerge from the towering mountains into bleak but beautiful Rannoch Moor, one of Europe’s last great wildernesses, and head into picturesque Killin. You’ll want to pose for selfies at the village’s dramatic river rapids, the Falls of Dochart.
Doune Castle dates back to around the 14th century and has starred in Outlander as Castle Leoch, Game of Thrones as Winterfell and in the cult comedy Monty Python as Swamp Castle, Castle Anthrax and Camelot.
Our last stop before reaching Edinburgh is at the Kelpies. At over 30 meters high these two giant steel horse heads are the world’s largest equine sculptures and are a monument to Scotland’s horse-powered industrial heritage.
4 Day Isles of Mull, Iona & the Highlands Tour from Edinburgh
Tour Highlights
Day 1
Glasgow, Luss, Loch Lomond, Rest and be Thankful, Inveraray, Oban, Ferry to Mull & Tobermory.
Day 2
The Isle of Iona, Iona Abbey, Boat trip to Fingal’s Cave & Staffa.
Day 3
Dervaig, Calgary Bay, The Island of Ulva & Tobermory Distillery.
Day 4
Ferry from Fishnish to Lochaline, The Corran Ferry, Glencoe, Falls of Dochart, Callander, Doune Castle & the Kelpies.
Please note: We may visit some attractions on a different day due to weather etc.
Departure & Return
Departs/Returns: Bus Stance opposite Howie’s Restaurant, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh EH1 3B
Tour Check-in 07:45 | Tour Departs 08:00 | Tour Ends 18:30
Note: You can start this tour in Edinburgh and end the tour in Glasgow or vice versa. Please select your preferred drop off location on the booking form.
Late Arrivals
In the event you are late for any reason in arriving at your departure point and as result miss your tour, you will not be entitled to a refund.
Children
We regret that we do not carry children under the age of 5 on our scheduled tours.
What’s Included
Transport in a 16-seat mini coach
Coach Air Filtration System as standard
Air Conditioning as standard
Services of an English-speaking driver-guide
All Ferries (does not include optional Staffa boat trip)
Accommodation
Entry to Visitor Attractions
Meals & Refreshments
What to Bring
In Scotland we can get 4 seasons in 1 day, so we suggest bringing suitable clothing for all conditions, including a waterproof jacket and layers of clothing.
Shoes that are suitable for short walks on uneven paths and rough terrain. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and your camera to capture fantastic memories you’ll make on tour with us!
Most attractions & eating establishments we visit accept card payments, however we recommend bringing some cash with you.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel this tour 15 days or more prior to departure – you will be refunded 90% of the tour price.
Cancellations made less than 15 days prior to departure – no refund will be due.
Cancellations must be made in writing. For further information please refer to our terms and conditions.
Please have a look at some customer experiences with Discover Scotland Tours.
06/06/22 – Callum & Lynda
First off, our driver John Black was excellent! Very cheery guy with lots of interesting little tidbits of information during our journey. He even checked the weather forecast for our trip to Iona and Staffa and arranged the trip for the day with the best weather. So grateful for that as we had a perfect, beautiful day for that part of the tour. The next day was rainy and windy so we would have missed Staffa if John hadn’t have looked at the forecast and rescheduled it. The tour bus is very, very comfortable and it was also very nice that there were only 9 of us onboard. Made for roomy and comfortable travel. Lots of “comfort” stops and plenty of time to tour different places that we stopped in. We would definitely recommend your tour company and wouldn’t hesitate to book with you again on our next trip to Scotland. Cheers.
20/06/22 – Claudia
I had a ridiculously good time! From the very first moment John jumped out of that bus.. full of energy, of a sunny, cheerful disposition… I was relieved. I’m still smiling when I think about our tour. I felt so safe while he was driving and the roads aren’t that easy to drive at all.. I had lovely fellow travellers. John entertained us and shared all of his knowledge (trivial or not) 🙂 And there were other small things too that I loved.. for instance, he only played Scottish Bands on his bus. 🙂 He really put effort in it. We saw how much he loves his job and that he really wanted us to have a good, unforgettable time! And he excelled! I’m still so happy I ended up on that particular trip and think about doing another tour any time soon. So thanks to John in particular and all the other people in the background organising! I had a great time!
30/05/22 – Vanessa
Thank you so much for an amazing holiday. The information before booking was really good and we used the online chat function to ask questions. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour it had the perfect balance of visiting all the sights with leisurely time and regular breaks. There was something there for all ages even our 5 year old enjoyed it. Our days in Iona and on Mull were in glorious sunshine. Our tour guide John Black genuinely went out of his way to make sure everyone was happy and had everything they needed. It was obvious that he loves his job. He helped my mum down some steps and did high fives with my son. He was an excellent driver working long days and navigated the single track roads in Mull in a big vehicle with ease, we were grateful to have someone else doing the driving for us. He was flexible and had lots of advice and recommendations. We’d definitely recommend the tours to others and hope to book the Skye tour next time. Many thanks to the team.
25/10/21 – Maureen
For me, all was perfect – the itinerary (who could possibly dislike a boat trip to Staffa?), the comfort of the mini-bus, the wonderful B&B you booked for me and, of course, Cliff, our driver and guide. He was considerate, very informative, and funny. So many marvellous photos and memories. Thank you so much for a great holiday.
29/09/21 – Kath and Phil
We had a wonderful time and enjoyed all the places we visited. Our tour guide/driver Nick was professional and friendly, he took the time to get to know everyone on the tour. He had a wonderful sense of humour and an extensive knowledge of the highlands and the places we visited. Though one could get a little confused with all the Mcdougle’s and Mcdonald clans😊. Thank you, Nick, for your daily `People choice` music: I think we all enjoyed it. We were fortunate in having a really nice and friendly group and lucky enough to have excellent weather. The coach we excellent, we felt comfortable and safe. Nick worked hard ensuring the coach remained clean and covid 19 safe. All four days were different from the beautiful village of Luss on the 1st day to the visit to the Isle of Staff when we saw Dolphins, Whales and feeding gannets to our last the experience of the Kelpies. We would have no hesitation recommending the Discover Scotland Tours to any one, and we would certainly use them again. 10/10.
26/06/21 – Sue
It was great! Nick made the whole trip a delight – with his great personality welcoming us all onto the bus daily …..and discussing the days itinerary with us all and agreeing any additions / changes with us all . His knowledge of the places and their history was unbelievable together with his personalised stories along the way. There is not moment of the trip I would have changed for the world I loved every minute of it. I will definitely be travelling with you again later this year. Thank you to you all for a wonderful holiday from booking to getting back home I’m glad I travelled with you.
31/05/21 – Anamaria
The tour was quite amazing, we were lucky to have mostly sunny weather and postcard-worthy locations everywhere. Staffa and Iona were the highlights for me. Our tour leader Cliff was most accommodating, and the tour atmosphere was very positive overall. It was my second experience with your company and I would definitely join your tours again.
17/10/20 – Duncan
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Scotland. The whole organisation of the tour was very smooth and our Tour Leader, John Toner, was exceptionally helpful, dependable, always cheerful and chatted continuously about various historical features and Clan rivalries and the brutal side of the Scottish rivalries. We were very impressed!! We particularly enjoyed the visits to Duart Castle, Iona and Glencoe The Harbour view Guesthouse in Tobermory was exceptionally good in all respects. As we normally go to the Isles of Scilly for our holidays, we also enjoyed the ferry trips!
23/09/20 – Rebecca via TripAdvisor
Brilliant tour company. Modern/comfortable bus. Professional, friendly and knowledgable guide. Great value for money. Would definitely recommend/book again.
21/07/19 – Fiona
The tour was excellent. Keep doing what you’re doing at these kind of prices and you can’t go far wrong. Nothing negative to say. Literally nothing. John was great. As a Scot returning to Scotland, I was unsure what to expect but this truly exceeded all expectations. I’ve been on some terrible trips in Australia and New Zealand but the tripadvisor reviews were so good I thought I’d try it and see instead of hiring a car. No regrets and would like to check out your trip to Skye.
FAQs
We stay in the village of Tobermory for all 3 nights of our tour.
The village has some restaurants for evening dining and a shop should you require any necessities.
Where does the tour stay overnight?
We stay in the village of Tobermory for all 3 nights of our tour.
The village has some restaurants for evening dining and a shop should you require any necessities.
Yes, we can reserve accommodation on your behalf. There is an option to request your preferred accommodation when booking. You will then receive a confirmation email containing details of your accommodation provider & the exact cost of your stay.
Payment is made directly to the accommodation provider on arrival.
Hostel: We are unable to reserve hostel accommodation but can provide guidance on where passengers may wish to book. There is an option to request information on hostels at the time of booking.
The guide price for accommodation is as follows:
B&B double/twin room: £120.00 – £150.00 per room per night based on 2 people sharing.
B&B single occupancy: £105.00 – £130.00 per room per night
We provide a guide price as each establishment has their own pricing structure. We allocate accommodation on a first come first served basis. An exact cost will therefore be confirmed once you have booked and we can confirm what is available.
You can self-book your own accommodation. The accommodation must be in the Tobermory and we ask that you let the accommodation provider know that you are travelling with us.
If you choose to book your own accommodation, please inform us where you are staying as soon as possible.
Yes, while you are staying in Tobermory your driver-guide will drop you off each evening and collect you again the next morning.
A pick up time will be arranged while you are on tour. Please ensure you are ready to depart on time each morning.
This is limited to one piece of luggage (like an airline cabin bag) with a maximum weight of 15kg per person. For guidance, measurements should be no more than 65cm x 45cm x 30cm / 25in x 18in x 12in. You are allowed one small carry-on bag for onboard personal items.
There are left luggage facilities in both Glasgow and Edinburgh Train Stations and Edinburgh Bus Station if you require to store luggage while you are on tour.
In the Scottish Highlands many businesses do not accept card, particularly in rural areas where mobile signals are not very strong. Optional extras are also paid in cash, therefore, it is best to bring some cash with you.
There are cash machines on route should you require to take out money while on tour.
Seats are chosen on a first come first serve basis, we are unable to take requests for specific seats. Our mini coaches all have panoramic windows so the beautiful Scottish landscape can always be enjoyed, no matter where you sit.
If you suffer from motion sickness, then you may be affected by the roads in Scotland. They can be twisty and narrow. It’s best to come prepared with a travel sickness preventative, whether that be medicinal, wristbands or another option, to ensure it doesn’t impact your overall enjoyment of the tour.
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