The Inner Hebrides look close together on a map, and they are — but ferries, single-track roads and weather decide how your days really unfold. This five-day route stitches together the three islands most first-timers want: Mull for its coastlines and wildlife, Iona for its abbey and white beaches, and Staffa for Fingal's Cave and the puffin colonies. It starts and ends at Oban, works with or without a car, and leaves slack for the mornings when the cloud sits low on Ben More and the boat is late.

The route at a glance

1. Day one: Oban to Craignure by ferry, then north to Tobermory. Overnight in Tobermory.
2. Day two: Tobermory, Calgary Bay and the west coast, down to Fionnphort. Overnight in Fionnphort or on Iona.
3. Day three: Iona on foot. Overnight in Fionnphort or on Iona.
4. Day four: Staffa and the Treshnish Isles by boat, then east to Salen or Craignure. Overnight there.
5. Day five: Duart Castle and the ferry back to Oban.

Two bases rather than four is the trick. Packing up every morning eats the best hours of the day, and the west of Mull rewards slow driving.

Days one and two: Oban, Tobermory and the west coast

CalMac runs the Oban to Craignure crossing in around 50 minutes, with several sailings a day in summer and a thinner timetable in winter. The ferry terminal sits beside Oban's railway station, so if you arrive on the West Highland Line from Glasgow you can walk off the train and onto the boat.

From Craignure it is about an hour's drive north to Tobermory, the harbour town on the island's north-east tip, with its painted houses, a distillery and a decent spread of places to eat. Spend the late afternoon and evening here rather than pushing on.

Day two is the scenic one. Head west out of Tobermory and follow the coast road towards Calgary Bay, where the sand is startlingly white and the water is rarely warmer than bracing. If you have time, the lane out to Glengorm is worth the detour for the views back towards Ardnamurchan. Then drive south to Fionnphort at the island's western tip, allowing an hour and a half without stops. This is single-track road with passing places: pull in, wave, carry on. Sheep have right of way and always will.

Doing it without a car

It is perfectly possible. West Coast Motors buses meet the Craignure sailings and run to Tobermory and, separately, to Fionnphort; the western run takes the best part of an hour and a half. Check the connections when you book your ferry, because a missed bus on Mull is a long wait rather than a short one.

Day three: Iona, slowly

The ferry from Fionnphort to Iona takes about ten minutes and carries foot passengers, bikes and dogs. It runs frequently through the day — twice an hour or better in summer — but note the last sailing back, because missing it means an unplanned night on the island.

You do not need a plan on Iona. Walk up to the abbey first, while the day-trippers are still queuing for coffee in Fionnphort. Then head north to the beaches, where the sand is pale and the water is that improbable turquoise. If your legs are willing, follow the track south for an hour or so to St Columba's Bay, a rough, stony walk across machair that ends at a pebble shore where pilgrims traditionally picked up a stone.

Staying overnight changes the island completely. Once the afternoon boats have gone, Iona goes quiet. Accommodation is limited — a couple of hotels, a hostel and self-catering cottages — so book months ahead for summer.

Day four: Staffa, Fingal's Cave and the puffins

This is the day to book before you travel. Boats run to Staffa from Fionnphort, from Iona itself, from Ulva Ferry and from Tobermory, depending on the operator. A typical trip takes around three hours, most of it on the water, with roughly an hour ashore and a sail into Fingal's Cave when the swell allows.

Two things surprise first-timers. The first is the landing: you step off onto uneven, sometimes slippery basalt steps with a handrail, so wear grippy shoes and ask the operator in advance if anyone in your group has mobility difficulties — the decision to land is the skipper's, and sea conditions can cancel it at short notice. The second is that there is nothing on Staffa. No toilets, no shelter, no cafe. Take water and a waterproof.

Puffins nest on the island from spring into early summer, pottering about on the cliff edges within a few metres of the path. Some trips also run past the Treshnish Isles, where seals haul out on the skerries.

Back on Mull, drive east in the afternoon and overnight around Salen or Craignure. That puts you within easy reach of the morning ferry on day five.

Day five: Duart Castle and the mainland

Spend the morning at Duart Castle, the seat of Clan Maclean, sitting on its promontory a short drive from Craignure pier. Then take the ferry back to Oban, or, if you are heading north towards Fort William, use the shorter Fishnish to Lochaline crossing instead and drive on through Ardnamurchan.

Ferry timings and tickets: what actually matters

• Book vehicles early. Car spaces on Oban to Craignure fill up on summer weekends. Foot passengers rarely need to book, but there is no harm in doing so.
• Check the timetable twice. Summer and winter timetables differ sharply, and sailing times shift year to year. Look at the operator's site a week before you travel, then again the day before.
• Arrive early. Half an hour before departure is a safe habit with a vehicle; ten minutes is usually fine on foot.
• Ask about multi-journey tickets. Combined ferry tickets can work out cheaper than buying each leg separately.
• Build in slack. Weather cancels sailings, and a missed connection on a five-day trip is a whole afternoon gone.

Practical essentials

• Midges. They are at their worst on still evenings from late spring to late summer, especially near water. Repellent and, if you are camping, a head net earn their place in your bag.
• Weather. Four seasons before lunch is normal. Waterproof jacket, warm layer, boots you do not mind getting wet.
• Fuel. Fill up at Tobermory or Craignure. Petrol stations out west are few and far between.
• Money and signal. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but a little cash helps on Iona and in small village shops. Mobile coverage drops out in the glens.
• Accommodation. Book Tobermory, Fionnphort or Iona, and your final night near Craignure, as soon as your ferry dates are fixed.
• Distances. Twenty miles on Mull can take an hour. Plan fewer stops than you think you want and enjoy the ones you make.

Five days is enough to see the islands properly if you resist the urge to add a fourth destination. Give yourself one afternoon with nothing booked, sit on a wall in Fionnphort, and watch the ferry come in. That hour tends to be the one people remember.

Photo: Walkerssk / Pixabay