Our location is midway between two villages each with a well-stocked shop. Several good restaurants are located nearby including the nationally acclaimed Ninth Wave Seafood restaurant just over two miles away. And a bit farther down the road at the village of Fionnphort is the ferry to the historic Isle of Iona. Here in 563AD St. Columba landed from Ireland and established a monastery bringing Christianity to Scotland. Today there is the restored Abbey given life by an ecumenical community that live, work and worship within. The Abbey Church and cloisters are open to the public with tours provided throughout the day by Historic Scotland. The Abbey cemetery is the burial place of the Lords of the Isles and many of Scotland’s kings, and the ruins of the ancient nunnery are close by.
From Iona there are daily boats trips to the incredible Isle of Staffa where seabirds abound and friendly puffins fearlessly mix with visitors. Made entirely of hexagonally jointed basalt columns, Staffa is uninhabited and belongs to the National Trust for Scotland. Fingal’s Cave, an enormous sea cave, inspired the composer Mendelssohn to write his famous Hebrides Overture because of its large size and naturally arched roof and the eerie sounds produced by the echoes of the waves.
From the Coach House a turn in the opposite direction will take you to the village of Bunessan and beyond to the rest of Mull where you can explore castles, standing stones and stone circles, visit a sea eagle hide and stroll along the colourful harbour in Tobermory, the capital of Mull. A picnic on one of the many pristine white sand beaches is a favourite activity especially with children. Whether driving the scenic route to Salen along the Gribun Rocks and Loch Na Keal or through the moonscape scenery of Glen More, the views are astounding. Planning your outings is easy with the good selection of maps, booklets and information available at the Coach House.
