How I Spent A Perfect Day On Lismore – Scotland’s Great Garden

There’s something special about beginning a trip with a ferry journey, it always feels like more of an adventure. It’s something I do often, but still get that twinge of excitement and to make things better, I was heading to an island I’d never visited before, spending a day on Lismore.

The name Lios Mòr translates roughly as Great Garden and I can’t believe it took me so long to explore this place, especially since it’s so accessible. Lismore is a quiet island, it doesn’t shout for attention but it’s packed with stories. The history is ancient, the views incredible and the people welcoming. After just one day on Lismore, it’s become one of my favourite Scottish islands.

How To Get To Isle Of Lismore

Getting to Lismore is incredibly simple. The island is nestled in Loch Linnhe and there are two ferries that will take you there. If you want to take your car across like me, then you’ll need to take the Calmac Service from Oban. It takes less than an hour and having a car with you is very useful.

Here’s the best place to find car hire in Scotland and if you’re nervous about driving here, this article will help!

The other way to get to your day on Lismore is to take the passenger ferry from Port Appin. The only problem is that while Lismore isn’t huge, it is a long island. It’s a long walk to some of the big points of interest, so I’d recommend Lismore Bike Hire if you want to explore fully. Otherwise, have a look at tours/taxis by Explore Lismore!

Hike To Tirefour Broch

For the perfect start to a day on Lismore, I wanted to scratch the history itch and take in some scenery at the same time. This hike to Tirefour Broch was perfect, only taking around an hour and a half, without anything too strenuous.

The highlight is of course the 2000 year old broch, a type of drystone tower only found in Scotland. There would once have been a staircase rising between the two circular walls to reach several metres high. We don’t know for sure what brochs were used for, defence or permanent homes, but they’re fascinating things to visit.

Even if ancient history doesn’t interest you much, this is somewhere worth adding into your trip to Lismore. The views from the top are exceptional, making it obvious why the broch was built here. You can see right up and down Loch Linnhe, watching all the comings and goings from the Firth of Lorne to Ben Nevis! Visiting in February meant the snowcaps of the mountains made the view even better.

Before you actually get to the broch, don’t miss the crumbling walls of an abandoned village in its shadow. There are only a handful of old blackhouses here, left to ruin after the population suffered a devastating Typhus outbreak. Evidence of their lives can still be seen as you stride across the field, with the shadows of the old runrig farming system etched into the ground.

Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre

If there’s one place that’s absolutely unmissable on any daytrip to Lismore, it’s the Gaelic Heritage Centre. It’s fairly central on the island, so a good place to explore from and the perfect place to learn more about the culture and history of Lismore. Even better, it’s putting the Gaelic language back at the heart of the community.

I visited in February, before the centre was open for the season, but was still welcomed in for a look. There’s a wealth of information inside, with museum displays of interesting local stories and explanations for why Lismore is so special. Before heading off to explore the different sites around the island, spending some time here gives you the context to appreciate it all fully.

It’s somewhere that you can help support the local community by purchasing items made by islanders in the shop. The Gaelic Heritage Centre is also the place to get some lunch on Lismore! The cafe here recently won the award for best island cafe in Scotland!

St Moluag’s Cathedral

You might have already heard of the Holy Isle of Iona, just off the tip of Mull. Not many realise that while Columba was establishing his church, St Moluag was setting up here. In fact, it’s said that both of the holy men wanted Lismore and agreed whoever touched it first could have it. Moluag wasn’t letting anything get in his way, cutting off his little finger and throwing it onto the shore to ensure victory!

The central position of Lismore helped it become an important holy place and eventually home to the Cathedral of Argyll. The building we have today is still called St Moluag’s Cathedral, although it’s far more humble than the grand name suggests. This local parish church still has plenty of evidence of its past, from carved bishop’s heads to elaborate doorways leading nowhere.

Just outside the church, beside the road, stand a row of incredible effigies. These carvings of West Highland warriors and bishops always get my imagination flowing. The huge swords and depictions of men in armour show how important war was to society in the late medieval period. You won’t find hordes of pilgrims spending a day on Lismore, but it makes this wee church all the more special to me.

Castle Coeffin

No Scottish island is complete without a historic, usually ruined, often haunted castle. Every trip to Lismore should include a journey to the incredible Castle Coeffin. Its crumbling walls rise from a solid lump of rock like a shattered crown – it’s an iconic image of the island.

Be aware that it’s a bit of a hike down to the castle, there’s no vehicular access, but its worth the effort. You’ll need to save some energy for climbing up into the ruins, but just be careful of loose stone! Like so many strongholds around Argyll, Castle Coeffin is thought to have been built by Clan MacDougall. It was eventually abandoned by the 17th century and left to crumble.

Local legend says that the castle was built in place of an old Viking fortress and Coeffin was the name of a Scandinavian Prince! One day, Coeffin’s sister Beothail learned that her lover had been killed back in Norway and soon died of a broken heart. Her ghost began haunting the castle, begging for her body to be buried beside her love.

Coeffin immediately had his sister’s bones washed in St Moluag’s holy well and returned to Norway. However, the haunting continued to echo around the castle walls until one of Beothail’s toe bones was discovered in the bottom of the well! Thankfully, it was reunited with the rest of her body and the only noise around Castle Coeffin today comes from the west coast wind!

Port Ramsay

Away from the ancient history, to the north of Lismore you’ll find the beautiful village of Port Ramsay. Village might give the wrong impression here, it’s a string of white-washed homes in a picturesque spot. It was founded around 200 years ago as housing for lime-kiln workers, burning the abundant local limestone in huge quantities.

Today, it’s home to a crofting community and there’s a good chance you’ll see some miniature Highland Cows wandering on the shared grazing land. There’s no big attractions here, no “quick tourism” spots, but it’s a tranquil place to wander. If the tide is out, then you can walk right across to Eilean Trenach, but make sure you have time to get home again!

Explore Lismore With Explore Lismore!

I was lucky enough to have Iris from Explore Lismore reach out to me when I arrived on the island. Her and Robert are the true local experts and offered to give me a lift around Lismore to share their vast knowledge. There’s no way that I would have managed to see everything I did without Iris and hopefully, a little bit of that expertise trickles down to you.

They’re available for bespoke tours of the island as well as simple taxi trips from the ferry port to wherever you want to visit! There are even specialist tours, visiting a local shepherd for example, that are only available through Explore Lismore. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough if you’re spending a day on Lismore, especially if you don’t have your own transport.

Where To Stay On Lismore

While I spent just a day on Lismore, there’s so much more on the island to fill even a week-long itinerary! Here are a few suggestions for places to stay, allowing you to take things at a slower pace:

Ballimackillachan Croft – A room inside a beautiful home that’s been created by an artist and carpenter, meaning that everything is unique and made with love. It’s a sociable place and perfect for experiencing Lismore with expert advice from your hosts.

Tobar nan Iasgair – A cosy three bed house found right on the water near where the ferry arrives, although you’ll want to explore much further than that!

Tirlaggan House – A two bed holiday home not far from the centre of Lismore so well placed for exploring. It’s a modern build with a comfortable interior!

Why not consider visiting Lismore as part of a Scotland’s Stories Private Driving Tour?

If you enjoy stories from around Scotland that help you find interesting places to travel, Grab a copy of the Scotland’s Stories book here!