Things To Do in Ardnamurchan & Sunart
Tags: Scotland
Ardnamurchan is a beautiful part of Scotland. Unlike other parts, it’s not overly busy, so it remains relatively unspoilt and a perfect place for solitude-seekers. But if you’re planning a trip to this part of Scotland’s wild west coast, which sights should you add to your list? Here’s our recommendations for things to see and do around Ardnamurchan.
I made a short film of my trip to Ardnamurchan and Sunart, featuring many of the places mentioned in this article. I hope you enjoy it and it gives you inspiration for your trip!
About Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan is a wild and utterly remote region of Scotland. Although it’s on the mainland, it’s actually accessed either by ferry, or a very long loop via Fort William. It forms the northern point of the mouth of Loch Sunart, and it looks out to the isles of Muck and Coll.1
Ardnamurchan means “the point/headland of the great seas”.
PICTURE
Channel 4 filmed the reality show ‘Eden’ here in 2016, where contestants were to spend a year getting back to nature, cut off from modern life. But the programme was pulled from TV screens halfway through filming, and nobody told them.
Remoteness and freedom
Ardnamurchan is remote for the UK, so you’ll have to rent a car or bring your own. I rented a small campervan with Goboony – I loved the freedom of not being tied to B&Bs or hotels. It was my first time in a campervan and I really liked it.
I’ll write another article some time, but one of the best things about having a campervan is being able to park up in a lay-by, stick the kettle on, and have a brew. In remote places like this, you can have the entire view to yourself.
In fact, I stopped off for tea breaks so many times that I had to miss out half the things I had planned.
The biggest town is Strontian. It’s got a village shop, a cafe, and a couple of campsites.
MAP TO GO HERE :-)
Ardnamurchan is home to the most westerly point on the entire UK mainland, Ardnamurchan Point. (Yes, surprisingly it’s even further west than Cornwall, but then the UK does look a bit like a ‘leaning man’ on the map.) If you listen to the Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4 you might also recognise the name.
But what does Ardnamurchan hold? Miles of scenery for solitude-seekers, walkers and nature lovers, with windy roads, stunning views and boggy hikes.
If you’re planning a trip to Ardnamurchan, or you just want to know more, scroll down this page and enjoy some recommendations for your trip!
Corran Ferry
Because we all love quirky sea crossings.
If you’re driving to Ardnamurchan in a car from the South (e.g. Glasgow or Edinburgh), you will probably make the journey on the Corran Ferry, which makes the little hop across Loch Linnhe, saving 40 miles of driving.
Loch Linnhe separates the Ardnamurchan, Sunart & Ardgour peninsulas from the rest of the mainland. But helpfully the loch becomes narrow at a point called the Corran Narrows. It’s at this point that the ferry (also called The Corran) skates across the water to ferry cars and passengers to the other side, many times a day.
The Corran Ferry is one of the last ferries in Scotland operating like this – most of the other inconvenient crossings have had bridges built across them – so it’s worth doing. (Although it’s now almost £10 to cross!)
Check out this video from Scotland’s Highland Council about the Corran Ferry:
Ardnamurchan Point and Lighthouse
To see the most famous sight of Ardnamurchan, roll off the ferry and just keep driving to the end of the road. About 2 hours later, you’ll arrive at Ardnamurchan Lighthouse.
At the most westerly point on the British mainland, Ardnamurchan Lighthouse has existed since 1849, guiding ships in from the rough seas.
You can reach the lighthouse at the end of a windy, narrow road; the end of miles of single-track driving. (Although these days, the final stretch of road to the lighthouse has a traffic light – alas, the trappings of modern life!)
The lighthouse itself runs automatically, so you don’t have to worry about disturbing the operator. But during the summer season you can visit the museum and go inside the lighthouse on a guided tour.
If you’re tired from the long drive, you should definitely consider refuelling at ‘The Stables’, the coffee shop next to the Lighthouse. (Tea or coffee with a scone and butter is highly recommended 🍵)
Refuelling very well
Ardnamurchan Point is a good spot for whale-watching, or to watch the sunset, because you get clear, unobstructed views.
But don’t forget, you’re in Scotland! So you need a good weather day first, and in the peak of summer you’ll need to stay very late to catch the sunset. (You’re above 56°N here, so the sun sets around 10:20PM on June 21st.)
Fun fact: People think that Ardnamurchan Point is the most westerly point. It’s not. In fact, it’s the peninsula of Corrachadh Mòr, which is three-quarters of a mile further south. Delight your friends with this fact, and your pronunciation.
More info from westhighlandpeninsulas.com
Sanna Bay
Peaceful. Calm. White sands and cold blue sea. Yaassss! This is Scotland at its best.
A stroll on the beach at Sanna
On a good day, you’ll see across to the Small Isles of Muck, Eigg and Rùm.
Sanna Bay is a short drive from Ardnamurchan Point, so you could do both in the same trip. Bring everything you need for a day trip, because there’s no shop.
There’s a hike to the bay from Portuairk, but it has little space for cars, and there’s a much better car park at Sanna itself. Check out the 4 mile walking circuit around Sanna.
I took a walk along the coastline and found a few small coves where I could hide out, almost undiscovered. 👀
Camas nan Geall
Off the B8007 (the road to everywhere) between Kilchoan and Salen you’ll find 6,000 years of history, barely even signposted.
Watching the sun go down over Camas nan Geall
Camas nan Geall or “bay of the stranger” (or “bay of the promise”, or even “bay of the churches”, depending on how you translate it) is a pick-n-mix of architectural treasures and ruins.
Google Maps sadly just labels it as View Point which is rather rude, because there’s a lot of history here.
Park in the small car park, admire the view of Ben Hiant, and then walk down to see a neolithic chambered cairn, a bronze age standing stone, 18th century graveyard, and ruined farm buildings. Check out the full story from local historians.
There’s also a small beach, with nobody to bother you except the waves and the sheep.
Watching you, watching me
Hiking Ben Hiant
- The flank of a volcano (https://www.wildlochaber.com/geopark-rock-route/9-ben-hiant)
- It’s only 528 metres high
- Quite a short climb, the top appears large and distant, but pretty soon you turn a corner and you’re on top of it.
- https://www.wildlochaber.com/ardnamurchan/walking/ben-hiant
- There is minimal parking
- On a good day you might get some nice views but I mostly did not. :-)
Ardnamurchan Distillery
- At Glenbeg.
- Relatively new distillery
- https://whiskymag.com/story?ardnamurchan-distillery
- The first bottling, “Ardnamurchan 2016 AD” was released in 2016. 2500 bottles sold out overnight.
- The tour wasn’t open when I was there (thanks Covid!) but whisky is available to buy, of course.
- I don’t buy for the future, I buy for now. Cheers.
Ardtoe Beach
Cycling around Laudale Estate
Sunart Camping & Cycles in Strontian village rented me an e-MTB for the day for £50. It’s a little on the pricey side but so worth it! You can explore all the local trails for the day. If you’re staying nearby, they’ll even deliver the MTB to your accommodation.
Ariundle Oakwood
TODO
Kentra Moss
TODO
More things to do
Have a great holiday and enjoy the Ardnamurchan peninsula!
-
The Topographical, Statistical, and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, 1842 ↩