www.tk-istraturist.com

Photo of Loch Lomond used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of Stuart Richards

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/left-hand/4483997834/)

The coast of West Scotland is gloriously remote, but stick to sailing around the Argyll coast and you’ll find plenty to whet your appetite. The area is known for its dramatic beauty which is steeped in history, perfect for leisurely walks and cosy meals of fresh seafood laced with a few wee drams of local whisky. There is plenty for kids to enjoy, too, and activities can range from rock pooling and plankton observation to fishing and snorkelling.

This rugged area of Scotland has a reputation for being hard to access – and admittedly it deserves this label. You can get around this problem by starting your sailing holidays from Glasgow and hopping on to the gorgeously scenic train to Oban. The views of the confetti of islands in Loch Lomond are worth the trip alone. Oban itself is a delightful little seaside town with a typically British Victorian seafront.

But get up the hill behind the town quickly for a tour of one of the oldest single malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. One distillery tour later, you’ll probably be peckish for a taste of the fresh local seafood, so head to Cuan Mor restaurant, a contemporary Celtic joint serving homemade, local food with live Celtic music and local ales.

By the time you’re feeling sated, you’ll be itching to get out onto the clear Scottish waters, so head to your boat and sail out north through the sound of Mull to properly start this most awe-inspiring of family holidays. You’ll arrive at Lochaline which was once a tiny village but has recently been developed to encourage tourism in the area.

You can drop your fluke here and take a walk to Ardtornish Castle which was visited by the likes of Florence Nightingale and the author John Buchan. The variety of flora and fauna here is astonishing, so don’t leave without a guide book to help you spot local wildlife. For the more adventurous, this is also a good place to go snorkelling thanks to the pristine waters and range of sea life under the surface.

Photo of Fingal’s Cave used under the Creative Commons license courtesy of Febrilu

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/felibrilu/5678100010/#/)

From Lochaline, you can sail to the uninhabited island of Staffa which is a nesting place for Puffins because of its unique formation of rocks. This cave island lies in the crook of Mull’s elbow, about five miles out to the West. The basalt columns at An Uamh Binn, more commonly known as Fingal’s cave, are extraordinary volcanic formations, not unlike those at Giant’s Causeway in the North of Ireland, and create a cathedral-like effect with the deep, leading depths of its coastal recess.

Along towards the South West tip of the Isle of Mull, you’ll find the village of Kintra which has rock pool upon rock pool that teem with a fabulous variety of species. Some of the little sea beasts get trapped temporarily before they head back out sea, some are waiting to get big enough to fend for themselves in the vast ocean. Regardless of these creatures’ diverging purposes, rock pooling is great fun for adults and children alike. You can poke about to see crabs scuttling and fish darting around, and you can watch the entrancing and colourful sea anemones attack plankton with their tiny harpoons. If you prefer to eat what you find, this is also a great place to fish for mackerel.

As you sail towards Oban for the final leg of your journey, you might be ushered away by a pod of porpoises or a sea lion or two – some typically Scottish touches to set you on your merry way. Some things just can’t be replicated at home, and you’ll be sure to never forget this trip.

Adam is an avid traveller with a passion for Scotland