Holiday apartment on Isle of Gigha – island nature, gardens and dark skies

Isle of Gigha combines sandy beaches, clear turquoise sea and a remarkably dark night sky. Otters hunt along the coast, while the peatlands provide a habitat for wildlife and store carbon. Cultural traces, historic buildings and the plant collections at Achamore are also among the island’s defining features.

Culture

Kilchattan Church was built in the 13th century and dedicated to Saint Cathan. Gigha’s cultural history also includes its language: Gaelic was the first language spoken on the island during much of the 20th century. On the coast, Fisherman's Cave recalls the work of earlier fishermen. They used the cave as shelter during long fishing trips or in bad weather.

In the wider regional surroundings of Isle of Gigha are the ruins of Tangy Loch Castle, Saddell Castle, the ruins of Saddell Abbey and the ruins of Dunyveg Castle.

Achamore House and Achamore Gardens play a special role. The designed landscape of Achamore House includes a remarkable 20th-century garden and a renowned plant collection. Due to the quality and diversity of the plant collection assembled and developed by Sir James Horlick, the garden has outstanding horticultural value. The rare and exotic plant collection at Achamore Gardens was started by Colonel Sir James Horlick in 1944.

Achamore Gardens also have a viewpoint overlooking Islay and Jura on clear days. From the ferry terminal, the gardens are approximately a 20-minute walk along the island’s main road.

Nature

Dun Chibhich stands on a rocky hill and offers wide views in all directions. For observing the night sky, Gigha has a Milky Way-class Dark Sky Discovery Site. Dark Skies Gigha holds a Dark Skies Festival every November. The Dark Sky Theatre on Gigha has an information board about the night sky, benches and brochures on stargazing.

The Sound of Gigha is a classified Special Protection Area. As a protected marine area, the Sound of Gigha offers opportunities for tourism, surfing, kayaking, diving and wildlife watching. This means that the coast combines the area’s special conservation features with various forms of marine exploration.

Activities

The Isle of Gigha Ranger Service offers guided walks every Wednesday from May to September. In addition, the programme includes family-friendly guided walks and events. The seasonal regularity and the explicitly family-friendly dates are two distinct features of the Ranger Service.

Gigha Boats and Activity Centre hires out kayaks, paddleboards, wetsuits and snorkels. Bicycles and e-bikes can also be hired there. The Centre is only a short walk from the ferry terminal.

Surroundings

Isle of Gigha is an island in the nearby area. The islands of Creag Bhan, Eilean nan Ron and Eilean na Croise are also in the nearby surroundings of Isle of Gigha. Thus, the immediate surroundings include several named islands, while the historic sites of Tangy Loch Castle, Saddell Castle, Saddell Abbey and Dunyveg Castle lie in the wider regional surroundings.

Other places

Other places in the same area: Tighnabrauaich, Lochgilphead, Arrochar, Ardfern, Saint Catherines, Garelochhead, Dalavich, Lerags.

For the higher-level travel overview: Argyll And Bute.