Loch Sween & The Sound of Jura

[rob1990]

I am new to RIBnet and this is my first post so hopefully this post is in the correct place and I am asking the right questions.

We are heading to Loch Sween in August for a week and I want to take our 6.5m RIB to use on Loch Sween and The Sound of Jura. Has anyone been to this neck of the woods before and have any useful information they can pass on?

Ideally we would use the RIB to get to quiet beaches further from public highway with the kids. We would also head toward Isle of Gigha for lunch etc.

Any information / opinions anyone has would be welcome.

Thanks

Rob

[Fenlander]

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum. I don't normally step into the RIB threads being a mere sibber but a couple of our best holidays have been in that area. Where are you staying/launching?

See this thread for some SIB sized ideas but of course you will be able to range much further and faster.

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/an-aer...6-a-73370.html

The two main beaches in Loch Sween are at Castle Sween (cafe and people) and Kilmory Bay (no facilities and medium people). I like the beach in the next loch south, Loch Caolisport (no road access so rarely any people). It's just round from the entrance north of the thin small island shown on charts as Liath Eilean

Beware the rock right in the middle of Sween and about halfway up, marked on the charts but hard to see at times. Also if going round from Sween to Caolisport some nasty barely awash rocks off the point in the area called Bow of Knap, I've come close to losing a keg on Flat Rock in that area just off Kilmory. Again it's on the chart but hard to see.

Several other members with both RIBs and SIBs are familiar with the area so you should get a spread of ideas.

David

[beamishken]

My pal runs a skate charter out of Tayvallich in loch sween there is a slip there I'm sure he would give you some local tips if you contact him. Well worth a skate trip if your in the area nothing like hauling a 200lb skate up from 200m
We've been in the area several times too plenty to do within striking distance, Islay, Jura, Easdale & Corryvrecan to name just a few . Probably more places to go & see than you'll have time for.
https://www.facebook.com/42241850809...FbMN1EhUKEVal/

[Fenlander]

>>I've come close to losing a keg on Flat Rock

Damn autocorrect on a new computer not got used to yet. Skeg obviously... I only ever carry a couple of tins never a whole keg.

[Pipster100]

Hi Rob,
I have very fond memories of Loch Sween, started my boating addiction there in late 70's all the way through to the late 90's. As a very young boy in a Mirror dinghy with a mariner 2Hp had amazing times. Back then, if you had more than 10 other people on Kilmory beach it was considered busy!! We ended up buying a Zodiac MKII Futura Sport with a 30Hp on the back, after the Mirror it felt like I was breaking the water speed record!! Now I live in Cornwall I don't get up there any more and has been at least 20 years since I was on the water up there. There was always RIBs at Castle Sween caravan site, the slip wasn't the best back then but I'm sure will have been improved, as has been posted, I do know there's a slipway at Tayvallich. Anyway, I've waffled on long enough about old times. Be good to hear how you get on, I might even be tempted to tow my RIB up to relive some old times

[jeffstevens763@g]

Done this so many times tayvalich slip is great with pontoons to leave on overnight last time I was there it was £5/night well worth it that’s the one next to the cafe, good food too,going back inland on the loch is a must high water best or rising tide set a shallow alarm and keep an eye overboard vis is mostly good to see any obstructions, old oak Forrest’s on the shores, after that go down the loch its about 12 mile long ish usually calm enough for a rib, from then on sky is the limit get the chart out have a look restaurant in the village plus a camp site. Enjoy and welcome.

[rob1990]

Hi All,
Many thanks for the information we are staying very close to Kilmory Beach and hoping to launch on the East side of the Loch as Tayvallich is a 40 min drive without a trailer and not something we would want to do morning and evening. If weather ok ideally I would like to anchor her off Kilmory Beach but could be rather exposed if weather turns.
We would we towing her up from Dorset so a long haul, I would be happy to hire/charter a boat up there but can't find anyone doing this. Unless anyone knows different?

[Poly]

[QUOTE=rob1990;855431]Hi All,
Many thanks for the information we are staying very close to Kilmory Beach and hoping to launch on the East side of the Loch as Tayvallich is a 40 min drive without a trailer and not something we would want to do morning and evening.

We would we towing her up from Dorset so a long haul, I would be happy to hire/charter a boat up there but can't find anyone doing this. Unless anyone knows different?

You'll not find bareboat rib charter on the west of Scotland at sensible prices. Boats operating in that area would need too much equipment (so become large) and have too short a season to make it really economical. Add to that the difficulties in getting charter quantities of petrol and it would be a real headache. There were some serious bare boat operations from Croabh haven and Largs but I think both have stopped doing bareboat and were seriously expensive (7 and 11m ribs if I recall!). There are/were a couple of places renting small motorboats in Scotland - none close to Loch Sween though, and probably not even getting on the plane.

If weather ok ideally I would like to anchor her off Kilmory Beach but could be rather exposed if weather turns.

There's moorings off Castle Sween - not sure if there are any visitor moorings there. There's a sheltered anchorage at achnamara where you should find enough depth for a rib. Again there's moorings there - not sure if any are for visitors? There's a slipway about halfway between Castle Sween and Achnamara but I've never worked out who owns in - I assume the estate?

If you do decide you need to drive to Tayviallach each day to launch / recover then be aware there's a bit of a parking issue in the village so you may find its better to leave the boat on the pontoon and pay the fee rather than launch/recover each day and have to tow up/down the single track round as well as find parking for the trailer.

[Fenlander]

The east side does present some challenges for using a boat. I don't think there is a launch point anywhere near Kilmory and having visited the beach at Kilmory several times over many years would not want a boat moored off there or anywhere nearby... too exposed.

As Poly says it is nice any sheltered at the top of the loch at Achnamara which is still on the right side for you and you could enquire re a mooring there. What looks like a slipway on the Google maps up there is more like a small old pier head with a fair drop off at the end. You can put a SIB in next to it but not a RIB. But if you were mooring at Achnamara it would be worth the launch/retrieve at Tayvallich either end of the holiday.

I could bear the 20min run up the side of the loch from Kilmory to Achnamara to use the boat but the near hour long run all the way round to Tayvallich on a bad day meeting traffic on those slow roads would put you off using the RIB.

However if I were staying near Kilmory my first enquiry would be of the Ellary estate office who run the Castle Sween site and own most of the land across to Loch Caolisport. I've always found the owners, the Rogers family, and their staff very helpful if you ask respectfully. They are a business after all and for a price may well allow you to launch and moor at Castle Sween bay also leaving the trailer there perhaps.

The 10min run from Kilmory to Castle Sween would be an easy run.

The estate office is on 01880 770232 or email info@ellary.com.

[beerbelly]

if your planning lunch at the boathouse on gigha phone ahead well in advance as its always fully booked

[rob1990]

Originally Posted by beerbelly

if your planning lunch at the boathouse on gigha phone ahead well in advance as its always fully booked

Already booked in! Thanks for the advice.

[rob1990]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

The east side does present some challenges for using a boat. I don't think there is a launch point anywhere near Kilmory and having visited the beach at Kilmory several times over many years would not want a boat moored off there or anywhere nearby... too exposed.

As Poly says it is nice any sheltered at the top of the loch at Achnamara which is still on the right side for you and you could enquire re a mooring there. What looks like a slipway on the Google maps up there is more like a small old pier head with a fair drop off at the end. You can put a SIB in next to it but not a RIB. But if you were mooring at Achnamara it would be worth the launch/retrieve at Tayvallich either end of the holiday.

I could bear the 20min run up the side of the loch from Kilmory to Achnamara to use the boat but the near hour long run all the way round to Tayvallich on a bad day meeting traffic on those slow roads would put you off using the RIB.

However if I were staying near Kilmory my first enquiry would be of the Ellary estate office who run the Castle Sween site and own most of the land across to Loch Caolisport. I've always found the owners, the Rogers family, and their staff very helpful if you ask respectfully. They are a business after all and for a price may well allow you to launch and moor at Castle Sween bay also leaving the trailer there perhaps.

The 10min run from Kilmory to Castle Sween would be an easy run.

The estate office is on 01880 770232 or email info@ellary.com.

Very useful I will give them a try [emoji106]