Getting to Iona
The journey is all part of the experience
Iona is a small island just off the south-west coast of the Isle of Mull. Reaching us takes a little planning, but the journey through Scotland’s west coast and across Mull is all part of arriving somewhere rather special. The most common route is via Oban, where you’ll take the ferry across to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. From Craignure, travel across Mull to Fionnphort before making the short passenger ferry crossing to Iona.
Once you arrive on Iona, we’ll be delighted to meet you and help with your luggage to the hotel.
For most guests, the journey to St Columba can be broken down into four stages:
Travel to Oban
Make your way to the west coast town of Oban by car, train or bus.
Ferry from Oban to Craignure
From Oban, Caledonian MacBrayne operates the ferry service to Craignure on the Isle of Mull. The crossing takes approximately 45 minutes. If travelling with a vehicle, advance booking is strongly recommended.
Travel across Mull to Fionnphort
From Craignure, continue across the island to Fionnphort on Mull’s south-west coast. You can make the journey by car or use the local bus service.
Ferry from Fionnphort to Iona
At Fionnphort, leave your car on Mull and make the final short ferry crossing as a foot passenger. The crossing to Iona takes around 10 minutes.
Travelling by car
If you’re driving, we strongly recommend booking your vehicle onto the Oban to Craignure ferry in advance, particularly during busier periods. CalMac currently advises advance reservations for this route. Once you arrive at Craignure, drive across Mull to Fionnphort.
Iona is largely car-free and visitors cannot bring a vehicle onto the island. Parking is available in Fionnphort, including free parking at the Columba Centre car park, before you continue to Iona as a foot passenger.
Travelling by public transport
It’s also possible to make the journey to Iona without a car. Oban can be reached by public transport, followed by the ferry to Craignure. From Craignure, West Coast Motors operates bus services across Mull, allowing you to continue to Fionnphort before catching the passenger ferry to Iona.
As connections and timetables can change, we recommend planning each stage of your journey in advance and allowing plenty of time between services.
The final crossing to Iona
The last part of your journey is the short ferry crossing from Fionnphort to Iona. It’s a journey many of our returning guests know well, with views across the Sound of Iona and the island coming closer as you cross. Once you step ashore, we’ll meet you on the Iona side and help collect your luggage for the journey to St Columba Hotel.
Being an island on Scotland’s west coast means that weather can sometimes affect travel to and from Iona. Ferry timetables and services are subject to change, particularly during periods of adverse weather. We therefore recommend checking both the weather forecast and the latest CalMac service information in the days leading up to your journey, and again before setting off.
Please always refer to CalMac directly for the most up-to-date ferry timetables, service updates and disruption information rather than relying on previously downloaded or saved journey information. CalMac itself advises passengers to check its service-status pages for the latest information before travelling.