Over the sea to Skye
Mull, Ardnamurchan and Skye - Hopscotch route 7
The largest islands of the Inner Hebrides, combined with a remote peninsula and scenic drives through the West Highlands. Sail from Oban to Mull, where young visitors will recognise the brightly painted waterfront houses of Tobermory, the island capital, as the setting for the popular children’s TV programme Balamory.
A haven for white-tailed sea eagles and hill walkers, Mull is the gateway to Iona, the little jewel in the Hebridean crown. A sanctuary of peace infused with the spirituality of centuries of devotion, it is where St Columba brought Christianity to Scotland. Its abbey is a place for quiet reflection amid the burial grounds of 60 Scottish, Irish and Norwegian kings, and sitting by its shores of translucent blue water on a calm summer’s day is balm to the soul.
A short ferry crossing from Tobermory takes you to one of the most enchanting landscapes of the West Highlands, the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Head for the most westerly point
of the British mainland, where a lighthouse museum is an ideal place for a picnic and Hebridean sunsets. A single track road hugging Loch Sunart winds through woodlands and pretty villages to Lochaline before a return north to join the famed “Road to the Isles” from Fort William to the fishing port of Mallaig. The narrow, twisting road is a magical roller-coaster ride through a Celtic fairyland of green hills, ancient woods and absurdly romantic lochs and glens.
From Mallaig it’s over the sea to Skye into the mists of time – often literally. Its Gaelic name of “Isle of Mist” is well earned. When mists and low clouds swirl around the ramparts of Dunvegan and Armadale castles, it is easy to imagine the venerable seats of the clans MacLeod and Donald resounding to the clash of arms. The big attractions of Skye are some of the finest walking and climbing routes in Scotland, amid breathtaking scenery that is the essence of what makes Scotland special, in sunshine or rain. Driving back over the Skye Bridge, don’t miss Eilean Donan Castle at Dornie, arguably the most romantic castle in Scotland.