On departure from Craobh, we'll slip through the Cuan Sound at the north of the Isle of Luing before heading towards Mull. The islands to the west of Mull offer a fantastic variety of history, geology and wildlife. First we'll stop at Iona for a visit to the Abbey and some wonderful beaches. Then we'll head north and anchor at Staffa. Going ashore here we'll explore Fingal's cave. Heading further North we'll stop at the Treshnish Islands. In particular we'll head for Lunga where we'll encounter a circus of bird life including a huge puffin colony.

Whenever we sail past the cliffs on the south coast of Mull I marvel at their incredible antiquity. Standing tall above the Atlantic and strewn with wispy waterfalls it occurs to me that these rocks have in all probability never been touched by humans. They face the waves just as they did millions of years in the past. Towards the south west tip of Mull there are some stunning sandy coves to explore before we head up the Sound of Iona. We'll drop anchor here and go ashore to explore the Abbey and see some astonishing Celtic artworks. Around 5 miles north of Iona we'll find Staffa where we'll explore Fingal's Cave. This is one of the geological wonders of the world, a deep sea cave formed from columnar basalt. The waters around Staffa are pretty exposed but if we're lucky and the sea is calm enough we'll enter the cave in our dinghy. Being right inside this astonishing cathedral like chasm is unforgettable. Another hop north takes us to Lunga, the largest of the Treshnish Islands. We can go ashore here and have an amazing close encounter with thousands of seabirds. It's easy to see the puffins as the high light of this visit. Their crazy colours, waddling gait and the way they seem oblivious to human visitors is amazing. But just along from the puffin cliffs is a stack where thousands of guillemots cram together, the noise of the crashing waves and their craggy calls is overwhelming. We'll see shags nesting under rocks, razorbills with their sleek face markings and for the sharp eyed we've caught sight of dozens more species here.