Now here is a unique anchorage, once you can understand the Sailing Directions and get through between the two beacons without touching something. If you do have a wee bump, be reassured that you are not the only one — I am another! The anchorage itself is a delightful pool with terns on the rocky islets, views out to the Mull of Kintyre and Ireland, all much enhanced by the white-painted distillery and the decaying castle. To me it will always be the anchorage of my son Oli's boxer shorts which must translate into something nice-sounding in Gaelic. The boy carelessly dropped the dinghy painter from the yacht, immediately stripped off to his boxers, plunged in to rescue the rapidly departing dinghy and ended up with the boxers round his ankles which slowed him down a touch!
The Lagavulin distillery began life as an illegal still at least as far back as the 18th century, the present legal distillery was founded in the early 19th century. The product you can buy in every airport booze shop in the world (perhaps not in Saudi Arabia). There are formal tours but the men working in the place seem happy enough to give you an informal explanation of the distilling process and a look at the inner works when one goes ashore (ph 01496 302749).
You can easily walk from here to Ardbeg for another distillery, and to Laphroaig for that matter, and even on to Port Ellen along the traffic-free South Islay Distilleries Path.
The mostly 16th century, possibly some bits earlier, Dunyvaig Castle is rather more impressive from the anchorage than close up. It was abandoned in the late 17th century. Indeed too close up is discouraged as the ruin is crumbling off its promontory. How our ancestors managed to perch their castles on such small rocky outcrops, guarding important and strategic bits of the coast, is truly amazing. By the way, the shore between the distillery and the castle is full of rubbish so either walk round by the road, or go by dinghy.
The Islay Marine Centre opened in 2011 in the bay, very convenient for a chandlery, boatyard, visitor moorings and so on (ph 01496 300129). How such an enterprise is prospering I know not, I haven’t had a chance to visit. One can but wish it well.