The Benmore Estate occupies 32,000 acres of the Isle of Mull, and is full of all manner of potential adventures — as well as an ideal place to stay in the form of Knock House, a glorious Victorian hunting lodge where you can live the life of Scottish laird.
Yet as beautiful as Mull itself is, there are dozens of dots on the map which offer a huge range of different things to see and do. Thankfully, the estate has its very own private boat, the Benmore Lady, which can take guests at Knock House to any and all of the other islands.
You'll see dolphins at the bow, white tailed sea eagles gliding overhead, whales and orca migrating through the cool waters, a basking shark hotspot, seal colonies, comedic puffins and far more.
This true summer adventure is a superb introduction to the Hebridean isles and seas, a mini-Utopia of islands ripe for exploration. Here's a look at what you can expect to find.
Mull
Your island base
From the colourful capital of Tobermory to the hidden lochs, ancient forests and towering mountains of Benmore’s 32,000 estate, the Isle of Mull has so much to offer. But if you are looking to see the Scottish Isles through a different lens, the estate’s boat, the Benmore Lady, offers unrivalled freedom for a true sea adventure.
Staffa
30 minutes cruise
The whole island is dotted with caves and formations made from basalt columns, but the most famous of the lot is Fingal’s Cave, which inspired Felix Mendelssohn to write his infamous ‘Hebridean overture’.
Ulva
10 minutes cruise
An island where you can uncover the history of the earliest Scottish settlements, dotted with archeological dig sites, steeped in island history set to a spectacular backdrop of land and sea.
Iona
40 minutes cruise
This island is known as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland. St Columba came here in the year 563 to establish the Abbey which still stands to this day on a this stunningly peaceful and tranquil spot.
Treshnish Isles
45 minutes cruise
There are eight main islands and dozens of smaller ones in this archipelago. The largest of them, Lunga, is famed as a puffin hotspot. And once you get past the Sound of Mull it's time to start watch out for dolphins, porpoise, basking sharks and whales — this is prime cetacean-spotting territory.
Coll
1hr 15 minutes cruise
Mairi Hedderwick, the illustrator and author, used to live on Coll and has used the island as the setting for her Katie Morag series of children's books — which in turn spawned a hugely popular BBC adaptation. In the books, Coll is known by the fictional name of the Isle of Struay.
Tiree
1hr 15 minutes cruise
With sandy beaches and curling waves, this island of 30 square miles is a surfer’s paradise dubbed 'the Hawaii of the North'. Each year it hosts an annual Tiree World Classic surfing event.
To enquire about availability and book your Scottish Island experience please contact the team at enquiries@benmoreestate.co.uk or visit www.benmoreestate.co.uk
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