Tour the Isle of Mull, Islay & Staffa
This year our ultimate 9-day small group trip which tours the Isle of Mull, Islay and Staffa, starting from Edinburgh on the 4th May 2025.
We love bringing travellers from around the world together to experience the very best of Scotland, this trip is no exception. You’ll experience an exciting mix of Highland and Hebridean island adventures. Exploring epic castles like Dunrobin and Dunnottar, spotting wildlife like Puffins and Otters as well as hiking rugged mountains and coastlines and visiting iconic whisky distilleries, all expertly guided for an experience that will linger in your memory forever.
This carefully crafted small group trip (max. 7 people) also includes 8 nights of accommodation with breakfast, a Glamis Castle Tour, a whisky tour and a wildlife boat trip to the Isle of Staffa.
Isle of Mull Tour Overview
- Starting Point: Edinburgh
- Duration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
- Dates: 4 – 12th May 2025
- Group Size: Maximum of 7 People
- Transportation: Comfortable minivan
- Price: Twin / double room – £1,675 per person, single room – £1,875.
- Includes: Accommodation and breakfast, Isle of Staffa and Lunga boat trip, Glenlivet whisky tour and Dunrobin Castle Tour
- Optional Extras: Jacobite Steam Train and an extra Whisky Distillery Tour
Isle of Mull & Islay Tour Highlights
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Isle of Lunga Puffin Boat Trip
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Isle of Staffa and Fingal’s Cave Tour
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Glenlivet Whisky Tour & Tasting
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Explore Epic Scottish Castles: Dunnottar, Balmoral, Dunrobin and more!
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Ride the Jacobite Steam Train
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Visit the beautiful seaside towns: Oban, Tobermory, Port Charlotte and Stonehaven
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Hike to Scotland’s Pyramid
Book Your Mull Tour Today
Keen to join this epic 9-Day Scotland Tour? Contact us today to reserve your spot on this unforgettable tour!
Isle of Mull and Islay Tour Itinerary
Visit Dunnottar Castle and Scotland’s Pyramid
We begin the tour starting from Edinburgh heading north to Dunkeld. We’ll stop here for a spot of breakfast and to visit the last remaining ancient oak tree which is believed to have inspired Shakespeare’s Birnam Wood. Continuing north, we’ll pass through the stunning Glenshee and make a stop at Braemar Castle, a beautiful historic fortress. Afterward, we’ll hike up to Prince Albert’s Cairn also known as Scotland’s pyramid and view the iconic Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s Scottish retreat. Our final stop will be the dramatic Dunnottar Castle, perched on a cliff, before heading to the charming coastal town of Stonehaven for the night.
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Dunnottar Castle
Glenlivet Distillery Tour & the Bullers of Buchan
We’ll start the day at Newburgh Seal Beach, home to a large colony of seals. At the right time of year you can see hundreds here! Continuing north, we’ll head to the dramatic cliffs formations at the Bullers of Buchan and walk from here along the coast to the ruins of Slains Castle, which inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Now we head west into one of Scotland’s most famous whisky regions, Speyside. We couldn’t drive through the area without a whisky tour and tasting at Glenlivet Distillery.
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Bullers of Buchan
Explore Inverness & Dunrobin Castle
Waking up in Inverness, we will have a late start allowing you the opportunity to have 90 minutes to wander around the Europe’s fastest growing city. Once the team are ready, its time to visit one of the most stunning but controversial fortresses, Dunrobin Castle. The Sutherland families impact on the Highland Clearances has left lasting damage on the local communities. For a bit of adventure, you’ll have the option to hike to Fyrish Monument or take the Big Burn Walk. In the afternoon, we’ll explore the historic battlefield of Culloden and finish with a visit to the ancient Clava Cairns, a fascinating burial site.
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Dunrobin Castle
Visit Loch Ness and Ride the Jacobite Steam Train
Day 4 visits two of the most iconic locations in the whole of Scotland! The world famous Loch Ness. Then, choose from two options for your Loch Ness experience:
Option one: Board the 10:15am Jacobite Steam Train, a magical ride through the Scottish Highlands.
Option two: View the Jacobite from the Glenfinnan Viaduct and visit Dumbledore’s grave.
Afterward, making our way onto the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, one of the most remote regions in Scotland to see the epic ruins of Castle Tioram, perched on a tidal island, before heading to the stunning Sanna Bay. In the evening, we’ll catch the Kilchoan Ferry to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull—the last ferry departs at 6:40pm.
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Glenfinnan Viaduct
Isle of Lunga Puffin Trip and Fingal’s Cave Tour
Start the day with a visit to the Isle of Mull Cheese Farm, where you can sample the island’s delicious, locally produced cheeses. Then, we’ll head to the stunning Eas Fors Waterfall, a hidden gem in a beautiful coastal setting.
At 11:40am, embark on the Lunga and Staffa Puffin and Sea Life Boat Trip, where you’ll get up close with puffins, seals and other seabirds, along with the opportunity to spot marine life around the Treshnish Isles.
Our day will end with a relaxing stay at the Bellachroy Hotel, the perfect spot to unwind after a day of exploration.
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Isle of Staffa
Touring the Isle of Mull’s Wildlife including Otters
Start the day with a Loch Na Keal Sea Otter Watch, where you may spot otters as well as looking up for golden and white tailed eagles. Next, enjoy a scenic walk to Tobermory Lighthouse and explore Crater Loch, offering fantastic views of the surrounding area.
Alternatively, you can choose the unique Whisky Cave on the Isle of Erraid, or immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the island.
We’ll then take the 5:05pm Ferry from Mull to Oban (last check-in by 4:35pm), where we’ll spend the night at the Kings Knoll Hotel, enjoying stunning views and a relaxing evening.
Explore the Isle of Islay
We’ll travel to Kennacraig and catch the 10:00am Ferry to Port Askaig on Islay (check-in by 9:30am). Once on Islay, we’ll head to the Mull of Oa walking up to the American Monument, offering breathtaking views of the coastline and the monument dedicated to those lost in a WWII air crash.
Next, we’ll explore Carraig Fhada and the famous Singing Sands, a peaceful and unique beach where the sand ‘sings’ when walked upon.
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Isle of Islay
Touring Islay’s Whisky Distilleries
Today, enjoy a full Islay Whisky Tour starting with the famous Three Distilleries Walk, where we’ll visit Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg—three of Islay’s most iconic whisky distilleries. Learn about the distilling process, enjoy tastings, and immerse yourself in the island’s whisky culture.
If time allows, we’ll take a short trip to the Isle of Jura to spot the wild Red Deer in their natural habitat.
We’ll spend the night at No 1 Charlotte Street, offering a comfortable and central location to relax after a day of exploration.
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Whisky Tasting
Back to Edinburgh via Loch Lomond
We’ll catch the 3:30pm Ferry back to Kennacraig (check-in by 3:00pm) and then head to Inveraray, a charming town on the banks of Loch Fyne. Afterward, we’ll drive through The Rest and Be Thankful, a famous mountain pass with stunning views.
Our next stop will be Luss, a picturesque village on the shores of Loch Lomond, where you can take in the beauty of Scotland’s largest freshwater loch. Finally, we’ll make our way to Edinburgh, where your tour comes to an end.
Tripadvisor Testimonials
Donald M2024-09-28 Do it! Fantastic tour, ridiculous value for money. Rob was a perfect host, knowledgeable and interesting, with some great dad jokes which we all loved. If you’re a Potterhead it’s a must, and a great way to see our capital too Laura S2024-09-19 Highlands and Isle of Skye 4 day tour My mum and I did the 4 day tour of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. It was incredible. From the moment we left, Rob entertained us with history, stories and dad jokes. We got to see castles, ruins and so much nature. Highlights were the Creag An Tuirc walk, Hagrid's hut, Dumbledore's grave, the steam train, Isle of Rum and the Quirang. I mentioned that I love birds and he made sure to point out any birds of prey especially that we saw. He was happy to adjust the tour based on our wants and needs. I have celiac disease and he worked hard to make sure we were eating in restaurants that served my needs. I am also a coffee person and he found great coffee shops for us to enjoy each day! On the day we did the boat trip we had to adjust our trip and visited the Isle of Rum instead of the Isle of Canna. It was so lovely and such an interesting trip to learn about the culture on that island. In the Isle of Skye we stayed in these beautiful pods on a large piece of land. Though Rob called it "glamping" it was much nicer in my opinion. The amount he was able to squeeze into 4 days is truly astounding. This was a once in a lifetime trip and I highly recommend using Rob for your tour. He is compassionate, attentive and a great listener as well as being quick to laugh. We truly had the best time and can't wait to return and hopefully go with him to see the puffins!! swifties012024-09-18 A great mix of old, new, and imaginary We had a great tour on a lovely, sunny day. The walk covered some very interesting spots in Edinburgh, and we learned a bunch about Edinburgh's current culture, in addition to some fascinating tidbits about the inspiration for some of the Harry Potter characters and settings. I can happily recommend this tour! Frances O2024-09-11 Wonderful 4 day Isle of Skye tour with Rob Carr tours What a wonderful trip, the scenery was breathtaking, the itinerary was well thought out and varied. The Jacobite ( Harry Potter) train ride is a must. I loved our cosy glamping pods. Nothing was too much trouble, Rob was professional and great fun, be prepared for terrible jokes. I would highly recommend Rob’s tours whether it’s a walking tour or a longer tour of the highlands. Loved it. Thank you Rob. AmyMMc2024-09-10 Wonderful tour! My daughter and I had such a fun time on this tour. Rob was knowledgeable and quite funny. He had a lot of dad jokes to share along the way. Not only was it a Harry Potter tour, but we learned more about the city as well. I highly recommend this tour with Rob! Mara2024-09-06 Definitely recommend it Such a fun and kind guy, easy to speak with. He knows a lot and loves to share it with you. Definitely recommend it! I really enjoyed it will be back to book another tour with Robert! Jim P2024-09-05 Great entertaining tour informative and fun Met Rob with my family and another couple, was great to be in a small intimate group. Rob was outstanding at his job, the tour was fun and informative. Robs personal knowledge of the area and of Harry Potter combined with his ability to entertain my teenage kids and us adults was terrific. I would definitely advise those looking for a great tour to book Rob. Thank you for your time, my kids loved it. Sian S2024-09-05 Really fun relaxed tour We had a really fun 2 hours on our tour with Rob seeing some amazing Harry Potter sights and learning some history about Edinburgh. Rob is a great guy and made everyone in the group feel at ease so lots of laughs were had and his knowledge was really vast. Really enjoyed our time and will definitely be booking more tours with Rob next time we're back in Scotland . Marta Ł2024-09-05 10/10 - I truly recommend tour with Rob! We were on a tour with my non-Potterhead boyfriend and despite of his fear that he will not derive as much fun from this tour as me, he claimed after, that he had much fun too. Rob is such a nice and funny person with a huge knowledge about not only HP and Edinbrugh/Scotland history but also cuisine. He has great advices on where you can taste unusual Scottish delights - such as donut inspired by traditional dessert. Rob's tour is very interactive, he not only lectures - he ask questions about our guesses about histories, he joke a lot and I see that he personalizes a bit the tour based on real-time feedback or tourist's reactions. I highly recommend. Moose7172024-08-28 Good mix of history and Harry Rob was a great guide. Knowledgeable about the history of Edinburgh as well as Harry Potter. Adjusted focus of the tour stories based on our interests. Made museum and food recommendations as we walked. Nice tour - great guide.