We spent two weeks on the Isle of Mull travelling around in our campervan and our main reason to visit the island was the chance to spot Puffins! This has been on our bucket list for a long time, we’d never managed to be at the right time or place to spot puffins, so this time we made plans and were very excited to finally see them. Seeing puffins truly is a unique experience not only for wildlife enthusiasts but for everyone to enjoy seeing these incredible birds with such sweet and quirky characters. You’ll have the chance to get really close to them and observe their behaviour and one of our favourite moments was seeing ‘bill-tapping’ where two puffins will rub against each other’s bills as a way of bonding in the breeding season. Lunga Island is perhaps one of the best places to see puffins in the Scotland and even the UK.
Where are the Treshnish Isles?
The Treshnish Isles are a group of 8 small islands on the west coast of the Isle of Mull. Whilst on the Isle of Iona we could see the isles and they were shaped like battleships out on the ocean. The Isle of Lunga is part of the Treshnish Isles and is home to thousands of puffins, seals, guillemots, razorbill, shag and many other sea birds. Another must visit is the Isle of Staffa, also part of the Treshnish Isles, it is a geological wonder. The impressive masterpiece named Fingal’s Cave inspired Menhollsen to compose an overture after his visit to Staffa.
How to get to the Isle of Mull?
Firstly, you will need to get to the Isle of Mull. There are options to get a wildlife tour from Oban (mainland Scotland) but we would recommend exploring the Isle of Mull as there is so much to see (our top 10 things to do on the Isle of Mull). The quickest way to get to the Isle of Mull is by taking the CalMac ferry from Oban (mainland Scotland) to Craignure (Mull). This cost £45 for a return ticket, we travelled in our campervan and the journey took 45 minutes. There is the option to travel on the ferry as a passenger and catch the bus from Craignure to Tobermory.
How to get to the Treshnish Isles?
There are several tour operators on the island and Staffa tours invited us on their Staffa and Treshnish Isles Wildlife Tour. The tour leaves from Tobermory which is approximately a 35 minute drive from Craignure (where you arrive on the island from mainland Scotland). We left Tobermory port at 9:45am, which is opposite the Aquarium and once on the boat, we picked up passengers at Kilchoan and the tour lasted a total of 6 hours. This tour gives you plenty of time to explore both the Isle of Staffa and Lunga on foot where most of the puffins and other birds nest.
When is the best time to visit?
Puffin season on Lunga is from mid-April till early August which gives you the best chance to see them. We were amazed at how close you will be able to see the puffins in their burrows. The puffins will be happy to see you as you help protect them from predators such as nearby eagles. In the winter, puffins spend most of their time out at sea and only return to land to mate and nest.
It is worth noting that tours can be cancelled due to bad weather. We were lucky with the weather, as we left the harbour of Tobermory there was drizzle and as we made our way to the Treshnish Isles, we were welcomed with sunshine once we arrived at Lunga, the perfect conditions to see the Puffins!
What will you see on your way to the Treshnish Isles?
Leaving Tobermory, you’ll cross the Sound of Mull and pass Tobermory lighthouse, we would recommend the short walk to the lighthouse it if you have time when exploring Tobermory. On the boat on a clear day, you can see the most Western point of Mainland Britain where the granite Ardnamurchan lighthouse sits. As the boat continues to take you around the northern part of Mull you’ll pass one of the most well-known beaches of the island, Calgary Bay with white sand, rocky pools at low tide and a great place to watch the sunset. You might be lucky to spot seals, basking sharks, porpoises, dolphins and golden eagles.
What to bring with you on your boat trip?
If you plan to do a longer wildlife tour as we did, then make sure you bring a packed lunch, snacks and water as you’ll need some energy from all the exploring and excitement! On the day we found that we hardly stopped for food as we just wanted to make the most of the experience.
Remember that you really can experience all four seasons in one day in Scotland. Be prepared for weather changes whilst on your wildlife tour. Bring waterproof gear with you, most importantly a waterproof jacket. We’d also recommend a warm hat and gloves as the journey on the boat can make you feel cold quickly as you won’t be moving and it can get windy.
Don’t forget to bring your camera! If you’re a fellow photography enthusiast then you might want to bring a telephoto lens but wouldn’t say this is essential as you’ll find on Lunga that you can get very close to Puffins as they are very curious and this will create some beautiful photo opportunities.
Wear sturdy footwear as the ground is uneven in many places. When you arrive on the Isle of Lunga you’ll have to cross the rocks which can be a bit tricky in places, go slow and decent footwear will help.
How can you be a responsible visitor to the Treshnish Isles?
Do not walk or climb over the burrows (holes in the ground where puffins nest), this is their home and the burrows are delicate areas that should not be disturbed.
Do not disturb wildlife by making loud noises. Observe at a distance and wait for moments to unfold before you, your patience will be rewarded and we must keep wildlife, wild!
Keep your distance from steep edges and cliffs, after rainfall this can make surfaces more slippery.
Take all of your rubbish with you or pack a packed lunch with no wrappers to avoid the chance of accidentally dropping litter.
There are no facilities on either islands and there is a toilet on the Staffa tours boat.
Do not take any souvenirs, we’ll admit that it may have crossed our minds to pocket a puffin but in all seriousness make sure to leave everything as you found it.
Lunga
This was our first stop on the tour and was most definitely the highlight for wildlife. Lunga island is the largest island of the Treshnish isles, an important bird reserve, providing crucial refuge from predators and one of the best places to see puffins in the UK.
As we approached the island, the sun popped out and brought warmth and you could sense the excitement from fellow passengers. We disembarked from the boat and walked along the floating jetty onto the rocks which took a while to clamber over.
Staffa tours told us that the puffins were happy to see us as we scared away the eagles who were their predators. The puffins slowly emerged from their burrows to observe the newcomers to the island and it was wonderful to see their curiosity. They quickly adapted to us observing them in their natural habitat, swooping off the cliff edges in search of food.
We were recommended to walk a bit further to Harp Rock where you’ll witness numerous other birds including guillemots, razorbills, kittiwake, fulmar and great skua. The Isle of Lunga is home to an estimated 4,500 puffins and they are successfully breeding compared to other places that are showing a decline in population.
It was very hard to pull ourselves away from the island when it was time to leave, it was a magical experience to see the puffins so close and be able to observe them in their natural habitat. A once in a lifetime experience!
Isle of Staffa
Our next stop was the impressive Isle of Staffa, only a short boat ride from Lunga. The spectacular basalt columns protrude from the ocean creating beautiful hexagonal patterns. Our boat approached Fingal’s Cave, a deep void into the island which you can walk into for a closer inspection of the columns and hear the wonderful acousitcs of the ocean waves crashing against the rocks.
We found a lovely relaxing spot with some incredible views across to Mull where we had the chance to comprehend what we had just seen on Lunga! There is also a chance to spot more puffins on the island further at the other end, however, we decided to explore Fingal’s Cave and admire the hexagonal basalt columns similar to what we’d seen in Iceland.
Once we returned on the boat, we were promptly dropped off at Tobermory with memories for a lifetime. We would highly recommend this experience if you plan to visit the Isle of Mull or if you are in search of spectacular wildlife spotting opportunities. Mull has plenty of other wildlife to see on the island including Otters, Adders and Golden Eagles.
We’ve put together our top 10 things to see when you visit the Isle of Mull to help you plan your visit to this incredible Scottish island.
