The Isle of Kerrera: An Easy Car-Free Day Trip from Oban

As a car-free traveller, navigating Scotland’s islands without a vehicle is usually tricky, so when I learned that Kerrera was car-free for visitors, I knew I had to visit. It has since become one of my favourite day trips on the west coast. 

The Isle of Kerrera is Oban’s closest inhabited island. Set at the mouth of Oban Bay, it creates a natural barrier between the town and the Firth of Lorn beyond. Despite being almost close enough to touch, the tiny island feels worlds away from Oban’s busy harbour and bustling streets. 

Here, you’ll find a coastline studded with secret coves, a ruined castle with a turbulent history and family-run farms tucked amongst idyllic sheep-grazed hills. Sparsely populated, it feels like an escape in nature, but there are still a handful of places to eat, and locally sourced food is the island’s pride. 

Whether you’re looking for scenic walks, a ruined castle or an easy excursion from Oban, here’s how to do a day trip to the Isle of Kerrera, including the best things to do on this wee island gem. 

What to do on the Isle of Kerrera 

Visitors can’t bring cars on their day trip to Kerrera, so the best thing to do is to lace up your walking shoes and explore on foot. Two main walking routes loop around the north and the south of the island: 

• Southern circuit (4 hrs): 7-mile loop around the southern coast of Kerrera with highlights including Gylen Castle, the Tea Garden, Horseshoe Bay and Ballimore Farm Shop. 
• Northern circuit (3-4 hrs): 5.5-mile loop around the north of Kerrera, featuring Hutcheson’s Monument, Kerrera Marina and Waypoint Restaurant.

I decided to stick to the southern circuit as I’d heard it had the most beautiful scenery, but if you’re quick about it, you could do both Kerrera walks in a day. I bumped into a couple of Belgian ladies who did just that. 

They said their day out on Kerrera was by far the best when I saw them again on the ferry back from Mull. It’s not that the island is more beautiful, but its compact size allows you to see more even without a car!

Walk the southern circuit 

Kerrera’s southern circuit is a 7-mile loop which takes 4 hours to complete. It’s easy to follow as it just traces the road to the Tea Garden, then winds back up along a slightly boggy but well-marked trail.

Still, I wanted to make sure I got the route right, so I got the walking directions I’d saved on my phone as soon as I’d stepped off the ferry. I’m glad I did, as three roads led away in different directions from the tiny slipway and I’m terrible at orienting myself at the best of times. 

After sparing a few minutes to say hello to the furry welcoming committee (a cat), I took the road left along the coastline and set off on Kerrera’s southern trail. 

The road was tarmacked and well-marked, weaving through a forest of ferns and splashes of pink foxgloves that covered the low-lying slopes. To the left of me, dark-sand coves framed the Sound of Kerrera, the thin strip of water separating the island from the scarred ridges of Druim Mor that run south of Oban on the mainland. 

I was surprised at how quiet it was. It was the middle of June, and I had the road mostly to myself, save for the Belgian ladies up ahead and a young French couple who pounded the tarmac like they had somewhere to be. I met them later at the Tea Garden enjoying cake!

Editor’s tip: The Tea Garden used to have the only public toilet on the island, but there are now portaloos by the ferry slipway. 

Stop at Horseshoe Bay 

About 25 minutes into the walk, I came to the first main landmark: Horseshoe Bay, a sheltered semicircle with a thin line of black sand in front of a lone white cottage. 

I couldn’t help but feel envious of the glamping pods in the garden, making the most of the idyllic setting. You can actually stay here. It also has a private sauna, and the host comes to pick you up from the ferry landing.

It’s worth lingering a while to savour the view. I found a bench dedicated to an Uncle Paul and listened to the rush of a waterfall tumbling down through the trees from the steep slope above. It was well hidden by vegetation. 

Looking back the way you came, you’ll notice the Community Woodland Project with its patch of young saplings like stubble on the coastline. You can contribute to the tree planting efforts by donating a £1 coin.

When you’re ready, follow the road around the curve of the bay, stopping to read the sign commemorating the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system that began here in September 1956. This impressive undersea cable stretched all the way to Clarenville in Newfoundland. 

Have lunch at the Tea Garden 

The Tea Garden is one of four places to find food on the Isle of Kerrera. Open daily from 11 am to 4 pm between the beginning of April and the end of September, it’s the only cafe, and it has the cleanest public toilet on the island – a composting outside loo. Don’t worry, it’s kept in excellent condition!

The cafe is easy to find and takes 50 minutes to walk from the ferry landing; just follow the whimsical signs. On the far side of Horseshoe Bay, I noticed a blue teapot on a wooden pole with an encouraging sign underneath letting me know that I was halfway there. 

I felt like I had joined Alice in Wonderland or perhaps stumbled into the Shire as the road turned inland over gently sloping hills with signs pointing to the promise of cake (which, frankly, more walks should have). I trotted past grazing sheep and spotted teacups hanging from a tree. I half expected to meet a caterpillar on a toadstool or a hobbit lounging in the shade. 

As I crested the hill, I saw a gleaming white house tucked below a ridge with a raised picnic area dotted with benches and a few people sitting down to eat. I had made it to the Tea Garden. 

A friendly server takes your order at the fence, then you wait at the collection point to pick it up. The menu features homemade sandwiches, rolls, soups and of course, cakes made with eggs from free-roaming chickens on the island. Children’s options are available as well as hot and cold drinks. 

You eat your feast at the outside benches if the weather is nice; otherwise, there’s a barn with tables to retreat to. I sat outside and had lunch with a chaffinch who was determined to steal a crumb or two!

Explore the ruined Gylen Castle 

Gylen Castle is why many visitors are drawn to Kerrera. The small ruined tower house fortress sits on a rocky promontory on the island’s sheltered southern coast, about 1 hour 20 minutes on foot from the ferry landing. 

Hidden from the mainland by a protective strip of headland and raised above the water on three sides, it should have been a well-defended castle, but it lasted less than 100 years. 

It was built in 1582 by Clan MacDougall, who also built Castle Coeffin on Lismore and Dunollie Castle in Oban. However, it was besieged and destroyed by fire in 1647 during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Its only occupants since have been ravens and pigeons. 

What’s left of the castle has been carefully preserved, including its tower. Approaching it from a grassy slope with a stream trickling down to meet the beach felt like a scene from a fairy tale, if not for the groups of people milling about. 

I followed the stony path that wound up to the promontory and was rewarded with a panoramic view that explained why it was such an attractive position for a small fortress. 

A sheltered bay curved directly below it, framed by a pebbly shoreline strewn with jagged rocks. Beyond it was the vast expanse of the Firth of Lorn with the silhouetted Isle of Mull to the right and the mainland and distant Slate Isles to the left. On a clear day, you can see as far as Colonsay and the peaks of Jura. 

Go inside the tower and climb the lichen-dusted spiral staircase to catch a glimpse of what it must have been like in its heyday. It used to have four storeys, but only the entrance, cellar and hall remain. 

As I returned down the steep slope to explore the castle’s base, I noticed that the tower sat astride a natural rock arch that looked like a keyhole. It was big enough to walk straight through, but it had an overwhelming stench of sheep. I decided not to investigate further!

Walk Kerrera’s southwest coast 

Once they reach Gylen Castle, most people walk back the way they came to the ferry. Instead, I recommend bearing right across the pebble beach and following the trail through the ferns with the castle at your back. It was hard to spot at first, but with the help of Walkhighlands’ route directions, I was able to navigate the path. 

This section of the trail doesn’t have a tarmac road but a marked byway wide enough for a vehicle. It’s stony and uneven, and the downpour over the past few days had made parts of it muddy and waterlogged, but it felt like an adventure to get off the well-worn road. 

I passed more sheep farms and undulating hills that reminded me of hobbit country. Rounding the island’s west coast, I had a clear view of Mull, Lismore and the Morven mountains across the water. 

The walk began to ascend into the hills towards Balliemore, and the rustic track became tarmacked once again. The higher ground gives you a clear vantage point of the north side of the island. I spotted the tiny islet of Eilian nan Gamhna just off the coast and Oban harbour in the distance. 

Browse Balliemore Farm Shop 

Balliemore Farm Shop is the second place to find food on the island. It’s a small blue hut with a red roof selling a selection of ice creams, cold drinks, snacks, local produce and crafts. Open year-round from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, you can’t miss it as it sits just off the road.  

There are a few benches where you can sit with your treat and admire the surrounding hills. I decided to keep going as I was a little worried about missing the ferry. It was already approaching 4:30 pm, and I wasn’t entirely sure when the last departure was. It’s 5:55 pm, by the way!

Walk the northern circuit 

If you have a few hours and you’re not done walking, you could walk up to the northern part of the island. There are two ways to do this depending on the time and your energy: 

The Hutcheson’s Monument circuit (allow 3-4 hours) – From the southern circuit walk, take the left track just after the old blue horsebox before Balliemore Farm Shop to join the northern circuit. 

If you just want to do the northern circuit, take the middle road from the ferry landing and follow it towards Balliemore Farm, then down to Oitir Mhor Bay. Keep an eye out for seals here as they tend to hang out around the bay. 

You then take a road that curves back to the other side of the island, tracing the coast past Kerrera Marina and Ardantrive Bay before looping up to Hutcheson’s Monument. 

Kerrera Ferry Landing to Kerrera Marina road (allow 2.5 hours) – From the ferry landing, take the road that goes right along the coast. It’s the most direct route and takes about 2.5 hours to complete it out-and-back. The scenery is less exciting than the circuit, but you still see a close-up of the monument.  

Hutcheson’s Monument was erected in 1883 to commemorate David Hutcheson, who played a large role in pioneering steamship travel on the west coast of Scotland. If you decide not to do the walk, you can still see it from Oban, standing guard over the bay. It’s almost close enough to touch!

Before heading back, stop for a nosy in Ardantrive Farm Shop. It has a selection of drinks and snacks, but its specialty is produce from the farm, including sausages, pork, steak and eggs. 

Editor’s tip: Waypoint Restaurant at Kerrera Marina is open from April to mid September/October from Wednesday to Sunday. Its menu focuses on seasonal produce from farms across Kerrera. 

Kerrera travel guide 

Final thoughts 

The Isle of Kerrera is one of the easiest car-free day trips from Oban. Just 5 minutes from the mainland by ferry, you’ve swapped the busy town for a quiet island, ambling along trails through sheep-grazed hills to a whimsical tea garden and a ruined castle.

I absolutely loved Kerrera, especially as a car-free visitor. Everywhere was reachable on foot, albeit with a bit of a hike. It gave me an excuse to slow down and really notice what was around me without the disturbance of traffic or feeling stranded. 

Kerrera isn’t a place to rush through. It’s an island retreat that rewards those who take their time, whether it’s by following the signs promising cake or sitting down beside a waterfall with views of the bay. 

Planning to stay in Oban? Be sure to check out my guide to the best things to do in Oban. It’s car-free too!