Basking Shark Map

Visit the Carsaig Arches by Boat!

May 20 2020

visiting the carsaig arches by boat and swimming around the cliffs

The Carsaig Arches are a wonderfully remote hidden gem on the Isle of Mull, one of our favorite coastlines to explore! The coastline has amazing geology, cliffs over 300m high, seabirds flying, as well as being an excellent place to look out for minke whales and bottlenose dolphins. Pass the resident seal colony, and keep an eye on the cliff tops for the white-tailed sea eagles.

Getting there:

The popular internet guides all point you towards the 5-6 hours walk to get there from the tiny village of Carsaig, over rugged terrain. However, a far easier way is to go via boat! For us, the Carsaig Arches lie around an hour’s boat trip from our base in Oban and is the quickest and easiest way to reach the area! For those already on Mull there can be pick-up points in Craignure or even via dingy from Carsaig village itself.

We sometimes visit this area on tours such as the spring adventure tour and our autumn adventure tour. For those just wanting to spend a day on the water we can also arrange private charters to visit this unique part of the coast.

Landing Tour to Carsaig Arches

To be able to explore the arches on foot then we would land you via dingy from our main boat at a convenient place on the adjacent coast! As this is an exposed area you would need to be fit and able to land from a small boat onto rocks so suitable footwear is advisable. The sea can be very calm and allow us to directly land at the arches themselves but it would be more likely at another rocky outcrop which would lead to a short walk to reach the arch.

Snorkelling, Wild Swimming & Extreme Showering!

For the adventurous types, we can run this trip on an adventure basis adding in wild swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, SUP! Nothing is really extreme so we can tailor it to most ability levels! For groups with mixed interests then we can combine some of the activities with landing on nearby white beaches for lunch! Not far away is a huge waterfall, the bay here is usually sheltered and you can swim to the rocky base and experience a powerful shower under the mountain spring water. The kelp beds surrounding the arches also make for interesting snorkelling for those keen to explore beneath the waves.

Standing beneath the huge arch way you really get a sense of how big this impressive rock formation is, you can also spot interesting geological features such as the basalt columns in Mulls volcanic cliff face.

Combined Activity – Land to reach the Arches & Beaches

This coastline of Mull boasts some incredible beaches, with turquoise water and white sand, you’ll feel you have been transported to a far off place. This is a great addition to the trip, talk to our team today to plan your bespoke adventure.

 

Ready to join us on an adventure?