Staffa Trips
About
Iolaire sails twice daily from Iona at 9.45am or1.45pm OR from Fionnphort at 10am or 2pm. The trip lasts 3 hours and you can get on or off at Fionnphort or Iona. The Iolaire is a brown wooden boat and returns to Fionnphort first at 1pm or 5pm and then to Iona 10 minutes later. The sea journey takes 45 minutes and en route a wide variety of sea life may be observed. Once at Staffa a commentary is given and Fingal's Cave can be seen from the Iolaire. Passengers are landed weather permitted and given at lease one hour ashore which allows time to walk into Fingal's Cave or up the ladders to see the puffins when they are in season. There is always something exciting to see and the crew will be happy to welcome you on board the Iolaire.
Isle of Iona, Scotland
Meets animal welfare guidelines

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
752 reviews
Excellent
720
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28
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DavyP
16 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
What a great trip and the knowledge of the crew is fantastic, making sure you miss nothing in the water or the birds flying by, they constantly keep you updated on what is happening around you. As a family run boat this was far more personal than the other corporate trips on offer. A great trip and highly recommended.
Written 18 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

psmitera
Edinburgh, UK15 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Great service and experience. A family run operation by locals. Sarah was particularly responsive and helpful in us getting on a last minute trip. Would've loved to have more time on Staffa, but weather was changing.
Written 6 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anna W
Chelmsford, UK3 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We were very lucky to have a fantastic day with staffa trips. Unfortunately our 1st date had to be cancelled as bad weather was coming in but we had plenty of notice and were able to book another day during our stay. Great weather, knowledgeable skipper and staff ready to help everyone safely board and depart. We had a lovely day
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Steve J
Exeter, UK17 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We needed to change date as the weather forecast was poor. Staffa trips answered the phone immediately and were very helpful indeed, suggesting a different day. This worked out perfectly with a sunny visit to Staffa and Fingal’s Cave. The boat was ideal for a trip like this and the skipper came back on the return journey answering our questions and providing much added interest and information. Highly recommended.
Written 22 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue
Holmfirth, UK2 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
This trip was fantastic ! Not only did we see the amazing geology of Staffa and Fingles cave, but we had the bonus of dolphins on the journey back. The staff were knowledgeable and very helpful when getting on and off the boat. Highly recommended!
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jazmin C
4 contributions
Sep 2023 • Solo
The trip to the Isle of Staffa was magical. The Staff Trip crew were great and provided historical details as we made our way to the Isle. We had the chance to hear fun facts about Fingal's Cave. This is a locally-owned business run by folks from the area so it was good to know that we were supporting a local business!
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Simon L
Kirkintilloch, UK1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
We had an excellent trip with Staffa Trips last week. The crew were super friendly and helpful. The boat is in great condition, really clean and tidy and well set-up for both good (like we had) and poor weather conditions. It was great to be able to take the dog on board, given than so many people visit the area with their dogs and are staying in campers/motorhomes this is a real plus.
The timings are worked out well in cross over with other trips, we had a brief period of Fingals Cave to ourselves which was unexpected.
We would have liked a bit longer on the island as we felt we never to to properly explore it or take it in, however, in normal Scottish Weather I probably wouldn't have had the same opinion!
having the option to be dropped of at either Fionnphort or Iona was nice too and staff proactively check in with you to make sure you know what's happening and you are having a good time.
Written 18 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JLT263
Chippenham, United Kingdom34 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We had a truly memorable trip to Staffa. From start to finish the crew were friendly, helpful and informative. They took their time to show us seals and we were accompanied for a way by 3 or 4 pods of porpoises and dolphins. We were unfortunately unable to land because of a large Atlantic swell which would have made it too dangerous but we were warned about this by the captain before we left and had the opportunity not to go - but nobody did and if they had they would have missed a treat. The weather was stunning and when we got to Staffa we were taken around the whole island by sea with great views of Fingal's Cave. The opportunity to be dropped off at Iona on the way back is great one to consider.
Written 16 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

johnasutherland
North Yorkshire, UK29 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Great trip, helped by beautiful weather. Professional and highly competent staff. Friendly and helpful during the trip with good passenger interactions.
Written 15 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa und Henry S
Cologne, Germany56 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
The cute old boat was on time and clean, staff very helpful and friendly, and we were grateful there wasn’t a constant spiel via tannoy. What information there was on the speakers was to the point and relevant, including when we met a school of dolphins and porpoises en route to Iona. Time on Staffa was great, advice given useful. Boat could provide a more modern toilet. Otherwise everything great.
Written 14 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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STAFFA TRIPS (Isle of Iona) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go