A day on Lismore: A small Scottish island packed with cultural heritage

On my last day of my February trip to Oban and the Inner Hebrides, I caught the ferry to Lismore, a small island approximately 45 minutes of sailing from Oban. Much like Kerrera, I hadn’t heard of Lismore before researching the area, but based on the images I saw, I knew I was in for a treat.

The landscape of Lismore is quite tame compared to its neighbouring islands, with the highest point reaching only 127 metres. The gaelic meaning of the island’s name is “garden” which makes perfect sense! And I really enjoyed the low landscapes as it meant I had great views everywhere I went on the island.

Because Lismore is 15 kilometres long and I only had seven hours available to explore, I chose to stick to the northern part, hiking a route that I’d plotted based on sites I wanted to visit in the area. I started my hike at the harbour, heading north along the coast.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous and very unlike a typical February in Scotland. I took my time exploring, enjoying that I had nothing to rush for. At one point, I got a bit lost and had to scramble up a cliffside and jump over barbed wire to rejoin the trail. But what’s an adventure without a little challenge?

When I did finally reach my first destination of the day, Tirefour Broch (a type of roundhouse fortress which dates back to the Iron Age), I found a spot in the grass to sit and call my mum to wish her a happy birthday while enjoying the view of the mountains on the mainland and Mull.

The trail soon came to an end after the broch, and I had to enter someone’s driveway to get onto the road. I felt awkward intruding, but the owner just waved and said “heya!”. I guess since they don’t get many tourists on Lismore and only 200 people live on the island, invasion of privacy is not a big deal.

I made my way to the east coast, to the picturesque hamlet of Port Ramsay, which consists of a string of whitewashed cottages. I noticed that the tide was so low that I could walk all the way out to the tiny islet of Eilean Trenach. I explored the little islet for a while and watched as a lone kayaker glided through the calm water. It made me want to take up kayaking again!

The next part of the hike took me above Port Ramsay and offered a gorgeous view of the hamlet with the snow-capped Ben Nevis (Scotland’s highest mountain at 1.345 m.) in the backdrop. It wasn’t long until I lost sight of the trail and got a bit lost, but I knew the general direction I was going, so I soon found my way back on track again. I headed down to the ocean once again and noticed two floating buildings… it was a bewildering sight I’d never seen before!

The trail continued beneath a cliffside. It was very wet and muddy there, probably because the sun rarely reaches the area to dry it out. I came past a few ruined houses and a structure that resembled a broch, but I haven’t been able to find any information on it. It’s definitely not unthinkable that there’d be other brochs on the island, though!

It wasn’t long until I reached my final destination for the day; the ruin of Castle Coeffin, which was built in the 13th century on the site of a former Viking Age fortress.

I absolutely adored this place, and although I didn’t have much time to spare before my ferry back to Oban, I took as much time as possible to explore and capture the castle. But eventually, I did have to pull myself away as I still had four kilometres to hike to the ferry – not including the little detour I took to the edge of the cliff atop the road to see the castle from above, a grand sight!

The way back to the ferry took me past the gorgeous Loch Baile a’Ghobhainn and then back down to the trail I’d started on in the morning. Moments later, my ferry arrived and it was time to wave goodbye to Lismore and head back to the mainland while watching the most gorgeous sunset.

It was hard to believe how mild and sunny it had been during my day on Lismore. It definitely didn’t feel like February – much more like April or May! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the little island, and I especially loved Lismore for its walkability and tranquil atmosphere.

Some useful info for your Lismore trip

GETTING THERE: A ferry runs several times daily from Oban. Check the timetable here.

TOILETS: There are free public toilets at the harbour where the ferry from Oban arrives.

HIKING ROUTE: If you only have a day on Lismore, I recommend the route that I took as it combines some of the most beautiful views with the most interesting historic sites and quaint settlements.

• Route description: When getting off the ferry from Oban, head north along the first road to your right. The path goes through the garden of a house and out through a fence to a dirt track. Follow it along the coast and you’ll soon reach the Waverly Arthur Cameron memorial. Afterwards, it gets a bit difficult to follow the trail, but basically you have to make sure you’re above the cliff, not below it. You’ll soon reach the Tirefour Broch. Continue north along the trail and you’ll soon reach a road. Go right along the road, and then go right again at the crossroad. Continue until you reach the next crossroad, then turn left and continue until you reach the picturesque hamlet of Port Ramsay. If the tide is low, head out to the islet of Eilean Trenach for more beautiful views. Back in Port Ramsay, head south and follow the coast until you reach the hamlet of Fennachrochan, then turn left through the gate. It’s difficult to find the trail here, but you need to leave the road and go up past the farm. When you reach another gate, don’t go through it, instead turn right and head down to the coast. Climb the steps over the wall and follow the grassy trail below the cliff. You’ll soon have to step over a fence and enter a little forest. The trail starts going gradually uphill, keep going along the trail, over another fence and then follow the sign going right to Castle Coeffin. After exploring the castle, go back up again and turn right and head towards the Clachan hamlet. Back on the main road, turn right and take the first left and join onto the trail that you started on in the morning, and make your way back to the ferry.