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24 November 2024
Ultimate Guide to Island Hopping
That's why we have multi-island tickets. Spend a few days exploring one island, then hop on a ferry to another. There are numerous itineraries to choose from, each designed to give as much flexibility as possible.
How island-hopping works
Travelling from one island to another is a great way to explore the west coast of Scotland, designing an itinerary that suits you best. Decide on which destinations you would like to explore and package them in one itinerary. Remember that you can travel in either direction, and your itinerary can be purchased using our multi-island ticket option: purchase a ticket for each leg of the journey in one transaction.
You can make your reservation online, adding each route, your companions and your vehicle(s) to your multiple journey booking.*
*Note that some routes within the suggested itineraries below which are ‘turn up and go’, with no advance booking. However, you still can purchase your ticket in advance so you are ready to travel: it will be an 'open' ticket for any ferry on your chosen departure date, valid for the season in which you've purchased it.
Booking your tickets
Pre-purchasing your tickets in advance is recommended for all routes. On our bookable routes you can also securing specific sailings. Do this online using our ‘multi-island’ option within the ‘What type of ticket are you looking for?’ section. Bundle all the routes in your itinerary together by selecting ‘Yes’ when asked ‘Do you want to add another journey?’.
You'll receive an eTicket direct to your inbox with a QR code. This can be scanned from your device each time you are ready to board.
Discover
- Bute, Cowal, Kintyre and Arran
- Mull, Iona, Lismore, Coll, and Tiree... (and Skye)
- Skye and the Outer Hebrides
- Islay, Kintyre and Oban
Bute, Cowal, Kintyre and Arran
The five-minute island hop: Bute and Cowal
This itinerary takes you to Bute and Cowal - and the ferry journey from Rhubodach to Colintraive is just five minutes. Bute's victorian gothic mansion, Mount Stuart, is one of the finest in the UK - look out for the tapestries, rare marble and alabaster in the astonishing 80-foot-high Marble Hall. Elsewhere on the island you'll find secluded bays, a colony of over 200 seals, and a bronze age stone circle.
You can nip across to Cowal, a disarmingly wild corner of the mainland. Walkers will love the Arrochar Alps, and the Benmore Botanic Gardens which has an astonishing variety of trees - look out for the avenue of giant redwoods.
Go a little further: Bute, Cowal and Kintyre
Add a trip from Portavadie to Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula. Stop off at Portavadie before the crossing though - you don't want to miss the delicious seafood at the Portavadie marina. Time it right, and you could land on Kintyre in time for the Tarbert Seafood Festival when the town comes alive in celebration of the unbeatably fresh catch for which the harbour's famous.
Further down the Kintyre peninsula you'll find Machrihanish Bay, a favourite for surfers and golfers alike. There are beautiful walks too - and a brilliant heritage museum in Campbeltown.
Arran and Kintyre: the best of Scotland
For the island with a bit of everything, head to Arran. Explore the mountainous interior of the north, with an expert guide from Arran Adventures if you like, or stick to the beautiful bays and golf courses of the south.
Don't miss the Machrie Moor standing stones, set in a wild glen on the west coast. Stop off for a dram at the Arran Distillery in Lochranza, then catch the ferry over to Claonaig on Kintyre. From there, the peninsula is yours to explore - try one of the many walks along the west coast that inspired Paul McCartney to write a song about the place.
Mull, Iona, Lismore, Coll, Tiree (and Skye)
Picture-postcard Tobermory to true wilderness: Mull and Morvern
Catch the ferry from Oban to Mull and Morvern. Mull is big and wild, so keep an eye out for the sea eagles that soar overhead (look for their huge, plank-like wings).
On the north west coast you'll find Calgary Bay. Its turquoise sea and white sand might convince you that you've stumbled into a tropical paradise. Book a trip to Staffa and Iona in the south for brilliant wildlife and a peek into the origins of Scottish Christianity - though you'll need to leave the car on Mull.
If Mull is wild, just wait until you reach Morvern, the remote peninsula that's perfect for wildlife spotting, especially otters. The ferry will drop you at Lochaline beside the sea loch that is perfect otter habitat.
Want to go a bit further? Get the ferry from Mallaig to Skye.
Go really wild: Mull, Morvern, Ardnamurchan and Skye
Travel from Oban to Craignure on Mull, then from Tobermory up to Kilchoan on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. From there, you drive to Mallaig to go over the sea to Skye.
You can swap Ardnamurchan for Morvern if you prefer: simply add tickets from Fishnish to Lochaline.
Before you leave Mull, spend a bit of time in Tobermory. You might recognise its brightly-painted harbour houses made famous by the Balamory TV show. You can take a tour of the Tobermory distillery too before filling up on the excellent fish and chips on the pier.
The ferry then takes you from the relatively bright lights of Tobermory to the wilds of Morvern and Ardnamurchan. As the UK's most remote patch of mainland it's a place of rich wildlife, beautiful views and twisting single-track roads. Base yourself around Sanna for the gorgeous bay, then drive two hours north to Mallaig for the third leg of your Island Hopping route.
Skye's abundance of Munros - there are 12 in all - makes it the perfect place for hikers. Fill up on langoustines at Mallaig before you get the ferry to Armadale. Explore the Sleat peninsula then head north for the pretty harbour town of Portree and the dramatic Cuillin range.
Dark skies, sun and surf: Coll and Tiree
Taking the ferry from Oban to Coll and then Tiree is the best way to combine the western-most isles of the Inner Hebrides. Famed for its dark skies, Coll is one of the best places in Scotland to enjoy the wonder of the night sky. In daytime, take your pick of 23 beaches or head to the west coast for the RSPB reserve and a chance to hear the distinctive call of the corncrake.
Tiree is a slightly different story: it's one of the sunniest places in the UK. Look out west and there's nothing but sea until you reach North America. That makes it perfect for windsurfers with an international championship held each October. There's plenty of heritage too, likk the traditional Blackhouses with their six-foot thick walls.
"Scotland's west coast is vast, remote, and varied. From the dark skies of Coll to the MacPhies of Colonsay; the wild flowers of Gigha to the whisky distilleries on Islay; the beaches, castles, and stone circles to the book, jazz, and mountain festivals - there's so much to see and do, so many islands to explore, which makes picking just one place to go an impossible choice"
Skye and the Outer Hebrides
The classic tour: Barra, the Uists, Harris, and Lewis
Start your trip by sailing from Oban to Barra, and on to South Uist, North Uist, Harris and Lewis. You can return to the mainland from Stornoway, landing in Ullapool (remember, you can always go in the other direction).
Then there's the king of them all taking in Barra, South Uist, North Uist, Skye, Harris and Lewis. Perhaps tour all the Outer Hebrides with Skye in the middle. Your two mainland ports are Oban or Ullapool for that one.
No time to do them all? Start out from South Uist - or return from Harris to Uig on Skye, and back over the sea to Mallaig.
Lewis has captured the imagination since Neolithic times, but more recently it was voted No. 1 island in Europe by TripAdvisor (and regularly features in the top ten). Head for the Callanish Stones for one of the continent's best Neolithic sites, and don't miss the chance to try Stornoway's famous black pudding.
Further south lies Harris, where you can take a boat trip to see basking sharks, minke and killer whales, and puffin colonies. For the best view of the archipelago, take the ferry to North Uist and climb Eavall. You can see right out to St Kilda on a clear day.
The short tours: Skye and the Uists, or Harris and Lewis
Travel through mountainous Skye to North Uist and South Uist, where you'll find Europe's largest breeding colony of seals. Combine Skye, Harris and Lewis, returning to Ullapool.
Whichever one of the Outer Hebrides itineraries you pick, be sure to get the full measure of Skye before you travel onwards. Explore the dramatic knife-edge ridge of the Black Cuillin Range and bag as many of the island's 12 Munros as your legs and stamina allow. Drop in on the Michelin-starred Kinloch Lodge to refuel, and then head north to Uig, for the ferry to Lochmaddy on North Uist.
The wildlife on the Uists is exceptional. Aside from the 9,000 seal pups born every year, it's one of the best places to listen to the call of the elusive corncrake.
Mix it up: Skye, North Uist, Harris, Lewis
Travel through Skye and North Uist, then over to Harris and Lewis, returning to Ullapool. It's a tour through the northern half of the Outer Hebrides: pristine beaches, machair dunes and unrivalled wildlife.
You can head south landing at Tarbert on Harris, then making your way down to North Uist and South Uist. On South Uist, explore the island's rich Neolithic past at the Kildonan Museum. Sail back to Mallaig from Lochboisdale, but if you have time to go all the way south, add in a trip to Barra.
The little hopscotch: Barra, Eriskay, and South Uist
For just a little taste of the Outer Hebrides, start and end in Oban. You make your way through Barra, Eriskay and South Uist - a short trip that's big on beaches, wildlife and the Eriskay ponies.
Island Hopping for Scotch: Islay & Jura
To get to Islay, use Arran as your stepping stone with a tour through Arran and Kintyre. In the summer months you can also travel between Oban and Port Askaig on Islay.
Islay is a haven for whisky lovers with a world-famous distillery, seemingly round every corner. Take your pick of no fewer than eight of them, most offering tours to see how the 'water of life' is made.
There's wildlife aplenty too: over 100 different bird species breed on the island. Head for RSPB reserve The Oa for the best viewing, or to Loch Gruinart to see the migrant ducks and geese that call it home for the summer months. Don't forget: you can always take the five-minute ferry across to Jura to explore a truly wild island.
Why not stop off at Colonsay, a beautifully remote and refreshingly enterprising island. There's a micro-brewery, and a good line-up of festivals including a three-week celebration in spring.
There are a surprising number of hills too: 22 ‘MacPhies’, the island's answer to the Munros. Walk the coastal path or take a boat trip round the island to see its thriving seabird population. Look out for fulmars, razorbills and kittiwakes.
Happy Sailing!
