Hi All,
is it better to book the Staffa tour in advance or on the spot as it's heavily dependent on the weather? would i still get a spot if i book in the spot? if the weather is bad and the tour is cancelled, would the tour operator refund our money wholly?
lastly any recommended tour operator?
thanks
Jen
I booked the day of the tour. I showed up and bought my ticket. This was on September 11th, so later in the season. You should consider emailing the two operators to see what they think. Staffa Trips and Staffa Boat Tours. I think I must have done Staffa Trips as the Staffa Boats look much smaller than the one I was on.
Hi Pamela,
thanks so much for the sharing. really appreciate it. i'll contact both operators and see which one suits us better :)
cheers
Jen
The latter of the two also does a longer trip that adds on the Treshnish Isles (I believe is its specifically the isle of Lunga that they visit).
I believe the trip from Fionnphort to Staffa & Lunga is about 5 1/2 hours.
We are going next year and we're going to do the combination tour - Staffa & Treshnish. As soon as I said the magic word "puffins", my wife decided on the longer trip.
Hi losthiker68
thanks so much for actually mentioning Tresnish Isles tour. i wasn't paying attention with that tour previously and instead opted for the Three Isles Tour , Staffa with Iona and Mull. I see Iona as a 'redundancy' though it's definitely unique of its own, we could find that kind of panoramic almost anywhere in Scotland BUT not with the puffins :) it's the magic word for me too! who could resist them (i don't tell my hubby about them but just hinting that he's going to have a 'therapy' in the island as the tour also explained).
the tour that i'm interested in is the Turus Mara as they depart from other terminal than the other operators ie. Westcoast, Staffa Tour. They depart from Ulva terminal which is closer than Fionnphort from Craignure which means we might get more time in the island?? the thing is i still need more reviews about them as there are much more reviews with the other operators somehow. and the one that concerns me is their connecting coach, i need to confirm with them first that i'd need to be picked up from Craignure whilst the other tours' coach operators operate within every journeys without having to confirm.
cheers
Jen
So, I have to say that it really distresses me to read, "I see Iona as a 'redundancy' though it's definitely unique of its own, we could find that kind of panoramic almost anywhere in Scotland..." This island has a very special place in Scottish history. It shouldn't be visited just for it's views. I understand the pull of puffins, and that people have different interests, but this dismissal of Iona is disturbing and sad. When I did the tour of Staffa and Iona, it was on Iona that I spent the most time. Staff is a beautiful geologic wonder. Iona is rich in history and today is a place of peace. I encourage anyone looking at these tours to dig a bit deeper into what Iona has meant in the past for Scotland and what its meaning is today. Try this link to BBC for a starting point and here for information about the present ecumenical community. Try this link. If you haven't found Historic Scotland yet in researching Scotland, here's a starting point and of course the newly renamed Historic Environment Scotland. And while I've not read any of these Amazon.com is full of books on Iona. The ones that caught my eye are Steven /.Sarjeant, Watteville, Roy, and McArthur.
I realize that part of my distress is related to the fact that I was on, or about to land on Iona when the planes hit the World Trade Center Towers, but I didn't know that when I was there. When I was there I was able to enjoy the peace of place and reflect the history and present work of the current community.
Scotland is packed with beautiful scenery and wildlife, but the variations that humans, geography, history and more have brought to the individual places need to be considered when thinking about this wonderful country.
Pam
Hi Pamela
appreciate your sharing and comment :) unfortunately it would be Sunday when i'd do the tour. that is why i need to choose between the tours as Treshnish Isle that during weekday also include Iona, wouldn't have it on that day since the ferry schedule starts later. i also feel it's a miss and hope that we could do Iona too but decision has to be made and the puffins only come there for few months just in time of our summer visit. wish could stay longer but hope for better luck in the future.
i also have received response from some of the operators. i think i'd go ahead w/ Turus Mara. they don't have as many reviews w/ Staffa tours but mostly are good reviews too. they also verify that the connecting coach doesn't need to be confirmed but strangely their website mentions it that way (honestly their website is a mess compared to other ones). i just wonder since their route from Ulva ferry seems shorter but the amount of time spent in both Staffa and Lunga would be the same with other operators...
cheers
jen
