Here we have gathered all the information you will need to make an easy and comfortable journey to the Island of Iona.

There are basically five legs to this wonderful journey:

1. Plane travel to Glasgow, Scotland.

2. A train from Glasgow to the seaside town of Oban which takes about 3 hrs.

3. A ferry from Oban to Craignure on the Isle of Mull - 40 min.

4. Bus travel across Mull to the village of Fionnphort - about an hour (depending on how many sheep the bus encounters on the road!),

5. And finally, the short ferry from Fionnphort to Iona.

The journey will take you through some of the most beautiful countryside in Scotland.

So here you go in full detail now:

When you reach Glasgow an inexpensive airport bus, located just outside the main airport door, will take you to Queen Street Station to catch the train to the scenic town of Oban where you will spend the night. You can also take a taxi for a bit more money. Hopefully you will arrive in Glasgow in time to catch the 12:42 pm train to Oban which will arrive about 3:30 pm. If you miss this train, the next one is not until 6:12 pm, arriving Oban at 9:15 pm.

When you arrive in Oban you will find yourself in the main part of town. If your bed and breakfast accommodation is not within walking distance, you'll find a taxi near the station. Oban is a small, popular, touristy town situated around the bay. It's full of Scottish gift shops and is a great place to buy woolens and shortbread! You can also walk out along the esplanade on either side of town where there are trees, parks, and wonderful views out toward the Hebridean Islands.

Plan to catch the noon ferry from Oban to Craignure. The ferry dock is located next to the train station. When you reach Craignure, a bus will be waiting at the end of the wharf and will take you across the island of Mull to the village of Fionnphort where you will catch the Iona ferry. We will meet you at the jetty on Iona and you will be "home" on Iona by about 2:30 in the afternoon---tired, but happy! If you miss the noon ferry from Oban, the next one with a connecting bus leaves Oban at 4 pm. You will arrive on Iona about 6:30 pm in time for dinner.

At the conclusion of the program you can leave in plenty of time to arrive back to Glasgow by late afternoon or evening. You can spend the night in Glasgow, or in the suburb of Paisley near the airport, and will have no trouble catching a flight or other transportation the next morning.

Train and ferry schedules can change, so it's important to check the current schedule once you arrive in Glasgow. (We also have links to the train and ferry schedules on this site). There is a Tourist Information desk in the Glasgow airport where you can verify the train schedule from Glasgow to Oban. To confirm the ferry schedule check with the Caledonian MacBrayne office in Oban, located at the ferry dock adjacent to the train station.

The Tourist Office in Oban is located a short walk from the train station. If you are planning further travel after Iona, this is a super place for information about the Hebrides, the Highlands, and other places to travel in Scotland.