A trip to Scotland’s West Coast should include a visit to the beautiful Isle of Mull – a peaceful island home to the Tobermory Distillery. Tobermory itself is a quaint little village situated on a fishing harbor that is lined with brightly colored buildings.
It’s a terrific village where you could very easily waste away a week or more.
Tobermory, Isle of Mull
While you’re visiting the Isle of Mull, one thing you have to fit into your budget is a day trip to the Isle of Staffa. The Isle of Staffa is a small rocky island off the west coast of Mull that is home to a fascinating and comical seabird – the Puffin. These small little birds are often called sea parrots because of their vivid colors.
To get to the Isle of Staffa, you’ll have to take a ferry and guided tour from the Ulva Ferry Terminal which is a scenic one our drive from Tobermory. Along the way, you’ll pass famed highland cattle and many single track roads.
Puffins
There are thousands of puffins found throughout Britain yet they are often very difficult to spot. Puffins spend much of their time off shore and only come ashore to breed in early April. From April until late July is the best time to spot the puffins while they’re feeding and taking care of their young.
Puffins are not known for being the most graceful fliers. With the help of their short wings and fat bodies, they really seem to struggle when flying around. I’m no bird-watcher, yet I found it absolutely fascinating to watch the little birds flap around the island. You would never expect the wee things to be able to migrate thousands of miles each year.
Isle of Staffa - Puffins
After we arrived at Staffa and were ferried to shore on a small dingy, we clammored up to the cliff tops where the baby puffins nested. They choose to nest at the tops of steep cliffs of inaccessible islands – it’s because of this that puffins are often times so difficult to view. The Puffin will lay a lone egg and hatch one chick each year in a burrow dug into the ground and return to the same hole year after year. We were asked to not get to close to these burrows to respect the young, yet you could hear their high pitch squeaking as they were waiting for their mother to bring them their food.
Puffins: Close Up
They are fed a diet of sand eels by their parents for about six weeks. After this time, they are abandoned by their parents. Sooner or later, nature results in the baby puffins leaving their burrow out of desperate hunger in the cover or darkness where they will attempt at flying to find their own food. Needless to say, they don’t have ample time to learn how to fly or survive on their own.
Puffin on Isle of Staffa
What I found most shocking about the puffins was their tameness. They would fly to within three or four feet of where we were viewing their behavior. It was strangely therapeutic to sit in the warm sun (rare for Scotland!), feeling the breeze of the sea, and watching the fascinating and colorful little animals.
The tour was operated by Turus Mara and they provided an excellent experience overall. Our captain provided heaps of information about the area’s history, puffins in general, and did a terrific job to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome. While we didn’t see any other marine wildlife, there were chances of seeing Bottlenose dolphins, whales, and seals. A tour to the Isle of Staffa lasts four hours and will cost you £25.
12 July 2010 at 3:17 pm
Wow, great photos! Those little guys are adorable — I wonder if they make good travel pets
13 July 2010 at 5:39 am
oh those birds look so cool! never seen one before and really love the pics matt – thanks for sharing these with us!
13 July 2010 at 5:54 am
Wow you got some excellent puffin pictures! When I went to Iceland I was obsessed with the little guys. They look like they just flew in off a cereal box!
13 July 2010 at 10:52 am
Those birds are sooo funny! Great pics thanks. I want one of those houses, looks a terrific little village.
Nice post, thanks!
13 July 2010 at 1:15 pm
They are so adorable! I’ve only ever seen Puffins in zoos before, so I’m super jealous that you got to see them in their natural environment. They really are cool birds! And you got some fantastic photos!
13 July 2010 at 3:46 pm
That first shot is just gorgeous! Love the row of beautiful houses so perfectly aligned and brightly colored! Cute puffins too – fun that you go to see them in the wild
14 July 2010 at 3:09 am
How adorable!!! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a puffin in real life. I would have never thought they would be in Scotland of all places! Then again, I haven’t made it to Scotland’s west coast yet. Very cute
14 July 2010 at 10:13 am
Thanks everyone for the comments! They’re funny wee birds. And yes, Tobermory is a pretty great spot to photograph as well! Best after a whisky!
14 July 2010 at 11:02 am
Gosh golly they are cute! Fed a diet of sand eels eh.. hmmm, maybe that’s what gives their coat that gorgeous sheen and their beaks that healthy bright color;) I never saw them when I was in Scotland.. Lovely post, thanks for sharing!
14 July 2010 at 2:12 pm
I was somewhat enthralled with puffins as a girl. There was a book or movie I loved about them. Something like that. This took me back and I REALLY enjoyed it!!
14 July 2010 at 2:17 pm
@Kirsten Glad I was able to do that for you!
15 July 2010 at 9:07 am
Super cute puffin pictures! They look so funny. I only saw them from a distance when I was in Iceland… you got some mega-closeups. When I was a kid I used to have this penguin toy that you wind up and it would swim around in the bath… they look just like that… little ridiculous wind up toys when they fly. So cute
18 August 2010 at 2:33 pm
Aren’t they soo cute? Cute enough.. TO EAT! lol I ate puffin when i was in Iceland it was delicious!!!!
21 August 2010 at 3:42 pm
@WanderingTrader How was it prepared? I can imagine they’re tasty little birds. I remember watching the F Word and Gordon Ramsey went out to catch puffins to eat. I was somewhat sad to see the little buggers netted and killed, but he sure made them look good.
26 May 2011 at 11:35 pm
OMG they are the cutest!