Glorious Gigha a place of timeless harmony, right on your doorstep
You don’t have to travel thousands of miles to find crystal clear ocean waves lapping softly onto pristine white sandy beaches.
Fortunately, the West Coast of Kintyre is an island paradise with all this and more just a 20 minute ferry crossing to the Isle of Gigha, often referred to as ‘God’s Island.’
After a gentle sail across from the village of Tayinloan, with CalMac and their friendly staff, the idyllic and peaceful shores of Gigha awaits you. From the minute you step off the ferry, especially on a warm summer’s day, you might just think you are in a tropical oasis.
Head south around Ardminish Bay to the Boathouse; the Michelin-recommended and multi award-winning restaurant. The quaint building sits in front of a beautiful white sandy bay with outside decking and serves simply delicious fresh local food - a heavenly dining experience.
The Boathouse campsite sits alongside the restaurant which is an idyllic spot to enjoy the peacefulness of the island with all the necessary amenities on site.
Carrying on up the main road on Gigha brings you to Ardminish Stores, the only shop on the island which stocks a variety of hyper-local produce as well as more exotic and eccentric supplies. This is the only place on the island where you can buy smoked Gigha Halibut, a true delicacy, which recently scooped the Golden Fork Award for the Best Scottish Product of the Year.
Directly across from the shop you will find the Gigha Church and the Manse Bible Garden, where visitors are more than welcome.
It is impossible to walk or cycle around the island without bumping into one of its many characters, including the personable John Martin, a joiner who moved to the island in 1971 after falling in love with it and his future wife, and has never once wished to move away.
John and several other locals are always happy to stop to tell visitors the incredible history of the island, which became community owned after a buyout in 2002.
John says: ‘We now have a say in our future, we are all working together and as a team and it is totally democratic. I am delighted to be alive to witness what is happening here right now.’
The Gigha Hotel sits around the corner from the shop and is the island’s main accommodation hub. Having recently re-opened last year thanks to the loving care of Leicestershire man Ken and his wife Angela, the hotel is now thriving again with self-catering cottages, a bar and a new bistro cafe.
Ken says: ‘We are ideal for mini-breaks, because Gigha is an island that you need to stay on, you cannot see everything it has to offer in just one day.’ The hotel serves as a great place to hold an event, such as a wedding, with a wonderful garden which is the perfect spot to enjoy in the summer months.
Next to the hotel lies Gigha Gallery, run by art aficionado Henri Macaulay, who last year celebrated her tenth anniversary and her 50th exhibition on the island.
The gallery is a beautiful open space, with excellent exhibitions adorning the walls with views across the bay onto the sailing boats moored at the pontoon.
Henri says: ‘Art should be uplifting, so I choose to have exhibits here which have that effect on visitors. We have a lot of events here: Gaelic weekends, film nights, music sessions, ceilidhs. It’s a wonderful space where art is really important.’
The gallery sits next to a craft shop, which sells a wide variety of all-natural and Gigha-produced skincare and beauty products, along with a number of other arty items produced by the local people of Gigha. Everything from homemade preserves to knitted cardigans. The Pottery Tearoom, serves tea, coffee and a delightful array of home baking. The cafe is run by Henri and her daughter, a local lass and successful musician Catriona Rose.
As usual to coincide with the music festival on June 30 and July 1 Henri has a new show opening which features modern, quirky and serene musical art from Jo Powell who specialises in pictures of musicians.
In addition Henri has run a series of Gaelic weekends over the winter and is about to run her first ever totally immersive course.
Henri said: ‘After four or five days only using Gaelic there is a click into thinking in the language.
‘To gain fluency you need to switch your brain off completely from English and only use Gaelic.
‘Our total immersion course from July 10 to 15 is fully booked with 20 people due to attend.
‘Tutors include Mary Ann Kennedy from Tiree and the voice coach from the Amazon prime series Outlander.’
The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust is also alongside the Gallery, whose doors are always open to help shed light on the island and its history.
Jacqui Smith, administration assistant, explains: ‘We recently improved the pontoon to increase the yacht capacity, as well as making it a safer and more welcoming environment.
‘We have a number of self-catering cottages, many of which look onto beaches, and there really is something for everyone looking for a quiet, tranquil getaway.
‘The community takeover really encapsulates the spirit of Gigha - there is teamwork across all businesses and across our wee society. Everyone looks after everyone else.’
Heading towards the south of the island do not forget to buy a wee bag of homemade Gigha tablet which sits on a stall on the single track road, a true delight.
As you carry on towards the south of the island you reach the world-renowned Achamore Gardens, known as the ‘jewel in the crown’ offers a sensory experience with a wonderful walk through rare rhododendrons before reaching the two acre walled garden and a breathtaking viewpoint across to the Isles of Islay and Jura.
Tasty Wee Isle dairy ice-cream is available at the stunning Achamore House, which sits in the centre of the gardens - a real treat for your walk around the gardens.
One of the most unique tastes, in Scottish dairy ice cream, is Wee Isle’s bramble and whisky flavour developed from a jar of Emma Rennie’s home made bramble jam.
Last year Emma and her husband, Don Dennis, invested in more than £180,000 of dairy equipment including a pasteuriser and began making six flavours of artisan ice cream in- cluding: chocolate, mocha, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry and the bramble and whisky.
It is available at Gigha hotel, the Boathouse restaurant and Ardminish stores.
In addition the pair have this year added whole milk to the dairy’s offer. A visit to Gigha gives a great chance to taste milk as it used to be just minutes from the cows.
Not far from the gardens, down a track road, look out for the sign posts for ‘The Wee Gift Shed.’ It is exactly what it says on the tin: a wee shed full of beautiful and unusual handmade gifts, an absolute must see.
Heading back towards the north end of the island, you will come across Gigha Golf Course: a nine-hole course with some testing par 3’s and 4’s. £15 will see you have as many
rounds as you like.
Up past the golf club, you will find Drumeonbeg B&B. Run by the MacNeills, who have been part of Gigha’s history for over 1000 years, you will experience a truly delightful stay with breathtaking views over the golf course to the mainland. Breakfast in this B&B is one for the stars. Alistair says: ‘It is the most important meal of the day so we pride ourselves on the breakfast we serve. You won’t need lunch after your breakfast at Drumeonbeg.’
As you continue up the north end of the island, the iconic white sandy twin beaches which makes the perfect picnic stop.
There is a depth of history and heritage to Gigha, from standing stones and archaeological sites to chapel ruins and shipwrecks, not to mention the abundance of wildlife.
Seven miles long and one mile wide, Gigha serves as a great getaway for those who love to walk and explore. There are 12 designated off-road walks, with some covering a range of terrain; sandy beaches, rocky shores, bramble covered hillsides and woodland. Walk highlights include the Spouting Cave, ancient standing stones, sheltered beaches, the Fisherman’s Cave and many more.
The Isle of Gigha music festival, the biggest event on the island’s calendar, is set to rock on June 30 and July 1.
The headliners often swap Gigha for Glastonbury when the event is over, and regularly play Celtic Connections, and this year’s Friday night headliners, Tide Lines and Elephant Sessions, already get rave reviews for their live shows.
Saturday night hosts festival favourite, Fred Morrison, who will open the double header concert sets with Sharon Shannon, one of Ireland’s best musicians, who is set to shine with her sparkling and lively show.
So take a long weekend, book yourself into some of Gigha’s wonderful accommodation, be it a B&B, the hotel, the yurt or the campsite, and enjoy a few days break on this wonderful, peaceful, safe and welcoming little island. It is the perfect getaway for an individual, couple, family, wildlife enthusiasts, art enthusiasts, walkers and cyclists.
In one way or another, whether it is the beautiful beaches, the stunning food, the crystal clear waters or the history and heritage, this island will take your breath away, and for that reason alone, it is absolutely worth a visit. How lucky we are that it is right on our doorstep?