To continue with our island jaunts, today we catch the ferry from Tayinloan on the West Coast of Kintyre over to the small, but exotic island of Gigha. It's a straightforward 20-minute ferry that runs on a very regular basis, best check timetable for seasonal changes. Ferry costs a very reasonable £7.80 for the Campervan and £2.70 for each of us.
The Island itself measures only 7 miles long and 1.5 miles at its widest point. With a population of around 200 people. Because of its location, it benefits from a warm gulf stream that gives Gigha a unique microclimate that can be particularly warm on a good day. It can easily be covered in a day on cycle however to really appreciate each part of the island we are recommended to spend a day in the north and one in the south. Happy to oblige.
We are actually here for dinner you’ll be surprised to hear! We have been told not to miss the famous Boathouse Restaurant. Sitting on the white sandy beach of Ardminish Bay and serving the most incredible fresh West of Scotland seafood it's been regularly recommended by the Michelin Guide and has an amazing reputation.
However, today after we land we venture north in search of the Twin Beaches. No prizes for guessing what the name means. We have two beaches in the north of the island. Bagh Rubha Ruaidh facing North and Bagh na Doirlinne facing south. I could try to pronounce these but both are way beyond my native tongue abilities. Why don't you try? Both have the rugged West Coast of Scotland charm but the South beach, facing the Isle of Jura, has white sands and beautiful clear turquoise water. We had been told to keep an eye out for porpoises and dolphins along with the many seals that regularly visit the island. It is worth noting is it a bit of a muddy trek to reach the signposted beaches but oh so worth the efforts. Having not had enough of beaches we headed further North to PalmTree Beach. Very quiet and again white sands and inviting turquoise waters.
Ready for dinner we headed back to the van for my much-lauded penne amatriciana, wine, music and watching the sunset. My very favourite part of the campervans. Finding a beautiful wee spot and getting all settling down. We always laugh at the size inside the van once the roof is raised and the passenger’s seats turn around. We had a great wee night!
After breakfast in the campervan, we headed South aiming initially for Leim shore, surprise surprise another beautiful beach with great views over to Islay. Feeling refreshed, next up we headed for Achamore Gardens more or less in the middle of the island. The gardens are wonderfully cared for and make for a great wander. In particular, I loved seeing the peacocks just wandering around. Many of the plants and trees you would not expect to see in Scotland.
Now for the main event, The Boathouse Restaurant. Having a restaurant like this is just fantastic for any island community and its turn over of visitors. For example Skye offers so much but some people do travel there specifically for the Three Chimneys . Before we headed over we stopped into the Gigha Hotel for a quick pint and a nosey. It looked like a lovely place to start or end your night and a great beer garden. We are actually disappointed we didn’t come here last night
The Boathouse itself was very busy with tables inside and out full of lively customers creating a fantastic atmosphere. Overlooking a sandy beach I really can’t think of a better spot to sit, eat and watch a sunset. The food itself is impeccable and its tough , very tough to chose. It really was a perfect place to eat and watch the sun come down.
It's been a short trip but one so worth the effort. Yet another part of glorious Argyll that has such beautiful people and excellent food. Way too many people miss out on these wee treasures just sitting off our rugged coastline.
