Frommer's Scotland 8th Edition - To Parent Directory

222CHAPTER 7 . ARGYLL & THE SOUTHERN HEBRIDESyear-round, daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is £2 ($3.20). For informationabout the gardens, call the Gigha Hotel (see below).The island has a rich Viking past (the Vikings stored their loot here afterplundering the west coast of Scotland), and cairns and ruins still remain. CreagBhan, the highest hill, rises more than 100m (330 ft.). From the top you canlook out onto the islands of Islay and Jura as well as Kintyre; on a clear day, youcan also see Ireland. The Ogham Stone is one of only two standing stones in theHebrides that bears an Ogham inscription, a form of script used in the Scottishkingdom of Dalriada. High on a ridge overlooking the village of Ardminish arethe ruins of the Church of Kilchattan, dating back to the 13th century.WHERE TO STAY & DINEGigha Hotel Standing in a lonely, windswept location, this hotel lies a5-minute walk from the island’s ferry landing. Built in the 1700s as a farmhouse,it contains Gigha’s only pub, one of its two restaurants, and its only accommodationsexcept for some cottages. Each small but cozy room contains a showeronlybathroom. Rather expensive fixed-price dinners are served daily to bothguests and nonguests; bar lunches are more affordable.Ardminish, Isle of Gigha PA41 7AA.& 01583/505-254. Fax 01583/505-244. www.isle-of-gigha.co.uk/hotel.13 units, 11 with private bathroom. £79 ($126) double with shared facilities; £130 ($195) with private bathroom.Rates include half-board. MC, V. Closed Dec 24–26. Dogs accepted. Amenities: Restaurant; bar. Inroom: TV, coffeemaker, hair dryer.4 The Isle of Islay: Queen of the Hebrides 26km (16 miles) W of the Kintyre Peninsula, 1km ( 3 ⁄4 mile) SW of JuraIslay (pronounced eye-lay) is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, separatedonly by a narrow sound from Jura. At its maximum, Islay is only 32km(20 miles) wide and 40km (25 miles) long. Called the “Queen of the Hebrides,”it’s a peaceful and unspoiled island of moors, salmon-filled lochs, sandy bays,and wild rocky cliffs—an island of great beauty, ideal for long walks.ESSENTIALSGETTING THERE MacBrayne steamers provide daily service to Islay. Youleave West Tarbert on the Kintyre Peninsula, arriving in Port Askaig on Islay inabout 2 hours. There’s also service to Port Ellen. For information about ferrydepartures, check with Caledonian MacBrayne (& 01880/730-253) at the ferryterminal in Gourock.VISITOR INFORMATION The tourist office is at Bowmore, The Square(& 01496/810-254). May to September, it’s open Monday to Saturday 9:30amto 5pm and Sunday 2 to 5pm; October to April, hours are Monday to Fridaynoon to 4pm.EXPLORING THE ISLANDNear Port Charlotte are the graves of the U.S. seamen and army troops who losttheir lives in 1918 when their carriers, the Tuscania and the Otranto, were torpedoedoff the shores of Islay. There’s a memorial tower on the Mull of Oa,13km (8 miles) from Port Ellen. For the greatest walk on the island, go alongMull of Oa Road heading toward the signposted solar-powered Carraig Fhadalighthouse, some 2.5km (1 1 ⁄2 miles) away. The Oa peninsula was once the hauntof illicit whisky distillers and smugglers; the area is filled with sheer cliffs riddledwith caves.