Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
fields and woodlands which run down to the sandy beaches of the
Black Isle
and
Cromarty
and
Dornoch firths
. If the west coast is about raw nature, the east is one of
human history:
Golspie
's Sutherland Monument and castle,
Dornoch
's fourteenth-
century sandstone cathedral, relics of the
Picts
and several sites linked to the
Clearances
.
Morvern to Knoydart: the Rough Bounds
Its Gaelic name
Garbh-chiochan
translates as the “
Rough
Bounds
”, implying a region
geographically and spiritually apart, and the southwest corner of the Highlands is
indeed remote and sparsely populated. From the empty district of
Morvern
to the
isolated
Knoydart
peninsula are lonely mountains and moors, a rocky, indented coast
studded by white beaches and wonderful views to Mull, Skye and other islands. It's
scenery that begs you to spend time exploring on foot.
Morvern
Bounded on three sides by sea lochs and in the north by desolate Glen Tarbet, the
mountainous
Morvern
peninsula
lies at the southwest corner of the Rough Bounds.
Many inhabitants of St Kilda were settled here when the island was abandoned
(see p.511) and the landscape can seem bleak until the coast reveals views to Mull.
Lochaline
Most visitors only travel through the Morvern peninsula to get to
LOCHALINE
(pronounced “loch-
aa
lin”) on the
Sound of Mull
, little more than a scattering of houses
around a small pier built as a work-for-food scheme during famine in 1846. From here,
a small ferry chugs to
Fishnish
- the shortest crossing to Mull from the mainland and
cheaper than the Oban-Craignure crossing with a car.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
12
MORVERN
By bus
Shiel Buses (
T
01967 431272,
W
shielbuses.co.uk)
runs a single service between Morvern and Fort William on
Tues, Thurs and Fri, plus a Sat service from mid-June to
early Sept. By request, the bus goes as far as the road end at
Drimnin (3h 10min), at the northwest corner of Morvern,
for ferries to Tobermory.
By ferry
To save the long journey around Loch Eil into
the peninsula, a ferry nips across to Ardgour from
Corran
Ferry, 9 miles south of Fort William, every 20-30min
(Mon-Sat 6.30am-9.20pm, Sun 8.30am-9.20pm;
10min). In addition, two services link the peninsula to
Mull: a car ferry from Lochaline to Fishnish (Mon-Sat
6.30am-9.20pm, Sun 8.30am-9.20pm; 15min) and a
passenger-only charter service from Drimnin to
Tobermory, run by Ardnamurchan Charters (
T
01972
500208,
W
west-scotland-marine.com).
ACTIVITIES
Lochaline Dive Centre
Lochaline
T
01967/421627,
W
lochalinedivecentre.co.uk.
Based in the village centre,
this outfit specializes in underwater archeology on local
wrecks, and provides drift, shallow, scenic and shore dives.
Also offers air filling and cylinder hire.
EATING
Ì
Whitehouse Restaurant
Lochaline
T
01967
421777,
W
thewhitehouserestaurant.co.uk.
Arguably
the best reason to visit Morvern, this is one of the
Highlands'
outstanding modern European cooking that showcases
local meat and seafood like fresh mussels and crab.
Booking
recommended.
Easter-Oct
Tues-Sat
finest
restaurants.
Simple
style
belies
noon-9pm.
The Ardnamurchan peninsula
he
Ardnamurchan peninsula
is the most westerly point on the British mainland. Once
ruled by Norse invaders, the peninsula lost most inhabitants during the Clearances and
