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The cliffs of the Mull of Oa falling to a dark sea, surf breaking on the stacks below.
Isle of Islay

Mull of Oa

The cliff-bound south-west tip of Islay, an RSPB reserve of 100-metre sea cliffs and moor, open at all times, where golden eagles fly.

Welcome

The Mull of Oa is the south-western tip of Islay, where the Oa peninsula ends in sea cliffs that tower 100 metres over the often turbulent sea and rise to Beinn Mhòr at 202 metres.

The RSPB looks after it as a nature reserve of cliffs, moor, lochs and coastal grassland, with waterfalls falling into hidden bays in the folds of the cliffs and grey seals on the rocky shore far below.

It is one of the best places on Islay to see golden eagles, which are about all year and show display flights from February into early spring. Choughs probe for food, and in winter flocks of twite gather on the fences. The road from Port Ellen ends at the reserve car park, and two waymarked trails lead out along the clifftop, one of them to the American Monument. Keep well back from the cliff edge. There is no café and nowhere to shelter, so bring food, drink and a waterproof, and keep dogs on a short lead from April to mid-August.

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The Daily for 13 November, from Scotland with love. A waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks into a woodland pool, autumn leaves scattered on the water.
Not farCaol Ila DistilleryThe distillery on the Sound of Islay near Port Askaig, the Islay Home of Johnnie Walker, with tours from £21 and views to Jura.20 milesSee itCaol Ila Distillery

Before you go

Stay on the marked paths.

Near the American Monument one marked path runs close to the cliff edge and another keeps safely back from it. The paths are natural and can be soft or boggy, and there is nowhere to shelter, so dress for the weather.

Where
The RSPB's Oa reserve car park, at the end of the Oa road, PA42 7AU, about 6 miles south-west of Port Ellen on Islay.
Open
The nature reserve is open 24 hours.
Parking
18 spaces in the reserve car park, with no height restrictions, a rolled stone surface and no lighting. There is a small picnic area with tables in the car park.
Walk
Two waymarked trails start at the car park: 0.75 mile (1.2 km) to the American Monument, and a 1.5-mile (2.5 km) circular walk round the clifftop via the monument. Benches without backs or arms stand on the circular walk.
Dogs
Responsible access is welcome. Keep your dog on a short lead during the ground-nesting bird breeding season, 1 April to 15 August, and wherever livestock are grazing, and clean up after it. Assistance dogs are welcome in all parts of the reserve.
Getting there
A minor single-track road leads from Port Ellen to the car park at its end. Walkhighlands lists no public transport to the car park, and the nearest bus stop is in Port Ellen. By ferry, CalMac sails from Kennacraig to Port Askaig while Port Ellen is closed for upgrades (from 2 June 2026, expected to reopen in 2029), and Port Askaig is about 20.8 miles from Port Ellen; by air, Islay Airport has daily flights to and from Glasgow.
Access
Paths are mostly natural, can be soft underfoot and have short boardwalk sections across wetter ground and short sections of moderate gradient. If you arrive in an off-road or all-terrain powered wheelchair, contact the reserve on 01496 300118 or the.oa@rspb.org.uk for access information and routes.
Food
No café or shop here and no toilets; the nearest are in Port Ellen. The RSPB suggests bringing your own food and drink. No barbecues are permitted on the reserve.

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Where it is

The RSPB's Oa reserve car park, at the end of the Oa road in south-west Islay, PA42 7AU, about 6 miles south-west of Port Ellen.

Close byWest of Port Ellen.
  1. The American Monument on its cliff top at the Mull of Oa, the sea breaking on the rocks below.American MonumentA cliff-top tower at the Mull of Oa, raised in 1920 for the American servicemen lost off Islay in 1918.Under a mile 1 min by road
  2. The crown and the words THE SHOP on the red telephone box.Shop in the BoxA red telephone box on the Oa road turned into an honesty shop of island prints and cards, raising money for good causes.3 miles 8 min by road
  3. The Singing Sands, a curve of pale sand below a brown headland, waves washing in.The Singing SandsA small sheltered beach near Port Ellen, by Carraig Fhada lighthouse, whose sand is said to sing underfoot.6 miles 16 min by road
  4. Port EllenPort EllenA village of white and pastel cottages on Islay's south coast, founded in 1821, with three famous distilleries along the road east.7 miles 16 min by road
  5. Surf breaking on dark rocks at Laggan Bay, the dunes and white farmhouses beyond.Laggan BayThe Big Strand: about six miles of sand on Laggan Bay, Islay's longest beach, backed by high dunes.8 miles 23 min by road
  6. Soldier's Rock rising from white surf below the dark cliffs of the Oa.Soldier's RockA tall sea stack below the cliffs of the Oa, reached by a walk from Kintra past abandoned townships.8 miles 23 min by road
Directions
Carraig Fhada lighthouse on its rocky point under a dark sky.AttractionsCarraig Fhada Lighthouse5.8 miles
White cottages line a clifftop row with a lighthouse in the distanceAttractionsIsle of Islay (pronounced Eye-la)6.4 miles
Laphroaig's white warehouses with the name in black across the bay, waves on the stony shore.AttractionsLaphroaig Distillery8.2 miles
The white front of Lagavulin with its name on the wall and the red chimney behind.AttractionsLagavulin Distillery9.0 miles
The broken tower of Dunyvaig Castle on its rocky point, the sea grey beyond.AttractionsDunyvaig Castle9.4 miles
Ardbeg distillery's whitewashed warehouse wall beside the rocky Islay shoreAttractionsArdbeg Distillery10 miles

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