Sgeir Liath

Island in Argyllshire

Scotland

Sgeir Liath

TÃ²rr MÃ²r quarry pier from Bull Hole Bull Hole is a sheltered channel between Eilean nam Ban and the Ross of Mull, which forms a convenient anchorage for any vessel with a shallow enough draft. This includes the Iona ferry, which beds down tied to the island each night. The pier and buildings here are associated with the granite quarry at Tòrr Mòr and the jetty would have provided a secure place to tie up boats exporting the product elsewhere, out of the swiftly flowing tide in the Hole itself. It&#039;s looking a bit decrepit now, however, and what boats are here are pulled up safely on the grass above the beach. — TÃ²rr MÃ²r quarry pier from Bull Hole Credit: Andy Waddington

Sgeir Liath is a small, uninhabited island located off the coast of Argyllshire, Scotland. The name "Sgeir Liath" translates to "grey skerry" in Gaelic, which accurately describes the rocky terrain of the island. The island is characterized by its rugged coastline, with cliffs rising dramatically from the sea.

Sgeir Liath is a popular destination for birdwatchers, as the island is home to a variety of seabirds including puffins, razorbills, and guillemots. The surrounding waters are also teeming with marine life, making it an ideal spot for fishing and diving.

Visitors to Sgeir Liath can explore the island's rocky shores and tidal pools, and may even catch a glimpse of seals or dolphins in the waters surrounding the island. The island is accessible by boat, with several tour operators offering trips to Sgeir Liath from nearby towns such as Oban.

Overall, Sgeir Liath is a picturesque and peaceful island, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle of mainland Scotland.

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Sgeir Liath Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 56.344093/-6.3597778 or Grid Reference NM3025. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

TÃ²rr MÃ²r quarry pier from Bull Hole

Bull Hole is a sheltered channel between Eilean nam Ban and the Ross of Mull, which forms a convenient anchorage for any vessel with a shallow enough draft. This includes the Iona ferry, which beds down tied to the island each night. The pier and buildings here are associated with the granite quarry at Tòrr Mòr and the jetty would have provided a secure place to tie up boats exporting the product elsewhere, out of the swiftly flowing tide in the Hole itself. It's looking a bit decrepit now, however, and what boats are here are pulled up safely on the grass above the beach.

Andy Waddington

Eilean Dubh na Ciste

Eilean Dubh na Ciste is a rocky skerry at the NNE end of Bull Hole, a narrow channel and anchorage between Iona and the Ross of Mull. Its advantage from my perspective is that the two main rocks are linked by a small sandy tombolo beach which provides a convenient place to land a sea kayak and wander around getting the best views. This view looks northwards to more skerries outside Kinta harbour, where the water is a lot calmer than on my last visit NM3125 : Paddling into the sun - Eilean Corrach.

Andy Waddington

Landing on Eilean Dubh na Ciste

Eilean Dubh na Ciste is a rocky skerry at the NNE end of Bull Hole, a narrow channel and anchorage between Iona and the Ross of Mull. Its advantage from my perspective is that the two main rocks are linked by a small sandy tombolo beach which provides a convenient place to land a sea kayak and wander around getting the best views. This is the full extent of the beach - my back is almost against the rocks looking over my landing spot towards the bay south of Kintra.

Andy Waddington

Sand on Eilean Dubh na Ciste

Eilean Dubh na Ciste is a rocky skerry at the NNE end of Bull Hole, a narrow channel and anchorage between Iona and the Ross of Mull. Its advantage from my perspective is that the two main rocks are linked by a small sandy tombolo beach which provides a convenient place to land a sea kayak and wander around getting the best views. These are the rocks on the eastern edge of the beach, beyond which lie the shallow bays and rocky coast hiding the settlement of Kintra.

Andy Waddington

Rock-hopping towards Rubh na Cearc, Ross of Mull

Like most sea kayaking trips, we'd chosen our time of day to get the tides working for us - soon after this shot was taken, the ebb tide was whisking us south down the Sound of Iona with very little effort on our part. That meant that we were passing Rubha na Cearc close to the top of the tide (and getting towards evening). These skerries look a lot bigger on the map and on aerial photos which are mostly shot near low tide. Even with this much water covering them, the small swell was causing the occasional breaking wave, one of which had just knocked Pete somewhat off-course, needing a swift reactive steering stroke to avoid the biggest barnacle-encrusted bit of granite.

Andy Waddington