Tough call for inner islands and Mull

To be honest, as you are an islands and slightly off the beaten track person, I am more than a bit surprised that you are just trying to stay on the safe Rick Steve's forum beaten path.

Yes I am a big flag waver for the Isle of Gigha, and for very good reason, at least part of it is that it is a community owned island (like Eigg). To me it is a little gem of an Island which benefits from not being on the mainstream tourist trail.

And Campbeltown really is just a lovely town especially if you get somewhere lochside to stay. At least for me it also benefits from having an old time movie theatre.

In some ways it's a shame you can't connect straight there by air, but as you will be driving you can't start a road trip there, as only local rental companies. I could do that as I would be on the bus forward to Gigha, Oban etc.

I also personally actually prefer Bute over Arran.
There is a reason why Bute and Cumbrae were seaside resorts to Glasgow, if genteel ones. Both, especially Bute, also had (and Bute still has) an Italian influence, from the Italian diaspora who settled there.
The beauty of Bute is that there are three ways to get there, so the chance of weather stopping you is very small.
They are-
Wemyss Bay
Gourock (a standard diversion when Wemyss Bay is untenable)
Western Ferries from McInroys point then Colintraive

I would say Bute x2, Campbeltown x1 and Gigha x2. With an extra night you could add it to Campbeltown to sweep up the bottom end.

My personal island choice down there would always be, in order, Cumbrae, Bute, Gigha, Islay, Jura, Arran. The only reason Gigha isn't top is ease of access. Both Cumbrae and Bute (again in order) win out on that. Cumbrae really is a one nighter, unless you want to use it as a bolthole.

I've never seen a RS Guide, but I get your point.

I've always been a little hesitant about Arran since "Scotland in Miniature" isn't nearly as attractive as Scotland at full size. I hadn't experimented with no Mull yet, but I'll think on it. Thanks, Stuart!

Excluding Mull means a drive from Gigha to Mallaig. I wanted to include the Ardnamurchan from Kilchoan. I could take the Corran ferry to include it from Gigha, but it makes for a very long day, especially if I want to stop to se the Glenborrodale RSPB, the Natural History Center, and Tioram Castle.

Maybe replacing the second night on Gigha with a half-day, then finding a nice place just before Corran? Any suggestions?

I'd be thinking up around Ballachulish or Kinlochleven.

Maybe somewhere like the Creagh Mhor Lodge (one time private home of the Bishop of Argyll).
In saying that I am double thinking that you like to be in walking distance of a pub, which trends the thinking towards Kinlochleven.

Onich seems to divide the journey well (and has a pub). I wish there was a ferry farther down the Loch.

I must admit I had sticker shock when looking at the Onich hotel prices for now, but my pulse stopped racing when I looked off season. Chalk and cheese.
It's plus point is location, location, location on the shore of Loch Linnhe. And at the half way point plus or minus.

A minus for you seems to be a lack of regular live music. I don't know if that is a deal breaker. I haven't looked but expect that is more likely at Ballachulish.

Or what about Fort William? then either back to Corran, or drive round Loch Eil via Camusnagaul. After last year's Corran ferry outage that road is alleged to be much improved.
Another 10 miles or so each way on the Corran routeing.

The Onich Inn supposedly has Scottish trad on Thursday nights, but that's a very stale piece of internet. The Ben Nevis is also Thursdays.

The silly Small Isles ferry schedule, if I want to overnight(s) on at least three Islands without returning to Mallaig, locks the whole trip into a fixed start day, so there's no way to make the Onich area stay on a Thursday. I've tried getting OpenAI to analyze the schedule, but it's not smart enough - instead I have to do a complex spreadsheet. Someday, I hope to have a conversation with CalMac's scheduler. I've actually looked into chartering a sailboat.

Music isn't THAT big a deal.

3x Arran and 3x Mull would get my vote.I’m not a major fan of Bute though my opinion is swayed by Rothesay which - while better than it was -has always had a faintly run down, urban feel to it.That said, Mount Stuart House is outstanding and there are some lovely properties around Ardbeg as the road heads out of the small town.But compared to Arran, I don’t think the island it up there at all.
I spent many happy childhood on Arran (and Bute actually) given we lived in Glasgow so these were our bucket and spade preferences.My tow boys when young also spent some very happy holidays on Arran.

These islands in the Firth of Clyde have a different feel to Mull and those further west - there is of course wild land on Arran and a great mountain range (Bute is largely farmland though not entirely) but both don’t quite tick the boxes for me, having spent more recent years further west.

There is so much else to see on beautiful Mull too though a key road closure around Gribun may be on going for a long time given the unstable rock and the significant rock fall it has recently suffered twice.The north end of Mull and Loch na Keal are officially listed as one of Scotland’s 40 top National Scenic areas.

A sunny day out on the Small Isles (I’d opt for Eigg or Canna) will leave you feeling you have spent some time in paradise , perhaps particularly Canna.There is a very busy music festival on Eigg, very popular.

Tobermory to Mallaig via the little Kilchoan ferry is the quickest route.

jjgurley, I really enjoyed Arran, and I'm not sure why anyone would suggest that it is "a safe Rick Steve's forum beaten path." First, it's very popular among the Scottish, and I didn't meet a single American when I was there. The same with Mull. There were plenty of Scottish and English travelers there, but no Americans.

That said, I have not been to Bute, so I'm not sure how it would compare to Arran, but having 3 days on Arran would give you time to explore the island. That said, I think if it were me, I would go with 2 nights on Arran and 4 nights on Mull. But Mull was very special to me and I really loved my time there. Would this be your first visit to Mull? And if you go, are you planning to include a trip to Iona? If your answer to both is yes, I would definitely opt for 4 nights. But if not, I think 3 would be fine.

All sorts of interesting opinions!

Mardee- We've been on the Westcoast Three Islands tour (Lunga, Staffa, Iona), so I think 3 nights is enough.

I don't know if it helps the Small Isles or not to also consider the sailings by Arisaig Marine on the MV Shearwater, especially the inter island sailings.

I was already including the Arisaig sailings in my calculations. Thx

If you stayed at Onich on a Thursday, you would be travelling to Mallaig on Friday so starting the Small Isles on a Saturday, Bearing in mind that I am firmly of the opinion from personal experience that Eigg is a minimum 2 night destination this is what I come up with, at least in September.

I'm willing to compress Rum into one night, although ideally IMO 2 nights, Muck is 1 night, and Canna works as a one night, especially on these timings-
Saturday - Mallaig depart 0730, Rum arrive 0855
Sunday - Rum depart 1040, Canna arrive 1150
Monday - Canna depart 1440, Eigg arrive 1710
Wednesday - Eigg depart (on Arisaig Marine) 1130 Muck arrive 1200
Thursday - Muck depart 1310, Mallaig arrive 1530

I also disagree profoundly with @ScotlandMac about Bute. She misses out Rothesay Castle also Kilchattan Bay , St Blanes Church and Garroch Head at the bottom end, Ettrick Bay (once so popular it had an electric tramway from Rothesay), the Loch Fad ospreys, and the WW2 decoy villages on the West Island Way, up the top end beyond the Colintraive ferry.
There is also the story of the WW2 midget submarine training at Port Bannatyne.
There is good reason why the island has an open top bus service, as well as the normal ones. I'm not sure if it is value for money if you know the island, but it might be for a first time visitor.
I've stayed on Rothesay at least 4 times, 12 nights in total, always at the venerable Glenburn Hotel.

Also the AquaExplore of Elgol, Skye will do pre booked inter island hops, at a price.

Stuart-
Your Small Isles plan is one of the trips produced by my spreadsheet. I was going to replace Rum with a second night on Canna if leaving Saturday. I think that having to add Onich (or there-abouts) will force me to leave Mallaig for Canna on Sunday, then two nights on Eigg and one on Muck, just because my wife has a strict 21 day ceiling for the time away from her garden. The other option is to drop Muck altogether. The first part of the trip is the Borders: Sanquhar-Portpatrick-Isle of Whithorn-Kirkcudbright-Dumfries-Melrose(x2). I could chop from there instead of Rum or Canna 2nd night, but there are a lot of stops to make between each town.

All this is depending on our May 2026 trip - if my walking and mobility is okay, then I can go back to two more trips rather than to squeeze everything into one.

All that time will give you and ScotlandMac a chance to settle your differences :-)

Vive la difference!
I agree, Rothesay Castle is excellent though it wouldn’t change my view about prioritising the island overall given other alternatives.We all have our own opinions about places and can only offer these as genuine, heart felt advice.Hopefully, travellers consult more than this Forum( or others ) and also consider what reputable guide books and other sources suggest.

The Holly Tree Hotel might also be worth a look.We sometimes stop in there for coffee so haven’t stayed but it has a fantastic outlook.Check reviews of course.

I’ve visited Eigg on two separate days trips but also stayed for 3 nights.It’s a wonderful island but have you an idea of how best to get around(and on the other islands.) I say that having just picked up from your last post about mobility and walking.There was, possibly still is, a minibus that for a reasonable price took visitors from the harbour for an excursion over to Laigh beach and the Singing Sands but otherwise, it’s a case of walking given no public bus service though a taxi may be available.Bikes are also able to be hired (hilly roads.) My husband and I have always walked everywhere - up the Sgurr of Eigg, round to the bothy and over to the beaches with their outstanding views of Rum.

Rum requires a lot of lengthy walking to see the best of it.Kilmory Bay is a stunning spot with amazing views to Skye’s Black Cuillin.

The Clachaig Inn in Glencoe offers regular live music. A climbers/walkers pub as well as accommmodation.

I know Dumfries and Galloway pretty well, and agree there are a lot of potential stops between those towns, not sure how you would prune it any more.
Next Spring there is a distinct hope that CalMac will be able to restart the Ardrossan (or Troon?) to Campbeltown service which they are contracted by Argyll and Bute Council to run, in the summer.
By then the fleet should have more resilience with the first new Islay ferry on sea trials in Turkey now, and the first new Uig triangle ferry launched in Turkey.

The times in the contract are- Ardrossan depart 1840 Thursday and Friday direct, and 1350 Sunday direct.
Campbeltown depart 0735 direct Friday, 0700 via Brodick Saturday and 1655 Sunday.

If they use Troon as the mainland port those times may be varied.

I have a trip to Islay pencilled in for when the new ship arrives, whenever that happens.

Scotlandmac - My walking seems to be about a six mile per day limit. could be worse, and no doubt will be eventually.

I'm traveling for a few weeks, so I might not be responsive.

Re Eigg...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIguTRN7Rk

and this...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-xMFNDugPI

I see that Charlie the Taxi has upgraded to a minibus since our last visit. I have a photo of Mrs. A sitting at the picnic table seen at 2:50, with the hills in the background. "Rest and Be Thankful" indeed!

Mike (Auchterless)

Mardee- We've been on the Westcoast Three Islands tour (Lunga, Staffa, Iona), so I think 3 nights is enough.

jjgurley, I just saw this, and agree. Regardless, your trip wounds wonderful!

After wrestling with options and contrary opinions, I think I'll just go back to my original "relaxed" plan for the inner islands and the small islands. The Borders will have to wait on another trip, and if it never happens, c'est la vie. This is our 2028 trip so there's lots of time for second guessing.

The current thinking is Bute(x2), Arran(x3), Campbeltown, Gigha, Mull(x3), Mallaig, Canna(x2), Eigg(x2), Muck(x2), Ft. William (maybe Onick?), Callander.