Tobermory, Aros Bay, Pier, Slip and Boat House Refurbishment Completed

RunAgroundHard

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Aros Bay is a small well sheltered bay in the south section of Tobermory Bay. If you don't know it, see the chart image below. Those of you who have anchored here, or walked round from Tobermory Harbour (a delightful walk), will have noticed the old pier, partially ruined, rails running into the sea and an old boat house at the top of the pier. It was a ruin for a long, long time.

Tobermory Harbour Association has just announced that the pier refurbishment is complete, a new slip way has been added, a new pontoon and gangway added to the end of the pier, and the old boat house has been refurbished. Currently the boat house is not open but there are plans afoot to open it with a cafe, toilet and shower facilities. There will also be a water taxi service between Aros Bay and the Tobermory Harbour.

The new pontoon is for tenders, canoes, dinghies et cetera, not berthing. I have anchored here many times, both close in, shallow water and further out in deeper water. There is a walk from Aros Bay to the marina which ends just at the Harbour Master Office and Macgochans Pub, Restaurant.

If interested, keep a watch on Tobermory Harbour Association Facebook page or their Web Page for further information on what will be provided for boats at Aros Bay and the opening of the old boat house.

Tobermory Harbour: Statutory Authority & Facilities

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The following images are shared with permission from THA and can be seen in their Facebook Page announcement on the Aros Pier opening. The pier end was completely missing reduced to rubble and there was hard barrier at the start of the pier, landward side, to prevent access. As you can see, it's been fully renovated and improved with the pontoon. It's good news seeing development happen in a harbour that is owned by its community through The Harbour Association, a community company limited by guarantee and is the Statutory Harbour Authority. It should also be noted that local contractors helped with the development and that all of the old stone was reused in the refurbishment.

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... Are there more visitor moorings there now?

I don't know, but THA have said that there will be further developments for their "afloat" customers and advised watching for further announcements. If you use FB, follow "Tobermory Harbour Association" and you will get the information when announced.
 
Sounds good to me! Is anchoring free? Just a Yorkshire man asking, Scotsman with the generosity removed.

Yes anchoring is free at Tobermory. However, it is a very deep anchorage and close inshore where shallow water anchoring can be had, is usually full of moored boats, steep drops offs, strong downdraughts and variable wind directions. However, boats successfully anchor here. You can see anchor symbols close to shore that are outside the mooring fields, in addition to the deep water anchor symbol above the T in "Tobermory Bay". See the THA map Safe Harbour Map Guidelines for Vessels

I am pretty sure all of Scotland's waters have free anchoring. There can be restrictions in place which pilot books might advise or local harbour authority guides e.g. https://www.peelports.com/media/lm2jewyk/8-clyde-leisure-navigation-guide-5th-edition.pdf
 
When I saw the description of this, I thought it was something to do with a pier nearby that was owned by a distant cousin of my mother back in the ‘80s. He was somewhat eccentric but planned on making it a diving centre. Meanwhile he had been catching lobsters and crayfish and putting them in pens alongside the pier until they were collected by a seafood wholesaler. One night some guys in wetsuits tried to break into the pens to steal them so our man decides he will give them a scare and throws a thunder flash into the water, not terribly close but the noise is enough to cause them some distress.
We came to hear of it when he was arrested and was looking for a solicitor ( which my dad was) but he was let off with a caution.

Anyway, I’ve remembered it wasn’t Aros pier, it was Salen pier which is in Aros but, hey, ho… memories.
 
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