Turus Mara are an experienced family run boat tour operator on Mull, specialising in taking visitors out to Staffa and the Treshnish Isles. (Some of their trips take in Iona as well.) Turus Mara has been taking people out to the Treshnish Isles for over 40 years, and as Gaelic speaking Muileachs, they know a huge amount about the history of the islands, and are experienced in these waters. Father and son, Iain and Colin, each skipper a boat and they coined the phrase ‘puffin therapy’.
I think I am right in saying that Turus Mara are the longest running boat trip operator on the island – plenty of experience for certain! They run a variety of trips during the summer months, some which stop at Staffa as well as landing on Lunga, the summer home of many thousands of puffins. Turus Mara have kindly offered a 10% discount to any of our guests staying here at Treshnish. Once you have booked we can send you a code to use on their website, should you decide to go to the islands with them.
Turus Mara are the nearest boat tour operators to Treshnish, a half an hours drive from here. The Turus Mara boats, the Island Lass and the Hoy Lass, operate from Ulva Ferry which is a lovely place to leave from, as the route takes you along Loch Tuath on the north side of Ulva and Gometra, and back along the south side of Ulva looking towards Ben More and Loch na Keal. I love looking at the land from the sea, and this is a stunning bit of coastline to see from the water. It also gives you the chance if you time it right to go to the Boathouse on Ulva too!
I have been out to the islands several times with them and those trips remain in my memory as being perfectly magical. The last time I went was when Turus Mara took the children of Ulva Ferry and Dervaig primary schools, and their parents, out on a complimentary trip. The weather was great and seeing the delight on the childrens’ faces was wonderful! We were lucky too, as it was calm enough to stop off on Staffa, and scramble up to the top of the cave to admire the geology and the views. All in all a magical day and one which the children (and us adults) still enjoy talking about!
I am sorry I don’t have any puffin therapy photographs for this blog.
