Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beyond the village rise the substantial remains of 13th-century
Skipness Castle
(HS;
admission free; 24hr, tower Apr-Sep only)
, a former possession of the Lords of the
Isles. It's a striking building, composed of dark-green local stone trimmed with contrast-
ing red-brown sandstone from Arran. The tower house was added in the 16th century and
was occupied until the 19th century. From the top you can see the roofless, 13th-century
St Brendan's Chapel
down by the shore. The kirkyard contains some excellent carved
grave slabs.
Skipness Seafood Cabin
(
01880-760207; sandwiches £4, mains £6-10;
11am-7pm Sun-Fri late May-Sep)
, in the grounds of nearby Skipness House, serves tea,
coffee and home baking, as well as local fish and shellfish dishes. In fine weather you can
scoff the house special - crab sandwiches - at outdoor picnic tables with grand views of
Arran.
Local
bus 448
runs between Tarbert and Skipness (35 minutes, two daily Monday to
Saturday).
At Claonaig, 2 miles southwest of Skipness, there's a daily
car ferry
to Lochranza on
the Isle of Arran (passenger/car £5.75/25.50, 30 minutes, seven to nine daily).
ISLE OF GIGHA
POP 120
Gigha (
ghee
-ah;
www.gigha.org.uk
)
is a low-lying island, 6 miles long by about 1 mile
wide, that's famous for its sandy beaches and mild climate - subtropical plants thrive in
the island's
Achamore Gardens
(
01583-505254;
www.gigha.org.uk/gardens
;
Achamore House; admission free, donation requested; dawn-dusk)
.
Locally made
Gigha cheese
is sold in many parts of Argyll - there are several varieties
produced on the island, including pasteurised goat's-milk cheese and oak-smoked ched-
dar.
The island's limited accommodation includes
Post Office House
(
01583-505251;
www.gighastores.co.uk
;
d £50; )
, a Victorian house at the top of the hill above the ferry
slip with two self-catering cottages (it houses the island post office and shop as well).
There's also the
Gigha Hotel
(
01583-505254;
www.gigha.org.uk/accom
; r per person
£50)
, 100m south of the post office, which serves bar meals, or if you're feeling peckish,
four-course dinners. You can also eat at the
Boat House Café Bar
(
01583-505123;
mains £7-12; lunch & dinner)
near the ferry slip.
There's a single B&B, plus a range of
self-catering acoommodation
available (see
www.gigha.org.uk
for details).
Camping
is allowed on a grassy area beside the Boat
House near the ferry slip - there's no charge but space is limited, so call the Boat House in
advance to check availability.
