42 Best Sights in Argyll and the Isles, Scotland

Many malt whisky connoisseurs say the Lagavulin is the strongest nosed of all Islay's peaty malt whiskies. You can find out why, and how, with a distillery tour and tasting here.

Laphroiag (say la-froig) is Islay's most distinctive malt, redolent of peat, seaweed, and iodine. You can take a tour of the distillery, then settle in for a spell of sipping at the whisky bar.

Six ancient circles of boulders and head-high sandstone pillars are scattered across Machrie Moor. These relics of a prehistoric culture are as old as Egypt's pyramids, if not quite as impressive, and the site evokes a dim and distant past.

White-tailed sea eagles, extinct in Scotland since 1916, were reintroduced to the Hebrides in 1975. There are now around 80 breeding pairs, and on a Mull Eagle Watch trip you have an excellent chance of seeing these magnificent raptors on their nests and feeding their young at nesting sites around the island. Guides are paid directly in cash. From October to March, tours are by request only.

A converted church is home to this local museum, a loveable haphazard collection of local artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia. There is also a local history archive.

With its exhibits about the island's wildlife, the Natural History Centre has lots of hands-on activities for kids. It's a great stop on rainy days, and tickets are valid for a week. On Monday and Friday there are nature rambles, and family activities are offered throughout July and August.

One of Scotland's oldest and smallest distilleries was founded in 1794, several years before the town where it now stands. It produces a well-known 14-year-old malt which, according to those who know, has a taste somewhere between the smoky Islay whiskies and the softer, sweeter Highland varieties—a distinctive West Highland flavor.

This free museum recalls Oban's history through peace and war in photographs and other exhibits. Always a fishing harbor and a ferry port, during the Second World War the town became a key naval command center.

On the Firth of Lorne, this imaginative venture lets you get a look under the sea. Hands-on exhibits include microscopes where you can observe tiny algae and a live undersea camera where you can see what's happening below the waves. Part of a scientific research center, it's educational but also accessible and fun. There is a bright little café and a shop with books on marine science and other topics. It's 2 miles from Oban—follow the signs for nearby Dunstaffnage Castle.

St. Conan's may look medieval, but in fact, it's less than 100 years old. Built in 1930 from local boulders, it features modern stained glass and wood and stone carvings, including an effigy of Robert the Bruce.

A fertile, low-lying island with its own microclimate, Tiree is windswept, but has long hours of sunshine in summer. Long, rolling Atlantic swells make it a favorite with surfers, and in summer, when an influx of wealthy visitors arrives, the posh accents of southern England sometimes drown out native voices. Among Tiree's several low-key archaeological sites are a large boulder near Vaul covered with more than 50 Bronze Age cup marks, and an excavated broch (stone tower) at Dun Mor Vaul. Tiree has two hotels and an assortment of self-catering accommodations, including a hostel with shared dorm rooms. The island is served by CalMac ferry from Oban.