Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 100

Achamore Gardens
A mile and a half south of Ardminish • Daily 9am-dusk • £4
The main attraction on the island is the Achamore Gardens . Established by the first
postwar owner, Sir James Horlick of hot-drink fame, their spectacularly colourful
display of azaleas are best seen in early summer. Elsewhere, the rhododendrons merit
seeking out, as does the walled garden, with its hugely diverse collection of plants,
a bamboo maze, and a superb panorama across the island's west coast and beyond
to Islay and Jura.
To the southwest of the gardens, the ruins of the thirteenth-century St Catan's Chapel
are floored with weathered medieval gravestones; the ogham stone nearby is the only
one of its kind in the west of Scotland.

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ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION ISLE OF GIGHA

By ferry CalMac ferries depart more or less hourly from
Tayinloan, 23 miles south of Tarbert, for the twenty-minute
crossing to Ardminish.

Tourist information There's no tourist o ce, but
W gigha.org.uk is a useful resource.

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Achamore House Achamore Gardens T 01583
505400, W achamorehouse.com. If you want to stay in
the style of a laird, book into one of the grand rooms at the
beautiful house in the midst of Achamore Gardens; bay
windows and antique wardrobes and chests are standard
features, tho ugh some rooms do have shared bathroom
facilities. £90
The Boathouse By the pier in Ardminish T 01583
505123, W boathousegigha.co.uk. The place to go for
delicious food, good company, and occasionally, live music
and quiz nights. April-Oct: daily 11.30am-10pm.

Boathouse Camping By the pier in Ardminish T 01583
505123, W boathousegigha.co.uk. There's a designated
camping area on the grass adjacent to the Boathouse , with
fantastic beach views. Facilities are limited to showers (£1)
and toilets, though they sell some basic foodst uff s too. Only
twenty pitches, so booking ahead is advisable. £9 /pitch
Gigha Hotel 200m from the ferry terminal in
Ardminish T 01583 505254, W gigha.org.uk. This is the
social centre of the island and a very welcoming place to
stay; the rooms are inviting a nd s potlessly clean without
being particularly spectacular. £80

Machrihanish and around
The only major development along the entire west coast is MACHRIHANISH , at the
southern end of Machrihanish Bay, the longest continuous stretch of sand in Argyll.
here are two approaches to the beach : from Machrihanish itself, or from Westport, at
the north end of the bay, where the A83 swings east towards Campbeltown; either way,
the sea here is too dangerous for swimming. Machrihanish itself was once a thriving
salt-producing and coal-mining centre - you can still see the miners' cottages at
neighbouring Drumlemble - with a light railway link to Campbeltown, but now
survives almost exclusively on golf .

Machrihanish Golf Club
Between the beach and Campbeltown Airport • April-Oct £65, Nov-March £30 • T 01586 810213, W machgolf.com
Dominating the village of Machrihanish, and the main draw in these parts, is the
exposed 18-hole championship Machrihanish golf course between the beach and
Campbeltown Airport on the nearby flat and fertile swath of land known as the
Laggan. One of Scotland's finest links courses (established in 1876), it plays out on
a quite spectacular landscape, and is particularly notable for its first hole, which cuts
across the Atlantic in dramatic fashion.

Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club
East of Campbeltown Airport • April-Oct £70, Nov-March £30 • T 01586 810000, W machrihanishdunes.com
Established as recently as 2009, the sister course of Machrihanish golf course,
Machrihanish Dunes , on the other side of the airport, is perhaps even more impressive.