Islay and Jura - suggestions for places to visit within a few hours of Ardfern?

[dylanwinter]

I am planning to base myself at Ardfern for a few weeks and have been looking about for places to visit. Islay and Jura look like good places to start - any suggestions about places to go

Loch Gruinart looks a like a bit of a cracker for sand and birds

and any suggestions about places with pontoons and lekkie within a day of Ardfern?

 

[Sgeir]

.... and any suggestions about places with pontoons and lekkie within a day of Ardfern?

Very droll, Dylan

Why not anchor up? Loads of great places and all the better without pontoons and leccie, IMHO.

Marinas are not big in this area and the only ones that would fit your needs would be Crinan, Craobh, Oban (Kerrera) and Dunstaffnage. As for visitor pontoons with leccie, Tobermory and Salen (Loch Sunart) spring to mind.

 

[dylanwinter]

Very droll, Dylan

Why not anchor up? Loads of great places and all the better without pontoons and leccie, IMHO.

Marinas are not big in this area and the only ones that would fit your needs would be Crinan, Craobh, Oban (Kerrera) and Dunstaffnage. As for visitor pontoons with leccie, Tobermory and Salen (Loch Sunart) spring to mind.

I agree

but for this phase I have an aging labrador and a hyperactive hard walking wife on board - so boat to dinghy transfers are fine when smooth but when the weather threatens to go bad then we need to run to a pontoon.

 

[Shuggy]

Marinas are not big in this area and the only ones that would fit your needs would be Crinan, Craobh, Oban (Kerrera) and Dunstaffnage. As for visitor pontoons with leccie, Tobermory and Salen (Loch Sunart) spring to mind.

...and Port Ellen & Lochaline for visitor pontoons. Not that we've ever been to either as there are cracking anchorages nearby ;-)

 

[Sgeir]

...and Port Ellen & Lochaline for visitor pontoons. Not that we've ever been to either as there are cracking anchorages nearby ;-)

I can vouch for Loch Aline, they're good pontoons, and with leccie.

 

[Sgeir]

I agree

but for this phase I have an aging labrador and a hyperactive hard walking wife on board - so boat to dinghy transfers are fine when smooth but when the weather threatens to go bad then we need to run to a pontoon.

Ah, well, there's also Linnhe Marine where we are based - no leccie or wifi, but old fish farm pontoons, diesel and water at the hammerhead, and lavvy and shower ashore.

 

[dunedin]

I am planning to base myself at Ardfern for a few weeks and have been looking about for places to visit. Islay and Jura look like good places to start - any suggestions about places to go

and any suggestions about places with pontoons and lekkie within a day of Ardfern?

Definitely need to go out Corryvreckan, on a suitable day, to visit
Eileach an Niaomh; and
Loch Tarbert on the west side of Jura

Equally definitely these are pure anchor places.

I am sure you keep raising pontoons and electricity as a troll exercise, knowing these are for Southern softies in the Solent, very rare on Scottish West coast. But if you do want to find one, ensure you have the free Welcome Anchorages leaflet which (contrary to its title) lists every pontoon and visitor mooring in Scotland (and North East Ireland). It is not a thick document to carry ;-)

 

[steve yates]

Theres a marina in loch linnhe? Got a website?

 

[Uricanejack]

Carighouse, Crinan, Loch Sween. Mcormaig Isles. Giha. Garveloch Isles.
will take a while

 

[Sgeir]

Theres a marina in loch linnhe? Got a website?

I love the place and the guys are simply terrific but, in all honesty, but being moorings and with old fish farm pontoons for access, it may not be a "marina" in the normally accepted sense of the word. It is a family run facility and they are on station 0900 until 1700 during which time they will taxi you out to your mooring. After that there are two tenders available for your use, but obviously you have to take them back, or tow them back, to the pontoon. There is a toilet and a separate shower, and water and diesel are available at the hammerhead. The hammerhead is really there for temporary use and sharing with other users, loading/unloading etc, although there is no harm in going alongside for an evening if it's quiet.

There also a pub, The Old Inn at Portnacroish, less than a mile down the tarmac track.

As with one or two other folk on this forum, we've been here for years because we we like the location, the people and the prices. The only real downside is that it can be slightly bumpy in a northeasterly, as it is right now; on those occasions being on the mooring is preferable to being alongside. In NE gales or near-gales, it is generally preferable to up sticks and and overnight anchor in nearby Airds Bay.

http://www.linnhemarina.co.uk/

 

[dylanwinter]

Definitely need to go out Corryvreckan, on a suitable day, to visit
Eileach an Niaomh; and
Loch Tarbert on the west side of Jura

Equally definitely these are pure anchor places.

I am sure you keep raising pontoons and electricity as a troll exercise, knowing these are for Southern softies in the Solent, very rare on Scottish West coast. But if you do want to find one, ensure you have the free Welcome Anchorages leaflet which (contrary to its title) lists every pontoon and visitor mooring in Scotland (and North East Ireland). It is not a thick document to carry ;-)

we did Corrvrekken, Grey Dogs, Luing and Cuan when sailing last week with the blokes on board - loved every second of the sleigh rides. One of the KTL sailors was Baz - a Michigan great lakes sailor - he had never seen serious tides - well he has now!

 

[rbmatthews]

I am planning to base myself at Ardfern for a few weeks and have been looking about for places to visit. Islay and Jura look like good places to start - any suggestions about places to go

Loch Gruinart looks a like a bit of a cracker for sand and birds

and any suggestions about places with pontoons and lekkie within a day of Ardfern?

Places with pontoons and leccie have been covered above.

Spoilt for choice for interesting places to visit around there though. Shuna Island has a dilapidated castle worth a look. Easdale and the Slate Islands, including Belnahua and Fladda, are interesting. The Sound of Luing with its 8 knot currents is a must. The Garvellachs are well worth a visit, and as someone has already mentioned, so is the Sound of Jura and West Loch Tarbert. Try getting to the very top of the latter and anchor in the Top Pool! The Ardmore Islands are beautiful, and the east coast of Jura and Craighouse also very nice. Barnhill, where George Orwell wrote 1984, is also fascinating if you read the book.

We did around there in 2013, based at Craobh Haven - details and pics at https://shetlandf4.wordpress.com/craobh-haven-2013/ if you are interested.

 

[dylanwinter]

Definitely need to go out Corryvreckan, on a suitable day, to visit
Eileach an Niaomh; and
Loch Tarbert on the west side of Jura

Equally definitely these are pure anchor places.

I am sure you keep raising pontoons and electricity as a troll exercise, knowing these are for Southern softies in the Solent, very rare on Scottish West coast. But if you do want to find one, ensure you have the free Welcome Anchorages leaflet which (contrary to its title) lists every pontoon and visitor mooring in Scotland (and North East Ireland). It is not a thick document to carry ;-)

I have found that in scotland pontoons are gratifyingly thick on the ground. Orkney was exellent, Shetland riddled with them

as this thread shows there are plenty around - it is just a case of finding which ones are available. It seems there are several on Islay and Jura

I also love anchoring - but it is a 12 hour drive home when the weather goes belly up so we will be on the boat when the weather is horrible. We will anchor when we can but only in settled weather

when it is going to turn bad then we need to run to a place where we can turn on the fan heater

 

[dunedin]

we did Corrvrekken, Grey Dogs, Luing and Cuan when sailing last week with the blokes on board - loved every second of the sleigh rides. One of the KTL sailors was Baz - a Michigan great lakes sailor - he had never seen serious tides - well he has now!

But if want to visit places west, can generally also time it to get through Corry in flat water at slack tide

 

[dylanwinter]

But if want to visit places west, can generally also time it to get through Corry in flat water at slack tide

it is much more fun when things are starting to hot up though

 

[Seven Spades]

I am planning to base myself at Ardfern for a few weeks and have been looking about for places to visit. Islay and Jura look like good places to start - any suggestions about places to go

Loch Gruinart looks a like a bit of a cracker for sand and birds

and any suggestions about places with pontoons and lekkie within a day of Ardfern?

I can promise you won't find any crumpet there.

 

[bikedaft]

don't forget scarba - wee anchorage on W coast if weather settled, or at SE corner. great place for a walk

pig bay N end Jura

you could visit these places on the way to a pontoon. kind of

craighouse has plenty moorings and pontoon for dingies only (shallow)? and pub...

 

[dimdav]

Lowlandmans bay on Jura.

If you're over on the Argyle coast theres Bikedafts home territory of Tayvallich, Caolscotnish and the Fairy isles all of which are simply stunning IMHO, also good walking around that neck of the woods.

With your draft and penchant for the crawling over the shallow stuff you could head into Lhinnie Mhurich off loch Sween and of course a must see is Eilean Mhor on the Maccormaig isles.

A last 1 which I read about on here many years ago but cant remember its name and so only know through photos is the rocky inlet used by a german uboat as a hideout in WW1 IIRC, I think its somewhere in the Colonsay, Jura, Islay triangle. Hopefully someone on here will know it.

 

[dylanwinter]

don't forget scarba - wee anchorage on W coast if weather settled, or at SE corner. great place for a walk

pig bay N end Jura

you could visit these places on the way to a pontoon. kind of

craighouse has plenty moorings and pontoon for dingies only (shallow)? and pub...

I am hoping to spend a night in pig bay

getting the dog ashore is not impossible and if I get the tides right we can spend a fair amount of time aground

 

[dylanwinter]

Lowlandmans bay on Jura.

If you're over on the Argyle coast theres Bikedafts home territory of Tayvallich, Caolscotnish and the Fairy isles all of which are simply stunning IMHO, also good walking around that neck of the woods.

With your draft and penchant for the crawling over the shallow stuff you could head into Lhinnie Mhurich off loch Sween and of course a must see is Eilean Mhor on the Maccormaig isles.

A last 1 which I read about on here many years ago but cant remember its name and so only know through photos is the rocky inlet used by a german uboat as a hideout in WW1 IIRC, I think its somewhere in the Colonsay, Jura, Islay triangle. Hopefully someone on here will know it.

that sub story is a good one.... any urls anyone?