SCOTLAND
10. Kerrera, Inner Hebrides
Distance: 6.6 miles/10.6km | Time: 4-5 hours | Grade: Moderate | Ascent: 380m
Islands always have a magical pull, and Kerrera, nestled in Oban Bay, can prove intoxicating. Just four miles long, with a population of some 70 souls, this is indeed a tranquil haven. And if you have never swum in a narrow bay fit for a Highland chief, this is your chance.
You can reach this idyllic spot – with views to Jura, beneath a ruined castle, and handily beside the excellent Kerrera Tea Garden – on an easy walk from the island’s eastcoast slipway. More rugged country is traversed, with everchanging views of the Firth of Lorn, to complete the circuit.
1 START
Catch the ferry to Kerrera from Gallanach slipway a few miles south of Oban. From the island slipway, follow the old drove road left alongside The Horse Shoe bay. The island exploration gets underway as you head south by the Sound of Kerrera on a level vehicle track.
2 0.6 MILES
Keep left at a fork to reach The Little Horse Shoe bay, complete with picturesque wreck. As you walk up a small hill, you can see the remains of an Iron Age fort on a rocky hillock at the far end of the bay. Further on, at a second fork by a house, keep on the main track to veer right uphill. You may hear greylag and Canada geese. The road hesitates briefly before a descent to the sparkling sea, where it levels out beside the Kerrera Tea Garden and Bunkhouse at Lower Gylen. This can be a real suntrap, where you can relax with birdsong in your ears.
3 2.1 MILES
From the tea garden, follow the burn down to the sea at Port a’ Chaisteil. The narrow, seaweed-filled bay is a popular swimming spot, where you can enjoy wonderful views out to the islands of Seil, Colonsay, Scarba and Jura. Seals may keep you company! Over the hill on your left, on its dramatic rocky perch, stand the ruins of 16th-century Gylen Castle, formerly a MacDougall stronghold. Enjoy tea and cake before continuing on the track. After following the shore, where otters are often seen, the track swings inland and uphill past a house, Ardmore, on the right.
4 3.6 MILES
From Ardmore, a path ascends steeply through ferns. Walk on to enjoy excellent views of the long island of Lismore and the Firth of Lorn.
5 4.6 MILES
Once level with Barr-nam-boc Bay, a landrover track climbs sharply by a farmhouse. From the crest, it’s downhill all the way back to the slipway, with ice cream en route from the Balliemore Farm shop.
USEFUL INFO
Starting point
Buy ferry tickets on board the CalMac boat (calmac.co.uk) from Gallanach Slipway (PA34 4QH, free car park). The slipway is served by bus number 417 (limited service) from Oban bus station.
Terrain
Hilly, circular walk mostly on tracks. Some boggy path sections.
Map
OS Explorer 359
Swim
Wade into the narrow bay at Port a’ Chaisteil to enjoy this popular swimming spot. Exercise caution if the sea is rough.