20 Attractions to Explore Near Staffa

Oban Distillery is both one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and one of the smallest with just two pot stills. It has only two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a "West Highland" flavour that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands.

McCaig's Tower and Battery Hill is a prominent tower on Battery Hill overlooking the town of Oban in Argyll, Scotland. It is built of Bonawe granite taken from the quarries across Airds Bay. Built in 1897 by local banker John Stuart McCaig, the aim of the tower was to provide work for local stonemasons and a lasting monument to the McCaig family. The gardens inside the tower are well maintained and are a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of town life in Oban.

Dunollie Castle is a small ruined castle located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland in Argyll. Discover the 1745 Laird's House which holds the fascinating history of the the MacDougall Family and Servants Quarters, including our temporary "Women of Dunollie" exhibition featuring some of the most beautiful pieces from our textile collection.

This is a rural beach that offers wonderful coastal views and gloriously soft sands. Walk along the coast of Ganavan Bay, admiring the views of the islands of Mull and Lismore. Swim in the waters off the coast carefully. The coastal and quiet road from Oban to Ganavan Sands is widely used by the local community for walks, running and cycling.

Dunstaffnage Castle is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland, stands on a huge cliff in northern Scotland overlooking the Firth of Lorn and the entrance to Loch Etive. In Scottish, a firth is a long estuary, similar to a fjord, and a loch is a mostly landlocked bay. It consists of a massive 13th-century curtain wall, with round towers, and an altered 16th-century gatehouse. Ranges of buildings within the walls contained a hall and kitchen.

A ruined castle which was built to dominate the Sound of Kerrera which was once part of a major maritime route for vessels sailing between the mainland and the Inner Hebrides. The castle consisted of a four storey 'L' plan Tower House that was built in the Scots Baronial style. The ground floor consisted of a vaulted store and an access passageway that led to a small courtyard occupying the area to the edge of the cliff as well as the adjoined Stair Tower.

A beautiful island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. It is home to a population of ~40, but there’s not really any village on the island. If you want to stay on the island there are some self catering cottages and a bunkhouse. The island is known for the ruined Gylen Castle, a small tower house built in 1582. Kerrera is in fact quite a large island and can be compared with Scarba, Seil and Luing, is scarcely populated and provides excellent shelter for the Oban harbour.

This is the iconic island fortress of the Clan Maclean. Situated on the sea cliffs of the Isle of Mull. Brought back from ruin in 1911, the Castle treasures 800 years of history of one of Scotland’s oldest Clans. From 2015, Duart Castle is opening it’s ancient doors and offering a small number of exclusive weddings events.

A privately owned flat tidal island at the entrance to Loch Creran on the west coast of Scotland. The island is run as a hotel with wooded grounds. It is one of the iconic location for a holiday making and also Eriska is now owned by Creation Gem, a family-owned business from Hong Kong.

Loch Creran, situated at the northern end of the Firth of Lorn, is a typical fjordic sea loch. This loch has four deep basins separated by rocky sills. The conditions change from the entrance of the loch to its head. The site is particularly notable for biogenic reefs of the calcareous tube-worm Serpula vermicularis, which occur in shallow water around the periphery of the loch.

Seil is one of the Slate Islands, located on the east side of the Firth of Lorn, 7 miles southwest of Oban, in Scotland. Seil has been linked to the mainland by bridge since the late 18th century. It became part of the estates of the Breadalbane family and in the early 18th century they began to exploit the rich potential of the Neoproterozoic slate beds.

Easdale is a small island in Argyll on the west coast of Scotland. it covers an area of less than 10 hectares but has a permanent population of about 60, plus a similar number who own residential property and visit regularly. The tiny car-free island of Easdale has much to offer the short or long term visitor.

Castle Stalker is a four storey medieval tower house standing on a small rocky tidal islet known as Rock of the Cormorants. The Castle is believed to have its origins in a small residential fort built in 1320 and used by the MacDougalls who were the Lords of Lorn. Successive generations of the Stewart family have restored and protected this truly unique Scottish castle.

Loch Etive is a 30 km sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It reaches the sea at Connel, 5 km north of Oban. It measures 31.6 km long and from 1.2 km to 1.6 km wide. Its depth varies greatly, up to a maximum of 150 m. The narrow mouth of the loch results in its most unusual feature, the Falls of Lora. Part of the north bank has been designated a Special Area of Conservation in particular due to old sessile oak woods.

It is the longest lake in scotland measuring 24 miles from northeast to southwest, situated in Argyll and Bute council area. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe, or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail. Traditionally Loch Awe was the home of Clan Macarthur, later followed by Clan Campbell. Highlights to see include 2 picturesque castles, a remarkable early 20th-century church, an 18th-century industrial site.

Arduaine Garden is a place of peace on a wild shore, which has a twenty acre coastal garden situated on the southern slope of a promontory beside the Sound of Jura. Arduaine is well-known in rhododendron circles for its wonderful collection of species and hybrids. The garden nurtures plants from across the globe – from East Asia to South America.

A majestic marvel of the modern engineering in a breathtaking location on the slopes of Ben Cruachan. The buttress-style dam is 316 metres long and 46 meters high at its tallest point. The reservoir contained behind the dam can store more than 10 million cubic metres of water. It is one of only four pumped storage power stations in the UK, and is capable of providing a black start capability to the National Grid.

The Slate Islands are an island group in the Inner Hebrides, lying immediately off the west coast of Scotland, north of Jura and southwest of Oban. The main islands are Seil, Easdale, Luing, Shuna, Torsa and Belnahua. Scarba and Kerrera, which lie nearby, are not usually included. The islands from which the slate that gives rise to the name was quarried on a substantial commercial basis are Easdale, Belnahua, Luing and Seil.

The West Island Way is a long distance footpath which explores the isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde. The route opened in September 2000 as part of Bute's millennium celebrations, and was the first waymarked long distance route on a Scottish island. It is a fairly easy walk of approximately 48 kilometres, passing through seashore, moorland, farmland and forest.

Lunga is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The surrounding seas are fished for prawns and scallops and there is a salmon farm off the south eastern shores. The Special Area of Conservation of which the island is part hosts a growing number of outdoor leisure pursuits.