Mid Argyll recommendations
Food scene
Wonderful community-owned café and shop. Enjoy home-made meals and cakes looking straight over the bay. The shop is not huge but has most things you might run out of. Sells creamy milk from the island of Gigha - in proper bottles!
8 locals recommend
Tayvallich Café and General Store
Wonderful community-owned café and shop. Enjoy home-made meals and cakes looking straight over the bay. The shop is not huge but has most things you might run out of. Sells creamy milk from the island of Gigha - in proper bottles!
The Tavyallich "local" which also happens to have a fine seafood restaurant featuring locally caught fish. The hand-dived local scallops are a speciality.
14 locals recommend
The Tayvallich Inn
The Tavyallich "local" which also happens to have a fine seafood restaurant featuring locally caught fish. The hand-dived local scallops are a speciality.
Deservedly popular small cafe with great soups, sandwiches and delicious home made cakes and desserts.
Cafe 35
Deservedly popular small cafe with great soups, sandwiches and delicious home made cakes and desserts.
Tucked down a tiny backstreet in the centre of Lochgilphead. Charming old stone building, delicious home made meals and snacks. Vegetarian/ vegan friendly.
7 locals recommend
The Smiddy Bistro
Tucked down a tiny backstreet in the centre of Lochgilphead. Charming old stone building, delicious home made meals and snacks. Vegetarian/ vegan friendly.
Recent guests have told us this is a lovely restaurant with delicious food - we are planning to try it out for ourselves soon!
15 locals recommend
Starfish Tarbert Restaurant & Gallery
Castle StreetRecent guests have told us this is a lovely restaurant with delicious food - we are planning to try it out for ourselves soon!
Sightseeing
A five minute walk from Keillbeg Byre. Beautifully restored, now houses ancient and intriguing carved grave stones as well as the Keills cross.
Keills Chapel
A five minute walk from Keillbeg Byre. Beautifully restored, now houses ancient and intriguing carved grave stones as well as the Keills cross.
Unfortunately this lovely museum is closed for refurbishment, but you can still walk through the Kilmartin glen with its ancient burial cist mounds and stone circles. https://www.kilmartin.org/
47 locals recommend
Kilmartin Museum
Unfortunately this lovely museum is closed for refurbishment, but you can still walk through the Kilmartin glen with its ancient burial cist mounds and stone circles. https://www.kilmartin.org/
Internationally renowned as seat of power of the Gaelic kings of Dál Riata, from about AD 500 to AD 800. Dunadd is one of the few places referenced in early histories of Scotland, first mentioned in AD 683. Little remains of the old fortifications but the walk to the top of the hill gives spectacular views across the Moine Mhor or Great Moss and the winding River Add towards the sea.
17 locals recommend
Dunadd Fort
A816 Internationally renowned as seat of power of the Gaelic kings of Dál Riata, from about AD 500 to AD 800. Dunadd is one of the few places referenced in early histories of Scotland, first mentioned in AD 683. Little remains of the old fortifications but the walk to the top of the hill gives spectacular views across the Moine Mhor or Great Moss and the winding River Add towards the sea.
Take a day trip on foot or with your bikes to the isle ofJura direct from Tayvallich bay. https://jurapassengerferry.com/
Jura Passenger Ferry
Take a day trip on foot or with your bikes to the isle ofJura direct from Tayvallich bay. https://jurapassengerferry.com/
An hour's drive back towards Glasgow but great for a rainy day. Best to visit their website for opening times before you head out. Has lovely gardens and grounds too.
95 locals recommend
Inveraray Castle
An hour's drive back towards Glasgow but great for a rainy day. Best to visit their website for opening times before you head out. Has lovely gardens and grounds too.
Outings and nature
Ancient oak forest - part of what is called Scotland’s rainforest, also known as Atlantic woodland. The trees are festooned with lichens and ferns, and the ground carpeted with thick cushions of moss. Follow the steep winding steps to the top of the hill for beautiful views over Tayvallich and the surrounding hills and lochs, or take the easier walk to the historic remains of Taynish Mill and the rocky beach beyond.
Taynish National Nature Reserve
Ancient oak forest - part of what is called Scotland’s rainforest, also known as Atlantic woodland. The trees are festooned with lichens and ferns, and the ground carpeted with thick cushions of moss. Follow the steep winding steps to the top of the hill for beautiful views over Tayvallich and the surrounding hills and lochs, or take the easier walk to the historic remains of Taynish Mill and the rocky beach beyond.
There's nowhere better to learn all about the area's abundant and special wildlife than the Wildlife Centre, an independent charitable organisation run by part-time staff and volunteers. Please leave a donation to enable their great work to continue. https://www.argyllbeavercentre.co.uk/
Barrandaimh: Argyll Beaver & Wildlife Visitor Centre
There's nowhere better to learn all about the area's abundant and special wildlife than the Wildlife Centre, an independent charitable organisation run by part-time staff and volunteers. Please leave a donation to enable their great work to continue. https://www.argyllbeavercentre.co.uk/
A lovely place for a walk - enjoy the passing boats, views and beautiful wildflowers along the banks. You can stop for a cuppa at the cafe at the Crinan Canal basin.
32 locals recommend
Crinan Canal
A lovely place for a walk - enjoy the passing boats, views and beautiful wildflowers along the banks. You can stop for a cuppa at the cafe at the Crinan Canal basin.
Go to places and see things you just can't by foot or by car - the (in)famous Corryvreckan whirlpool, views of the islands, seabirds and seals galore and probably your best chance of spotting eagles, dolphins, porpoises and maybe even whales.
8 locals recommend
Venture-West Boat Charters
Go to places and see things you just can't by foot or by car - the (in)famous Corryvreckan whirlpool, views of the islands, seabirds and seals galore and probably your best chance of spotting eagles, dolphins, porpoises and maybe even whales.
At low tide, the beach at Crinan Ferry is a huge expanse of sand bars and pools, with views towards mysterious Dunadd Castle and out to the islands. Crinan Ferry is a small hamlet across the River Add from the village of Crinan, accessed by a single-track road across the Moine Mhor. Not a touristy place - no public wc or anywhere to buy food or drink so please go slow, take all you need with you and leave nothing behind except... footprints of course.
Crinan Ferry
At low tide, the beach at Crinan Ferry is a huge expanse of sand bars and pools, with views towards mysterious Dunadd Castle and out to the islands. Crinan Ferry is a small hamlet across the River Add from the village of Crinan, accessed by a single-track road across the Moine Mhor. Not a touristy place - no public wc or anywhere to buy food or drink so please go slow, take all you need with you and leave nothing behind except... footprints of course.
Carsaig Bay
Our local beach - lots of sand at low tide, shingle and rockpools at high tide.
Moine Mhor means "Great Moss" in gaelic. This is an internationally important area of peatland "raised bog" - valuable for its special species and as for storing carbon and so helping to counter climate change. A wonderful way to appreciate it is to drive along the B8025 (turn north over the narrow bridge across the canal at Bellanoch). There is a carpark and board walk out on to the bog a mile or so along this road. Or you can view it and the winding River Add that dissects it from Dunadd hill.
Moine Mhor National Nature Reserve
1 B8025Moine Mhor means "Great Moss" in gaelic. This is an internationally important area of peatland "raised bog" - valuable for its special species and as for storing carbon and so helping to counter climate change. A wonderful way to appreciate it is to drive along the B8025 (turn north over the narrow bridge across the canal at Bellanoch). There is a carpark and board walk out on to the bog a mile or so along this road. Or you can view it and the winding River Add that dissects it from Dunadd hill.
Hire a kayak or paddleboard from Argyll Kayaks, a small and friendly company based in the village.
Kayak Hire
Hire a kayak or paddleboard from Argyll Kayaks, a small and friendly company based in the village.
City/town information
Very pretty small town with lots of little shops, cafes and art galleries. Great for a rainy day. Complete with romantic ruinous medieval castle. http://www.tarbertlochfyne.com/history/tarbertroyalcastle.php
22 locals recommend
Tarbert
Very pretty small town with lots of little shops, cafes and art galleries. Great for a rainy day. Complete with romantic ruinous medieval castle. http://www.tarbertlochfyne.com/history/tarbertroyalcastle.php
An hour and a half north up a very scenic but very wiggly road (travel-sickness pills may be a worthwhile pre-purchase). Big Calmac ferries come and go to the islands, there's fresh lobster and crab to takeaway at stalls on the ferry pier, a good range of shops, and, yes, a distillery.
124 locals recommend
Oban
An hour and a half north up a very scenic but very wiggly road (travel-sickness pills may be a worthwhile pre-purchase). Big Calmac ferries come and go to the islands, there's fresh lobster and crab to takeaway at stalls on the ferry pier, a good range of shops, and, yes, a distillery.
Our local centre for shopping and most other necessities - the Coop supermarket, petrol stations, pharmacies, hardware stores, hospital/ gp/ dentist, plenty of nice gift shops, some great little cafes and takeaways ... just don't try and get an evening meal. Bizarrely, the tourist office (independently run) is at the back of the Argyll Book shop on Lorne Street.
12 locals recommend
Lochgilphead
Our local centre for shopping and most other necessities - the Coop supermarket, petrol stations, pharmacies, hardware stores, hospital/ gp/ dentist, plenty of nice gift shops, some great little cafes and takeaways ... just don't try and get an evening meal. Bizarrely, the tourist office (independently run) is at the back of the Argyll Book shop on Lorne Street.