Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 116

(including 665 Americans), the majority of whom made it safely to a ship that came
to their aid; of the 400 who had to try and swim ashore, only 16 survived. The
sailors' graves lie in three neat rows, from the cook to the captain, who has his own,
much larger gravestone.

1

Sanaigmore
Another poignant memorial stands at Sanaigmore , at the end of a road three miles due
west of Loch Gruinart, commemorating 241 Irish emigrants, fleeing the potato famine,
drowned when the Exmouth of Newcastle was wrecked of the coast in April 1847
- another beautiful sandy beach lies a short walk north of the settlement.

Port Charlotte
Port Charlotte , founded in 1828 by Walter Frederick Campbell and named after his
mother, is generally agreed to be Islay's prettiest village. Known as the “Queen of the
Rhinns” (derived from the Gaelic word for a promontory), its immaculate whitewashed
cottages cluster around a sandy cove overlooking Loch Indaal.

Museum of Islay Life
Daal Terrace • April-Sept Mon-Fri 10.30am-4.30pm • £3 • T 01496 850358, W islaymuseum.org
On the northern fringe of the village, in a whitewashed former chapel, the imaginative
Museum of Islay Life is crammed to bursting with local memorabilia. As well as
tantalizing snippets about eighteenth-century illegal whisky distillers, there are some
terrific photos and a good library of books about the island. Best of all, though, are the
displays on the SS Tuscania and HMS Otranto , both of which were sunk in the waters
hereabouts during World War I. Among the exhibits is the bell from the Tuscania and
the notebook belonging to Sergeant Malcolm McNeill, in which he records the names
and conditions of those who perished, including one, he writes rather grimly, “whose
body is so much decayed that it is crumbling to pieces”.

Islay Natural History Trust Visitor Centre
Main St • May-Sept Mon-Fri 10am-4pm • £3; nature rambles £2.50 • T 01496 850288, W islaynaturalhistory.org
he Islay Natural History Trust Visitor Centre , housed in the former distillery
warehouse, is well worth a visit for anyone interested in the island's fauna and flora.
As well as an extensive library to browse, there's lots of hands-on stuff for kids:
microscopes, a touch table full of natural goodies, a sea-water aquarium, a bug
world and owl pellets to examine. Tickets are valid for a week, allowing you to go
back and identify things you've seen on your travels. They also organize weekly
nature rambles in July and August, which could include anything from rockpooling
to beachcombing.

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PORT CHARLOTTE

By bus Buses stop just outside the Port Charlotte Hotel .
Destinations Bowmore (Mon-Sat 5-6 daily, Sun

3 daily; 25min).

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Croft Kitchen Opposite the museum T 01496 850230.
Somewhere between a café and a restaurant, this sparsely
furnished place nevertheless knocks up some decent food,
as well as tea, coffee and cakes. March-Oct Mon, Tues &
Thurs-Sun 11am-9pm.
Port Charlotte Hotel In the heart of the village
overlooking the beach T 01496 850360, W port

charlottehotel.co.uk. A handful of the ten rooms at this
smart, though terrifically expensive, hotel have retained
their original exposed-stone walls, but they're all thought-
fully designed and decorated in bold but beautiful colours.
The hotel restaurant is a cut above anything else in Port
Charlotte, though it's much more fun to tuck into one of
their seafood lunches out on the grassy terrace; try the