West of Mull, a chain of small, uninhabited islands rises out of the sea in odd shapes, Bac Mòr the strangest of them, better known as the Dutchman’s Cap for its wide brim and domed crown; boats don’t land on it. Trips instead put ashore on Lunga, the largest of the group, where a short walk from the landing reaches puffin burrows close enough to the path to watch the birds coming and going at close range. Guillemots, razorbills, shags and grey seals share the cliffs and rocks below.
Boats run from around April to August, mostly from Ulva Ferry, Iona and Fionnphort on Mull, with some sailings from Oban too; nothing operates over winter, and landing always depends on the weather and the sea. The National Trust for Scotland, which has owned the islands since 2023, bans drones over them between April and July to protect nesting birds.
