Craobh Haven Scotland
United Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender, into one of the most sheltered anchorages in the region. Small cruise ships exploring Scotland's west coast sometimes call here, facing a string of islands — Shuna, Luing, Scarba.
On the Craignish peninsula, about thirty kilometres south of Oban. The village did not exist fifty years ago: it was built in 1983 around a marina and lines up a handful of white houses facing the sea.
Look for neither monument nor museum: the interest here lies entirely in the setting. The marina holds some 250 pleasure boats, and the comings and goings of yachts set the rhythm of the day.
A one- to two-hour loop on the Lunga estate paths, lunch at the village pub and a walk to the shingle cove around the point. It is not much, and that is the point: this call is best taken as a pause between more spectacular anchorages.
A property of about 1,600 hectares of hills, woodland and moor beginning a few minutes' walk from the waterfront, freely open to walkers. Paths climb to viewpoints over the archipelago, pass hidden lochs and cross ancient standing stones.
A passage between the islands of Scarba and Jura, a few nautical miles offshore, where tidal currents form one of the largest permanent whirlpools in the world. On big tides the sea churns loudly enough to be heard from a distance.
Fast-boat trips run from the region to approach it, but the excursion depends closely on tide times. Check with your ship whether it appears on the program rather than counting on it.
Seals sprawled on the skerries, herons fishing in the coves, terns and gannets offshore. The lucky will spot a sea eagle, successfully reintroduced in the region, or the gleaming back of a porpoise between two islands. Often it is enough to sit on a rock, binoculars in hand, and wait.
Bring a raincoat rather than an umbrella: showers arrive sideways, pass quickly and leave behind the double rainbows the region seems to specialize in. Walking shoes are essential, since Scottish ground is rarely dry.
The pound sterling and English, with Gaelic on the signs. The village amounts to a marina and a pub, the Lord of the Isles, which serves soups, fish and regional beers behind windows facing the water: plan your shopping elsewhere.
