Tiree, a stunning Scottish island sitting off the west coast of Oban, known for being the Hawaii of the UK. This quaint island has an abundance of things to do despite being only 12 miles long and 3 miles wide, including distillery tours, outdoor sports, pottery and of course, visiting the stunning white sandy beaches.
Tiree receives the most sunshine hours per year of anywhere else in the UK and sits nicely on the Gulf Stream making the sea water feel that little bit warmer. It is the perfect place for watersports and outdoor enthusiasts to visit, especially during the spring and summer months in Scotland as it is very popular for surfing and windsurfing.
During the summer in Tiree, this island is also host to the Tiree Music Festival and Tiree Surf Festival bringing visitors from all over the world to soak up the atmosphere on this quirky Scottish island.
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Best Things to do in Tiree
Table of Contents
Planning Your Trip
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Where to Stay in Tiree
Tiree is a small Scottish island, however, there is still a selection of lovely places to stay depending on your budget. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay on the Isle of Tiree.
How to get to Tiree?
One of the main ferry hubs for accessing the Hebridean islands in Scotland is Oban, a cute seaside town on the west coast of Scotland. Sitting around 2.5-3 hours from Glasgow, it’s really not that far to get to and can be accessed by car, train or bus.
The ferry leaves from Oban and takes 4 hours to reach Tiree stopping off at the Isle of Coll on route giving you plenty of time to relax in the lounge or dine at the board restaurant.
Caledonian MacBrae (CalMac) are the only ferry company which sail to these islands and tickets can be booked here. Please note that ferries can book up in advance during peak season so don’t leave booking to the last minute if you only have select days you can travel.
Tiree also has a small airport with regular flights from mainland airports throughout the day.
Getting Around Tiree
Tiree is a small island so we didn’t feel the need to bring our motorhome over. Instead, we came over as foot passengers on the ferry and decided to hire bikes as our mode of transport for getting around. Bike hire on Tiree costs around £20 per day.
Car hire on Tiree is also a possibility with prices at around £50/day and packages for longer rentals.
Are there Midges in Tiree?
It’s hard to find somewhere in Scotland that doesn’t have midges in the summer months, but given Tiree is a small island surrounded by seawater, which midges don’t like combined with it being windy as it has no shelter, likely, you might not get as badly bitten as you would in other damp areas in Scotland.
That being said, your trip to Scotland will be a lot more comfortable with a midge net and midge spray. These little biting bugs can be enough to ruin a trip if you don’t have the equipment to protect yourself from them. A repelling candle can also be helpful if you are sitting oustide.
How many days should you spend in Tiree?
The Isle of Tiree is a small Scottish Hebridean island, so small that you don’t necessarily need a vehicle to get around it. We would recommend spending a week on Tiree to allow you the time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery as well as visit the local sights, cafes and restaurants.
Surf at one of Scotland’s best beaches – Ballaveulin
Ballaveulin Beach is a brilliant spot on Tiree to go surfing. If you don’t have your own surfboard or you would like to try some lessons the Blackhouse Watersports sits right on the beach. Surfers from all over will flock to Tiree for the surf as the windy conditions bring in great waves all year round.
Wild Swimming in Tiree
If you know us, you’ll know that we love a wee swim in the sea and what makes that even better in Tiree? The waters are warmed by the Atlantic Gulf Stream making it a little bit warmer than many of the other Scottish Beaches. I wish I could say that meant it was actually warm but let’s say, it’s refreshing.
Tireeis surrounded by pristine white sand but some of our favourite beaches on Tiree are:
- Ballevulin
- Sorobaidh Beach
- Hough Bay
- Gott Bay
Cycling around The Isle of Tiree
If you decide to hire bikes on Tiree, which we highly recommend you do, Tiree Fitness is your place. They offer a variety of equipment for rent such as bikes, e-bikes, kids bikes and bike seats and tag alongs.
Tiree is a very quiet island so there are little cars on the roads. It is relatively flat as well making it the perfect place in Scotland to hire a bike!
The owner of Tiree Fitness, Will also organises fitness events on Tiree throughout the year. This includes the Tiree 10km, half marathon and ultra-marathon. During the Summer months, Will also takes group yoga sessions on the beach.
Pick up a cake from Becky Bakes
If you are visiting Tiree, you have to try a cake from Becky Bakes. We had one of the most unbelievable rocky roads from the cake fridge and it was an absolute delight to sit and eat it in the warm Tiree sunshine. Becky bakes a variety of different cakes from Tiffins to refrigerated cheese cakes and it is set up in a pod in her garden. This was set up on an honesty system when we arrived and there was such a great variety of cakes and goodies to choose from.
Enjoy the views over the Atlantic Ocean at the Tiree Distillery
Sitting out on south westerly coast of Tiree in Balephuil, is the Isle of Tiree Distillery. There is a Distillery Shop and Visitor Centre here where you can enjoy some delicious drinks overlooking the sea. If you like to learn about the process of the creation to the Tyree Gin and Hebridean Pink Gin, you can book one of the distillery tours where you will also get to try a 25ml measure of both.
We tried both the Tyree Gin and the Hebridean Pink Gin and sat outside in the sunshine and it was the perfect afternoon.
Dine at the Reef Inn
One of the best places to eat out when you are on Tiree is the Reef Inn. We had a delicious dinner here and enjoyed cozying up in the lovely interior. The Reef Inn is open between April and September.
Before You Leave on Your Trip to the Isle of Tiree
Before you leave on your trip to the Isle of Tiree there are a few things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth and enjoyable trip. These include how to get there and around the island, what to pack and where to stay, all of which are discussed below.
How to Get to the Isle of Tiree
To reach the Isle of Tiree, Scotland, the most common route is by ferry from Oban, a coastal town on the west coast of Scotland. The ferry is operated by Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) and typically takes around four hours, offering scenic views of the Inner Hebrides along the way. Alternatively, Tiree can be accessed by air, with direct flights from Glasgow Airport via Loganair. Once on the island, you can explore its stunning beaches, rich wildlife, and the relaxed, rural charm of this remote destination.
Where to Stay on the Isle of Tiree
Tiree is a small Scottish island, however, there is still a selection of lovely places to stay depending on your budget. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay on the Isle of Tiree.
Luxury – If you are looking for a comfortable apartment stay to come home to after a day exploring, Quayside Apartment is the perfect place for you. With spectacular views and a good central location, this accommodation is comfort plus for your next trip to Skye.
Book your stay at the Quayside Apartments right here.
Mid-range – The Portree Hotel is a great central location for your stay in Skye. This hotel overlooks the main square in Portree and during the winter months, there are wood-burning stoves to keep you warm after a day of exploring.
Book your stay at the Portree Hotel right here.
Budget – If you are looking for a budget place to rest your head but still have a great view, The Pink House is the place to stay just for that. A continental breakfast is included in your stay and you can book a room with a great view out to sea.
Book your stay at the Pink House right here.
If hostels are more your scene, you can check out the hostels available in Isle of Skye here.
What to Pack for the Isle of Tiree
When it comes to packing for a trip to Scotland there is one item of clothing that you are going to need all year round: a waterproof. It rains in Scotland on average 250 days a year, meaning that during your trip to the Isle of Tiree in winter, you can expect rain at some point. Due to this, the number one item on your packing list is a good waterproof jacket (men’s / women’s).
Second to that, another item to not leave home without is a good pair of warm and, if possible, waterproof boots (men’s / women’s). A lot of the best sights on Skye require a bit of walking to reach them and the conditions underfoot can become very muddy. You do not want to ruin a good pair of white trainers so pack some sturdy boots.
You will definitely need a hat and gloves during the winter months as the wind chill can be bitter.
It is also important to stay hydrated, especially when you are out exploring in the marvellous landscape of Scotland. We use Water to Go water bottles to fill up with water from running streams when we are hiking.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you are no doubt going to see around the Isle of Tiree, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Sony Mic ECM-B1M
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 11 and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 3
Camera Bag – Wandrd PRVKE 41L and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Sturdy Phone Tripod & Selfie Stick – ATUMTEK 61″ Selfie Stick Tripod, Sturdy Phone Tripod Stand with Wireless Remote
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socke
What is the Best Travel Insurance for The Isle of Tiree
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, your guide to the best things to do on the Isle of Tiree. If you are visiting this incredible island and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! If you have already been, let us know how it was! Did you get a clear day to see the sights? Did you manage the trip without getting caught in the rain? Let us know in the comments below!
Also, remember to share this with your friends and family that you are going to share this amazing experience with.
If you are planning a Scotland trip soon then check out our other Scotland content right here. Come and find us on social media to see where we are currently exploring. Tag us in your photos from your stay and we will share them with the rest of our community of explorers and backpackers.
Read Now:
- Visiting the Isle of Skye in Winter – All You Need to Know
- Isle of Skye – The Best Things to Do in Skye
- Isle of Skye Itinerary – One Day on the Isle of Skye
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