Many years ago I enjoyed my trip to Ardnamurchan on the West Coast of Scotland and I though why not re-visit and see if it still has that special magic.
The Ardnamurchan peninsula is a wild and remote place. The long drive along the single track road brought back the memories I had of sun drenched beaches, the purple heather, sheep and that it was unspoilt. However this time it was raining and grey skies made it all feel very gloomy.
I had rented a small cottage in Kilchoan and eventually arrived, collected the keys and made pleasant comments to the hostess, mainly about the weather that I am sure it will get better in the next few days.
The view from the cottage looked out towards the Island of Mull (a trip for another day) and out towards the far mountains. The dining table was right infront of the window, ideal for scouring the view with the binoculars. I walked along the road in Kilchoan, the same shop and pub although the pub had been much improved and was serving meals. A few more houses and a camp-site right there on the shoreline. The sheep had obviously wandered through leaving behind their droppings. I could hear the hens and an enterprising cottage had eggs for sale - leave your money in the honesty box.
Kilchoan House Hotel
It overlooks the Sound of Mull and is a mile from the Kilchoan Ferry Terminal. It is a great place for a meal, the staff are very friendly. The menu was varied, good portion size and adequate pricing. I went a couple of times during my stay but I would recommend phoning to book a table as it can get quite busy as I think it was the only eating place.
The hotel I had previously stayed in had burnt down in a fire a few years ago. This was on the road from Kilchoan towards Portuarick at a place called Sonachan. A fairly new house stood on the site and opposite the most amazing
Community Garden
This was established in 2010 as part of an initiative across Scotland to take action on climate change. By growing locally, food miles and the carbon footprint is reduced. Fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables available to locals and visitors. There is a roadside shop and leave your money in the honesty box. You can also help out in the garden if you have time - a bit of weeding is always useful.
They also sell their products at the weekly produce market in Kilchoan. A local baker had left some bread in a basket in the shop along with local honey. Who could resist?
On the way to Kilchoan at a small place called Glenbeg, Acharacle there is a distillery. This was not here on my last visit.
Ardnamurchan Distillery was opened in 2014 as Scotland's Greenest Distillery. An amazing building and visitor centre. It sells a wide range of limited edition whiskies. The distillery tour is a MUST and phone for opening times and prices. I was amazed at how they built the distillery and manged to get the huge machines and equipment along that single track road.
There are little art galleries, tea shops and craft places along the road just look out for them and some are set back from the main road but well worth a visit.
I took a ferry ride from Kilchoan to Tobermory which is wonderful. Those little coloured houses along the harbour are not to be missed. The ferry is regular , although in the winter it has limited crossings. You can take the car or just go as a foot passenger.
My week in Ardnamurchan was full of memories and despite the rain and grey clouds I I have no regrets. Some people say that you should never go back to a place but Ardnamurchan has that special magic of remoteness. The dramatic landscapes, rocky outcrops, heather and of course sheep. Sanna Bay beach is still white and whatever the weather I will never forget that bit of yellow on the map that I saw all those years ago.
As a footnote to this story I came across a very enterprising small business called
Sanna Spice.
A home delivery service of the most amazing Indian Cuisine. I phoned the order and the lady brought it right to my cottage door - piping hot.
