Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
only a handful of crofting settlements cling to the coastline, making this is one of the
west coast's backwaters. Yet with its empty beaches and sea vistas, Ardnamurchan is an
inspiring place.
A single-track road threads down its length, a superb route with a real sense of
transition from ancient mossy oak forest to salt-sprayed moorland as you approach the
sea. It's not fast, but this is slow travel at its best, with a huge variety of wildlife and
scenery to make
walking
a pleasure; pick up a locally produced guide from tourist
o
ces and most shops.
Strontian and Salen
Actually part of the near-roadless regions of
Sunart
and
Ardgour
,
STRONTIAN
serves
as a gateway base for the peninsula. he village's moment of fame came in 1722,
when local lead mines yielded the first-ever traces of
strontium
, which was named
after the village.
he hamlet of
SALEN
,
spread around another sheltered notch on the loch's shore,
marks the turn-off for Ardnamurchan Point: from here it's 25 miles of scenic driving
beside Loch Sunart - slow, and all the better for it. A turf-roofed Garbh Eilean
hide
(free access) five miles west of Strontian is an opportunity to peer for seals, sea birds
and the occasional eagle.
Nàdurra
Glenborrodale • April-Oct Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm, Sun 11.30am-5pm; Nov, Feb & March Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sun noon-3.30pm •
£4.50 •
T
01972 500209,
W
nadurracentre.co.uk
Nàdurra
, a small, child-friendly natural history centre just west of
Glenborrodale
(5 miles down the road from Salen), introduces the flora, fauna and geology of
Ardnamurchan. Named after the Gaelic word for “nature”, the centre is in a timber
“Living Building” designed to allow in wildlife - pine martins nest within the walls,
long-eared bats occasionally hang from the rafters and a glass wall descends into a
wildlife pond. Otherwise there are the usual wildlife displays and a film, plus
cameras trained on whatever's most interesting - the pine martins, perhaps, or a
heronry opposite.
12
Kilchoan and Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
KILCHOAN
is Ardnamurchan's main village - a modest crofting settlement which
straggles along the Sound of Mull. From here, the road continues to
Ardnamurchan
Point
, the most westerly point in mainland Britain, marked by a 118ft-high
lighthouse
.
he lighthouse buildings house a small café and an
exhibition
on local history, while
tours go up the tower to see the lighting mechanism (exhibition April-Oct daily
10am-5pm; £3; tour April-Oct daily 11am-4pm; £6;
T
01972 510210,
W
ardnamurchanlighthouse.com).
Sanna Bay
Explore the area around Kilchoan to find myriad coves, beaches and headlands. he
finest beach is
Sanna Bay
, about three miles north of the lighthouse, a white strand
with unforgettable views of the Small Isle. Incidentally, the road there crosses the crater
of what was the largest volcano in prehistoric Britain, still visible on a map in the
northwest peninsula.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
THE ARDNAMURCHAN PENINSULA
By bus
A single service (Mon-Sat;
T
01967 431272)
that begins at Fort William (currently 1.25pm) goes via
Corren Ferry to reach Strontian (1hr) before continuing to
Kilchoan (3hr).
By ferry
A CalMac (
W
calmac.co.uk)
car ferry operates
between Tobemory (Mull) and Kilchoan (Mon-Sat 7 daily,
plus Sun May-Aug 5 daily; 35min).
By car
The single-track road from Salen to Ardnamurchan
Point is 25 miles long; allow about 1hr 30min in
each direction.
