Tiree, Coll, Small isles

For Tiree and Coll the answer is simple- on 5 days a week (Tuesday and Thursday excepted) take the morning ferry from Oban to Coll, have 24 hours on Coll, then the ferry next day to Tiree.
On a Monday from Oban you have a day and a half on Coll, as the Tiree boat is an evening service.

For the fleet of foot, who rent a car on Tiree so are not bound to the same car all the time, the Hebridean Air Services flights (also to Coll) and Loganair flights are a bonus for scheduling.

I have explained previously how I did the Small Isles very successfully on successive days, from a base in Mallaig. The timetable is primarily for local needs and also has to fit in around the increased service from Mallaig to Armadale and the Lochboisdale service, in a harbour with limited space and which is running to capacity.
With such limited accommodation on each of the small isles, even if the other constraints didn't exist and with the small populations on each island a daily service serving each island is simply not economically viable.
Muck is so small that I am happy personally, to use the Tuesday service, giving a bit over 2 hours there. I can and did see the whole island in that time (or the whole road network), except get down to the hotel, and have time to spend money in the island economy.

Saturday gives you a choice of quality time on either Canna or Rum, and Monday gives you 5 hours on Eigg.

So stay Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Mallaig, and that is 3 of the 4 covered. Stay an extra night (Tuesday) in Mallaig, and you can have 5 hours in Rum on Wednesday, having covered Canna on Saturday.

I accept I haven't stayed on any of the islands that way, but it is how I would and have done a really glorious whistlestop tour.

Sunday is a day for Inverie, or Armadale or Glenfinnan etc these days, after Church in the morning. When I did it there was a Sunday trip to Canna with several hours ashore (by request) but that has gone.

On either the Monday or Tuesday night the ferry is back early enough to be able to move on to pastures anew- even if on the train for the GLA/EDI/Cal Sleeper train, let alone with a car.

My poorly asked question was not about logistics, but choosing between the islands. Overnighting on the islands is preferred. Daily ferries from Mallaig is not something my wife would enjoy due to queasiness.

My plan-of-the-moment is to spend three nights on Tiree coming from either Oban via air one direction and ferry the other, or from Glasgow via Loganair and returning via ferry to Oban and train back to Glasgow. We've never done the West Highland train so that's a bonus with the latter. Moving to Coll for the third night can work most days, and a day trip to Coll is also possible with Tiree Sea Tours.

The trip already goes through Oban and gets near Mallaig (Onich), so either an Oban or a Mallaig based diversion works well.

It was only when I found you can do a day trip to "a" Small Island from Tiree via Tiree Sea Tours that it rekindled going to the Small Isles from Mallaig instead of Tiree/Coll. As discussed in earlier posts, I have extensive spreadsheets on how to spend "xx many nights" on "yy many Small islands" but had decided that it needed it's own future trip or abandonment. Finding a fourth night means sacrificing elsewhere, but is possible.

Choosing between is the quandary.

We spent many holidays on Tiree when I was a teenager plus several holidays when my own two boys were young.It’s primarily a ‘machair’ and beach island in terms of attractiveness though the grasslands behind the beaches will be past their best re wildflowers.It’s very flat apart from a couple of small bumps which nevertheless give wonderful views.I love Tiree and my husband and I have also walked round it on a wild camping trip.Coll is incredibly different, rockier, beaches are good but to me can’t compare with the dazzling white shell sands of Tiree.I never found the island very good re cafes/places to eat out - very limited.

The Small Isles - I’ve spent a day on Canna in May, delightful island, cliff scenery too with fab views of Rum’s mountains which are so close.Canna House was the residence of John Lorne Campbell and his wife who did much research and recording of Gaelic songs and folklore.There is also a standing stone.The sail to Canna, on a clear day, offers stunning views to Skye’s Black Cuillin range.

Eigg is another delightful island but it’s best if you can hire e-bikes to get to Laigh Beach or the Singing Sands. The whole landscape at either of these points is outstanding.There’s a buzzy cafe by the little harbour which goes like a fair in season.

The Sgurr of Eigg is a possible hike on a day trip, steep however.

Have you checked out images of each island?

Rum, to me, doesn't lend itself so well to a short day trip as IMO the best sights require a fair bit of walking/hiking - unless the castle is of interest.

From someone who was on Tiree last July about places to eat-
The Alan Stevenson House Restaurant at Hynish (also has rooms)- named after the Lighthouse Engineer, who built the Skerryvore Lighthouse, the shore station for which was at Hynish (now a museum);
The Farmhouse Cafe at Balemartine
The Reef Inn at Crossapol (also has rooms)

The Coll Hotel is apparently up for sale as the owners are retiring, but it is bound to be snapped up as a going concern, as it is a good little business.
The Coll Connections Folk Festival is 10 to 15 April 2027.