Wild Swimming Fingal’s Cave Scotland: Orcas, Staffa & Coll Adventure
This wild swimming Fingal’s Cave Scotland adventure had been a long time coming. After a couple of failed attempts thanks to challenging sea conditions, this trip finally brought everything together. From the turquoise waters of the Cairns of Coll to an unforgettable swim into Fingal’s Cave on Staffa, it turned into one of those rare Hebrides days where everything just works.
Gathering at Dunstaffnage Marina
This trip began a little differently. Not quite the brutal early start of some adventures.
We made our way out of Oban to Dunstaffnage Marina, where the biggest challenge of the morning turned out to be finding a parking space.
Once we’d all gathered, we met the rest of the group along with our wildlife guide Ben, before heading down to board our Basking Shark Scotland boat.
Stepping onto the boat always feels like the real beginning. The shift from land to sea, from plans to possibility.
Sea Swimming Scotland: Into the Sound of Mull
We headed out into the Sound of Mull, with a quick stop in Tobermory before continuing north.
The conditions were on our side. Not always guaranteed in this part of the world, and something we never take for granted.
Wild Swimming at the Cairns of Coll: Turquoise Water and Kelp Forests
Our first swim stop was the Cairns of Coll, at the northern end of the Isle of Coll.
This place is something else.
The Cairns are a shallow rocky outcrop, only accessible by boat, and in the right conditions they transform into a natural swimming lagoon. Turquoise water, white sand patches, and kelp forests stretching beneath you.
They are owned by author Alexander McCall Smith, who has taken care to ensure they are preserved. They are not large enough to be inhabited, so remain wild and untouched. Access depends entirely on the conditions. Water this shallow, combined with large submerged rocks, can make it almost impossible to navigate in bad weather.
We slipped into the water and began exploring. Gliding over kelp, peering into little rocky gaps and channels, and finding hidden corners. Oonagh and I discovered a small cave tucked into the rocks, one of those places you only find by chance.
It’s one of those swims where you don’t need to go far. You just mindfully explore and take it all in.
A Change of Plan
Back on board, wrapped in towels with hot drinks and snacks, we spoke with our skipper Shane.
He had been watching the forecast closely and decided this was our best chance of reaching Fingal’s Cave that weekend.
So we changed plans and headed out towards Staffa and the Treshnish Isles.
Orcas in the Hebrides: A Rare Wildlife Encounter While Sea Swimming in Scotland
As Staffa came into view, I moved up to the front of the boat and found Shane scanning the horizon through binoculars.
We adjusted course slightly and headed towards another boat.
Then we saw them.
The West Coast orca pod. The two males known as John Coe and Aquarius.
Their dorsal fins were enormous, reaching up to around 1.8 metres tall, cutting cleanly through the water. At first there was just one, then the second appeared, and we watched them travel with purpose for around half an hour.
This small West Coast community is critically endangered and no longer breeding. Seeing them felt incredibly special. A privilege, and also a reminder of how rare these encounters are becoming.
It’s hard to describe moments like that. Everything just quietens. You just watch.
Wild Swimming Fingal’s Cave Scotland: Third Time Lucky
Then, without much pause, we were heading for Fingal’s Cave.
This had been a long time coming.
This wild swimming Fingal’s Cave Scotland experience felt completely surreal after previous attempts had been turned back by rough seas.
Conditions were still a little choppy, but manageable. We slipped into the water and swam towards the entrance.
Fingal’s Cave is enormous. Around 22 metres high and 82 metres long. Formed from hexagonal basalt columns created by ancient volcanic activity, when lava cooled slowly as it met the sea. Over time, the relentless force of the waves carved out the vast cave we see today.
Swimming into it felt surreal.
The scale of the columns rising up around us, the echo of the water, the shifting light. It felt almost cathedral-like. We swam all the way to the back of the cave and looked up at the towering geometric formations above us.
There is also a sense of myth to the place. According to Celtic legend, Fingal’s Cave is linked to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, said to be the remains of a bridge built by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill. Standing, or rather floating, there, it is not hard to see why.
There were a few small jellyfish, but nothing to worry about. We were lucky. I know it can sometimes be completely full of them.
Before long, it was time to head back to the boat. Other boats were waiting their turn, and our window was short.
It’s wild swimming Fingal’s Cave Scotland moments like this that remind me why I keep coming back.
One of Those Rare Days
Back on the boat, it all felt slightly unreal.
From the calm, kelp-filled waters of the Cairns of Coll, to watching orcas in the wild, to finally swimming into Fingal’s Cave on the third attempt.
Days like this are never guaranteed.
Out here, we are always at the mercy of the weather and the sea conditions. Plans change. Routes shift. Sometimes you do not make it at all.
Which makes days like this feel incredibly special. I feel very lucky to have experienced it.
A truly unforgettable wild swimming adventure in the Hebrides.
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