Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
PORTNAHAVEN AND PORT WEMYSS
By bus
Buses make their way into the centre of both
villages, dropping off first at Portnahaven.
Destinations
Bowmore
(Mon-Sat 6 daily, 3 on Sun;
50min).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Burnside B&B
Shore Street, Port Wemyss
T
01496
860296,
W
burnsidelodge.co.uk.
Located just off the coastal
path, this sweet little place offers three rooms (one en suite) of
modest proportions, but they're absolutely up to the mark.
The friendly owner here also rustles up delectable
home-baked goodies, in particular cupcakes and mu
ns; you
can enjoy these, with a mug of tea, in the cosy residents
lounge or outside on one of the barrel seats looking across to
Rhinns Point, below which seals bask on the s
hore.
Food
served April-Sept Fri-Mon 10.30am-4.30pm.
£90
6
Loch Finlaggan
Information centre
Northeast of the loch • Easter & Oct Tues, Thurs & Sun 2-4pm; May-Sept 2.30-5pm; closed Sat • £2
Just beyond Ballygrant, on the road to Port Askaig, a narrow road leads off north to
Loch Finlaggan
, site of a number of
prehistoric crannogs
(artificial islands) and, for four
hundred years from the twelfth century, headquarters of the Lords of the Isles,
semi-autonomous rulers of the Hebrides and Kintyre. he site is evocative enough, but
there are, in truth, very few remains beyond the foundations. Remarkably, the palace
that stood here appears to have been unfortified, a testament perhaps to the prosperity
and stability of the islands in those days.
To the northeast of the loch, the
information centre
exhibits a number of finds
uncovered on the site, notably the head of the commemorative medieval cross. From
the centre, a path heads down to the site itself, which is dotted with interpretive panels.
Duckboards allow you to walk out across the reed beds of the loch and explore the
main crannog,
Eilean Mor
, where several carved gravestones are displayed under cover
in the chapel, all of which seem to support the theory that the Lords of the Isles buried
their wives and children there, while having themselves interred on Iona. Further out
into the loch is another smaller crannog,
Eilean na Comhairle
, originally connected to
Eilean Mor by a causeway, where the Lords of the Isles are thought to have held
meetings of the Council of the Isles.
Port Askaig
Islay's other ferry connection with the mainland, and its sole link with Colonsay and
Jura, is from
PORT ASKAIG
, a scattering of buildings which tumbles down a little cove
by the narrowest section of the Sound of Islay or Caol Ila. here's next to nothing here,
save for a hotel, shop and post o
ce.
ARRIVAL AND TOURS
PORT ASKAIG
By ferry
To all intents and purposes, Port Askaig is the
second of the island's main ferry terminals.
Destinations
Colonsay (Wed 1 daily; 1hr 10min); Feolin
ferry to Jura (Mon-Sat hourly, Sun 7 daily; 5min);
Kennacraig (3-4 daily; 2hr 5min).
By bus
Buses depart from a spot just up from the ferry terminal.
Destinations
Bowmore (Mon-Sat 6-8 daily, 4 on
Sun; 25min).
Boat tours
For high-adrenaline boat trips, contact Islay
Sea Safari (
T
01496 40510,
W
islayseasafari.co.uk), which
is based in Port Askaig and is best known for whizzing
round the distilleries in a rigid inflatable.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ì
Kilmeny Farmhouse
Ballygrant
T
01496 840668,
W
kilmeny.co.uk.
Three miles south of Port Askaig, this
whitewashed farmhouse is a place that richly deserves all
the superlatives it regularly receives. Antique furnishings,
locally made fabrics and slipper baths feature in some or all
of the four colour-coordinated rooms. You can expect to be
well pampered for the duration of your stay, and the
gourmet breakfast is a real treat, comprising, among other
things, fresh fruit salad, poached plum
s, an
d smoked
salmon and scrambled eggs.
March-Nov.
£125
Port Askaig Hotel
Opposite the ferry terminal
T
01496
840245,
W
portaskaig.co.uk.
Brilliantly convenient for the
