Loch Eil p.135 N Muck 50’ Fort Loch Linnhe William p.134 Point of Ardnamurchan Loch Sunart p.146 Corran Narrows p.133 8. Sound of Mull Loch 40’ Ardmore and Loch Sunart Leven Point Loch p.130 Arinagour p.136 Coll p.174 Linnhe 7. Loch Etive and 10. Coll and Tiree p.173 Tobermory p.128 Loch Linnhe Caliach p.143 p.172 rn Pt e p.114 rv Loch o 4 S M 2 ou Aline nd f .1 Loch p.141 o p of Treshnish M n Lismore Creran u n Tiree Salen ll y 30’ Isles p. L p.122 p.178 p.140 138 Passage of p.159 Ulva Loch Loch Tiree na Keal Etive 9. West Coast p.118 MULL Loch of Mull p.150 Spelve Firth Oban of p.107 Loch Lorn Scridain 6. Firth of Lorn 20’ Iona p.180 p.96 p.186 Ross of Mull 5. Loch Crinan to the Skerryvore Firth of Lorn p.70 Garvellachs Loch Melfort p.89 p.98 Ardfern p.75 10’ 11. Ross of Mull p.1 80 Loch Craignish p.74 Colonsay Crinan Canal p.52 Crinan p.72 Oronsay JURA 56˚ p.51 Loch Loch Ardrishaig 3. West coasts of Islay Tarbert Sween Lower p.86 Sound p.64 Loch and Jura; Colonsay of Jura Fyne p.42 p.61 Sound of Islay 50’ Isle y p.40 4. Sound of a l ISLAY of s Jura p.54 I f Bute o West Loch s Tarbert n n p.26 i h R Gigha 40’ p.22 Firth of Clyde Port ARRAN Ellen p.30 Kintyre 2. Southeast Islay and Sound of Islay 0 10 20 30 p.28 30’ Kilbrannan Sound Nautical Miles Campbeltow n p.18 20’ Mull of Kintyre Rathlin I Sanda 1. Mull of Kintyre to Northern West Loch Tarbert Ireland North p.16 Channel 10’ 7˚ 50’ Portrush 30’ 20’ 10’ 6˚ 50’ 40’ 30’ 20’ 10’ 5˚ Contents Preface 2 Introduction 4 General introduction 4 Charts 5 Maps 6 Tides 6 Weather and forecasting 6 Anchorages, mooring and berthing 8 Equipment 11 Chartering and instruction 11 Conservation 11 Services and supplies 12 Communications 12 Travel 12 Emergencies 13 Notes on sailing directions and plans 13 Principal chart symbols 15 1 Mull of Kintyre to West Loch Tarbert 16 2 Southeast Islay and Sound of Islay 28 3 West coasts of Islay and Jura; Colonsay 42 4 Sound of Jura 54 5 Loch Crinan to the Firth of Lorn 70 6 Firth of Lorn 96 7 Loch Etive and Loch Linnhe 114 8 Sound of Mull and Loch Sunart 136 9 West coast of Mull 150 10 Coll and Tiree 172 11 Ross of Mull 180 Appendix 196 Index 206 2. Southeast Islay and Sound of Islay 5 Claggin 10 Bay p.36 Trudernish Point Ardmore Point Eilean a’Chuirn Fl(3)18s 26m8M Ardmore Islands Aird Imersay p.34 p.32 Ardbeg p.30 Lagavulin Port Ellen Laphroaig 10 Carraig Fhada Fl.WRG.3s8/6M 10 Texa BYB N VQ(3)5s (10) 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 Depst inh Metesr Miles 37 Otter Rock Q(6)+LFl.15s SOUTHEAST ISLAY YB Southeast coast of Islay The Ardmore Isles and the passage inshore SThe south east of Islay is rich in history – and of them are designated as a Special Area of Admiralty Chart Conservation (see p.11) 2168 distil leries. Dunyvaig Castle at the entrance to Lagavulin Bay was the headquarters of the There is no published chart of the area at a Admiralty Leisure Folio larger scale than 2168 (1:75,000), but 5611.5 Lords of the Isles after the Norsemen were Imray Chart defeated at the Battle of Largs in 1263, and the Ordnance Survey Explorer map (scale C64 1:25,000) No.352 Islay South provides useful Ordnance Survey finest carved medieval stone cross in Scotland is at Kildalton Chapel, near Port Mor and Glas detail of this part of the coast. However, much 60 of this section of the Islay coast has been Cruising Scotland Uig, north of Ardmore. Antares Charts pp.65, 68-69 The inner passages between Ardmore and recently surveyed by and the Port Ellen have been used by local fishermen use of these will enable more of the coast to be and traders for centuries, but have only been explored than can be described in these Directions brought to the notice of yachtsmen , not to mention the possibility of comparatively recently by Michael Gilkes. taking one or two short cuts. 28 CCC Sailing Directions and Anchorages 2. Southeast Islay and Sound of Islay Tides There are strong tidal streams nearby, in particular at the Oa and the Rhinns of Islay, at the Mull of Kintyre, and in the Sound of Islay. At Otter Rock the streams run east and west. The west-going stream begins about +0530 Oban (HW Dover) and the east- going stream begins about –0110 Oban (+0610 Dover). Off Texa Island, tidal streams split, one stream running towards Ardmore, the other towards Rubha nan Leacan at the southeast point of the Oa beginning at about +0530 Oban (HW Dover), and running from those points towards Texa beginning about –0030 Oban (–0600 Dover). Dangers and marks Dangers and marks related to an extended coastal passage are described in sequence from The Oa to Ardmore. Those related to individual anchorages and inshore passages are described separately. The Oa , the south point of Islay, which rises to 200 metres, has a tall stone monument at Mull Edward Mason of Oa, its southwest point. Otter Rock , with a least depth of 3·7 metres, 3 Ardmore Point is the most easterly point of Islay. The visitors’ pontoons at miles south of Texa, is marked by a south Eilean a’Chuirn, nearly a mile south of Ardmore Port Ellen (p.31) cardinal light buoy. and 5 miles northeast of Texa, is the most Texa Island is 2 miles east of Port Ellen. Tarr easterly of the Ardmore Islands. Eilean a’Chuirn Sgeir, a detached rock 10 metres high, lies 6 light beacon is an inconspicuous tower. cables south of Texa and there are other rocks The Ardmore Islands run northeast from between Tarr Sgeir and Texa. Ceann nan Sgeirean, 1 mile northeast of Aird 3 1 Iomallach , 2·5 metres high, 1 ⁄4 miles ENE of Imersay, for 1 ⁄2 miles, and drying rocks lie up the northeast end of Texa and a mile south of to 3 cables southeast of Ceann nan Sgeirean. Aird Imersay lies at the extremity of an area of rocks south and southwest of Aird Imersay. A detached shoal patch of rock lies southwest of Iomallach and Ruadh Mor, 4 cables southwest Port Ellen from seaward of Iomallach has a depth of only 2·1 metres. (pp.30-31) Martin Lawrence CCC Sailing Directions and Anchorages 29 Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Distillery ISLAY 0 5 Cables 12 Port Ellen 03 10 Radio Masts 5 (103) 10 Marina Q.R RoRo Kilnaughton Bn 2F.G Bay (vert) Q.G G The Ard Eilean nan (5) Caorach .6 (3) 10 Fl.WRG.3s19m8·6M 37 Carraig Fhada LtHo BYB Q(3)10s Sgeir 4 6 Thraghaidh 5 The Big 10 4 4 (09) Wheel Reef 9 58 4 5 34 Q.G 8 G 5 27 R 5 a McFayden’s 2 10 d i 82 Reef o 85 m a st 7 s in l in 7 Am Plodan (1) e 85 6 w i th N 5 L H The Gander (5) 3 1 0 ˚ a p p ro x 7 10 6 VQ(3)5s Otter Gander 26 YBB Dephst in etM esr 34 PORT ELLEN PORT ELLEN Port Ellen conical buoy which should be left to starboard. From the southwest, identify the E cardinal Admiralty Chart This is the main ferry terminal and harbour on Islay. Recently installed berthing facilities have buoy marking the Otter Gander and steer to 2476, 2168 leave this close to port before following the Admiralty Leisure Folio made it a popular alternative to Gigha as an 5611.27B arrival and departure point for Northern transit given above leading to the outer G buoy. Imray Chart Ireland or the Mull of Kintyre. From this buoy steer north until on a line C64 between the lighthouse and the pierhead (the Ordnance Survey Tides inner E cardinal buoy marks a shoal with 3.7m 60 Cruising Scotland Constant –0530 Oban (+0130 Dover) at springs, and –0050 p.68 Oban (+0610 Dover) at neaps. Height in metres N Local boats MHWS MHWN MTL MLWN MLWS only 0·9 0·8 0·6 0·5 0·3 2 Directions 2 The Otter Rock (LD 3.7) S cardinal buoy lies 3 3 G 1 4 ⁄2 miles southeast of the entrance to Port Ellen 6) (200 RoRo 3m and is a good landfall mark if coming from the to G berth ged G red G Mull of Kintyre. D G G Approaching from the east pass south of Tarr 2F.G Drying (vert) moorings Sgeir (10), 6 cables south of Texa and head G towards Carraig Fhada lighthouse. When this is in line with the prominent radio masts on the PORT ELLEN MARINA hill above, bearing 310°, it will lead to a G PORT ELLEN MARINA 30 CCC Sailing Directions and Anchorages 2. Southeast Islay and Sound of Islay Martin Lawrence Port Ellen approach from the southeast over it and yachts can pass either side of it).