Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 99

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Ashbank Hotel Centre of Carradale, by the shops
T 01583 431650, W ashbankhotel.com. A dinky little
place in the heart of the village, run by two very welcoming
sisters. It's nothing flashy, but the five en-suite rooms are
homely enough an d th e Egyptian-cotton bedding is
something to savour. £75
Carradale Bay Caravan Park Carradale Bay T 01583
431665, W carradalebay.com. The nearest campsite
to town is the superbly equipped and well-sheltered
Carradale Bay Caravan Park , right by, and with great access
to, the sandy beach. Although it's predominantly a caravan
site, there is a separate area to pitch tents. Easter-Oct.
£21 /pitch
Dunvalanree Port Righ Bay T 01583 431226,
W dunvalanree.com. Imposing house overlooking the

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sheltered little bay of Port Righ, towards Carradale Point;
the five rooms are of the highest order, with beautiful,
bespoke beds, though for those on a tighter budget, there
are a couple of budget rooms avail able. Dinner costs just
£20 extra, which is great value. £80
Ì The Green Room Above Carradale harbour
T 07972 683984, W greenroomteas.co.uk. Utterly
delightful tearoom perched high above the harbour and
with glorious views across Kilbrannan Sound to Arran.
Apart from the main café area (serving sausage rolls, rock
cake, flapjacks and the like), there's a glass conservatory
overlooking the croquet lawn (where you are free to
play) and, better still, a lounge-cum-observatory with a
swallow-cam and binoculars for wildlife spotting. Mon,
Tues & Thurs-Sun 10am-4pm.

Skipness
Heading north of the Claonaig ferry terminal, a dead-end road winds its way along the
shore a few miles further north to the tiny village of Skipness , where the considerable
ruins of the enormous thirteenth-century Skipness Castle and a chapel look out across
the Kilbrannan Sound to Arran. There are also several gentle walks laid out in the
nearby mixed woodland, up the glen. The main reason people make the effort to visit
Skipness, however, is the wonderful Skipness Seafood Cabin (see below).

ARRIVAL AND EATING SKIPNESS

By bus Buses run between Skipness and Kennacraig via
the ferry terminal at Claonaig (Mon-Sat 3 daily; 20min).
Skipness Seafood Cabin Below Skipness Castle
T 01880 760207. Little more than a hut just below the
castle, the Cabin has been doling out fresh local seafood for
years; hot smoked salmon or crab rolls (£4), fresh oysters,

queenies (queen scallops), langoustines, mussels and
home-baked cakes are just some of the treats. There are
wooden tables and bench seating from which to admire
the splendid views across to Arran. Whit Sunday to Sept
Mon-Fri & Sun 11am-7pm.

Isle of Gigha
Gigha - pronounced “Geeya”, with a hard “g” - is a low-lying, fertile island, with a
population of around 150, just three miles of the west coast of Kintyre. The island's
Ayrshire cattle produce over a quarter of a million gallons of milk a year, though the
island's distinctive (occasionally fruit-shaped) cheese is actually produced on the
mainland. Like many of the smaller Hebrides, Gigha was bought and sold numerous
times after its original lairds, the MacNeils, sold up, before being bought by the
islanders themselves in 2002. The most visible sign of the island's regeneration are
the three community-owned wind turbines - the “Dancing Ladies” of Faith, Hope
and Charity - at the southern tip of the island, which supply Gigha's electricity needs
and feed the surplus into the national grid. The real draw of Gigha, apart from the
peace and quiet, are the white sandy beaches - including one at Ardminish itself
- that dot the coastline.

Ardminish
The ferry from Tayinloan, 23 miles south of Tarbert, deposits you at the island's only
village, Ardminish , where you'll find the post office and shop and the all-denominations
island church with some interesting stained-glass windows, including one to Kenneth
MacLeod, composer of the well-known ditty Road to the Isles .