Iona

Iona is car-free for visitors and small and fairly flat, reached by a short ferry from Fionnphort on Mull, and that combination does most of the resting for you. Paths are easy, the shell-sand beaches are often empty, and the abbey St. Columba founded after arriving from Ireland in 563 gives a walk a destination without turning it into a pilgrimage. The trick is to stay overnight. Day visitors come across in the middle of the day; once the afternoon boats have gone, the island belongs to residents and a handful of guests. Late spring and early fall are the calmest times, away from the summer peak.