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UK Sailing, Sail Cruising and Yachting Guide  |
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UK Sailing, Sail Cruising and Yachting Guide |
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Visitors Moorings & Pontoons in W. Scotland
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PLEASE NOTE: While this information is believed to be accurate and up to date, no guarantee can be given and it should be assumed that all moorings are used at your own risk. BlueMoment is not responsible for any incidents that may arise as a result of the use of this information. If you have any corrections or further information, please
Information here is primarily about facilities designed for overnight or short-term stays. Marinas or long-term mooring facilities will often also have overnight moorings or berths for visitors. These can be found in the Scottish Marinas and Moorings section of the website. If you are planning a Scottish cruise you are strongly advised to consult this section of the website in addition to the information contained below. |
Royal Gourock Yacht Club has two visitor moorings, and additional moorings can be made available by contacting the boatman on 07710 434318. The boatman is available 7 days per week from 10:00 to 22:00 and will be happy to bring you ashore. Visiting yachtsmen are invited to use the club bar and restaurant. The number for the bar/restaurant is 01475 637192. There is no charge for short stays. If you wish a longer stay the cost is £10 per night.
12 moorings with one marker buoy. Owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council - they are all free, blue and currently unmarked . They are suitable for up to 15 tonnes. Inpervioous years they have been laid in time for the Easter holidays and are usually lifted in late October.
15 moorings in 3 trots of 5 owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council - they are all free, blue and marked "Visitors Only 15 Tonnes Max". They should be laid in time for the Easter holidays and are usually lifted late October.
The Visitor Moorings in Lamlash Bay, Isle of Arran, are now in the care of Jim Blakey, proprietor of the Holy Isle Ferry. Jim is in the process of renewing or replacing all the existing Visitor Moorings; as of this report there are ten moorings in place with more planned to be available in the next few weeks. There is an overnight charge of ten pounds per mooring; this is at the Holy Isle Ferry office or to the duty boatman' who will call at each vessel. Jim can be contacted if req on 07970 771960 for further details.
Just south of Lamlash, 4 moorings operated by local business community. No charge. Shops ashore. Exposed in all but a gentle westerly.
15 good moorings and a new dinghy pontoon. A yacht can go alongside at high water, but beware wash from the CalMac ferry. In Southerly winds this bay can be very squally, and boats may swing about dramatically. Don't just use one slip rope! Facilities ashore: hotel (bar). |
At the entrance to Loch Long. 6 15 Tonne well maintained moorings with pickup buoys, for the exclusive use of visitors to the hotel. The hotel often has special offers on for the sailing community - such as a free bottle of wine with lunch or discounted accommodation ( for those who fancy a night ashore). See the website at http://www.knockderryhouse.co.uk for more details.
The hotel installed a new dinghy landing pontoon in Spring 2008 (black cube style) and 2 moorings to the south east of the hotel. They are however exposed to swell. There is the ground tackle for more moorings in the bayand it is planned as visitors increase to raise these. Be aware the hotel does not have Credit/Debit card facilities (2008) so you need cash or cheque book. The hotel has been completely refurbished and a friendly welcome is assured.
Carrick Castle Boat Club has two Blue Visitors' Mooring Buoys one cable north of the castle suitable for boats up to 15 tonnes each. The blue visitors' mooring buoys have yellow pick-up buoys that are removed over the winter months - Visitor's Mooring No 1 in approximate position 56 deg 06.688' N 004 deg 54.378' W and Visitor's Mooring No 2 in approximate position 56 deg 06.710 N 004 deg 54.396' W. Those wishing to use the visitors' moorings are asked to pay a £10.00 mooring fee that goes towards the annual servicing of the moorings. WiFi Internet access is free at the moorings. Instructions on how to pay are shown on the visitors' mooring buoys and also on the Village Notice Board by the Royal Mail Post Box behind the castle. Visitors can also pay by using PayPal on the club's web site using the quick and easy to remember URL www.pay-mooring.co.uk that has a link to pay for a mooring. There are seven walks listed locally detailed on their website - www.carrick-castle-boat-club.co.uk. If you don't have a computer on board, you can pay when you get home online within 14 days please. All boats are photographed to check boat's name against payment. If you don't want to pay, please anchor!
There are 10 yellow visitors moorings with pickup buoys, £10 for the first night and £5 for subsequent nights. Pay at the garage (which looks derelict) or at the third house on the right. There is also a pickup/drop off pontoon with dingy access. There is reportedly water at the public toilets , and a Costcutter supermarket at to the caravan site (¼ mile), with some basics at the PO.
Two moorings with pickups, both marked "Creggans Customers", and one of which appears to be used by the hotel. There is an easy shelving beach for the dinghy, and the hotel provides an upmarket menu. Maximum weight is 10 Tonnes. The Inn is at Strachur on the east shore of Loch Fyne, approximately 18 nm from Ardrishaig. See their website for more details
Five visitor moorings maintained by the Oystercatcher Hotel on the East coast of the loch. Some may not have pickups. Excellent new dinghy pontoon just south of the old ferry jetty. Wireless internet available to visiting yachts. See their website for more details.
Loch Fyne Oysters have laid four moorings (with pickups) at the most northerly navigable part of Loch Fyne, a fw hundred yards North of the centre. Dinghy landing is on a rocky foreshore. These are available for the use free of charge to shop and Oyster Bar customers who use them at their own risk.
St Blane's Hotel closed over the winter (2011/2012) and is for sale. The six moorings previously maintained by the hotel are available, but appear unserviced and should be used with caution. Hotel web site: http://www.stblaneshotel.com.
5 x 15 tonne & 1 x 6 tonne clearly marked mooring buoys with pick ups, to north of ferry ramp. Showers available £5.00 with towel. Excellent food.
Many years ago, HIDB established three trots of moorings, six at each site, at Tighnabruaich Hotel, Royal Hotel and Kames Hotel. Over the years, these were adopted by the host hotels and the situation in Jan 2002) was : Tighnabruaich Hotel, beside RNLI station. No maintenance on these for a number of years, should be considered to be redundant Royal Hotel ( * * * * ). The hotel has changed its name but the moorings still have Royal Hotel marked on them. Twelve moorings, serviced annually, remain in water throughout year. A lightweight pier was constructed last year with a floating pontoon for dinghies.
Kames Hotel ( * * * ) Impressive dining room, dedicated malt whisky bar, real ales, good food. Shower available for visitors. Golf club (9) overlooking the Kyles. Fifteen moorings, annually serviced. Two moorings (15t) in all year, others taken ashore for service, reinstated in March. Showers available £5.00 with towel. Easy landing on a clean shelving beach. Excellent vilage store. Website: http://www.kames-hotel.com/
In October 2007 a correspondent reported that there are usually moorings available for vistors at Mara Marine, and often no charge for 1 night, but you must go ashore and ask permission.
In the last few years there have been developments at the centre, which now has a floating break water with land connection. Visiting yachts are welcome to tie alongside in suitable conditions and will now find a licensed bar in the centre to offer a refreshment. This can provide some excellent shelter and easy access ashore. Details re. depths/tides etc. to follow.
There are now 40 moorings at £7.00 per night. 25 are on the north side of the bay, and 15 on the south side. The new inner harbour marina with 40 new berths was opened for business on Good Friday 2009. These berths offer excellent shelter and are not subject to the ferry wash. They are accessed via a lifting bridge which is operated by the Pier Master and is only opened when no ferry is at the pier. To request opening the bridge call on VHF 16 or 12 or tel 01700 503842. Showers at Victorian toilets £1.50. Free WC at ferry terminal. The inner harbour is mainly for overnight berthing - short stay visitors should use the berths in the outer harbour or west pontoon. This now gives Rothesay 80 pontoon berths plus the moorings.
Easy entry, very welcoming. Portakabin for showers/WC, with a permanent building planned. Cost was £17.00 o/night for a 32 footer in July 2010 Eat at The Port Cafe, the Russian Tavern or even in the Port Bannatyne Post Office! Supplies at the Post Office where you can stock up on the essentials and canned provisions for your trip, or bus into Rothesay. More info on the website |
Visitors pontoon opposite the lifeboat station. Outer (SE) end can be a bit exposed if the wind is blowing straight up the loch, but otherwise OK. The owners currently (Aug 2009) do not have any staff on the pontoon, but are requesting that visitors pay via the Tourist Information Office on the pier. Charge, payable at the Tourist Information Office, is now £13/night. Electricity available on pontoon, using swipe cards. Some gas bottles for sale on pontoon. Showers at nearby swimming pool visible from pontoon, WC at public conveniences in town, closed overnight. Free internet access at library (same building as swimming pool): after registering, card gives access to all libraries in Argyll and Bute. (May 07).
Four moorings have been put in place to the North of the harbour in Portnacoul. Overnight charge of £10 in a yellow honesty box located at foot of Quay Brae as you turn down to the carpark.
Anchored pontoon system providing visiting berths for 65 – 100 vessels of varying sizes. Water and electricity on the pontoons. Priority berths for vessels over 50ft. Good (free) showers. Expensive now at £24.50 for overnight berthing for a 10m vessel.
Portavadie is now fully open with a new restaurant and very nice shower block. Cost was £15 for a 31 ft boat at the end of last year. Very occasional bus service to Kames (village store) and Tignabruaich. Ferry fare to Tarbert is £5.55 per person return. More info on the website
The pontoon mooring was replaced late July 2009 and the 'do not use' notice has been removed, while it is very popular with local small motor boats there is usually space for one yacht on the (deeper) south side. |
Overnight fees on buoy £15. Loading pontoon for stores, diesel & water (£1 for fresh water, £2 to wash down). Don't leave the boat on the pontoon though. Good chandlers.
55 heavy-duty swinging moorings up to 60 tonnes capacity and 6 alongside berths for short stay and loading/unloading. ightly rates up to 6 metres £7.00, over 6 metres, £11.00. Mooring rates include free use of the pier and pontoons, normally for loading and unloading, easy access to diesel and water supplies, 24 hour, 7 day access to toilets, showers and washing facilities, free car parking, locked dinghy compound and public telephone. See http://www.kilmelfordyachthaven.co.uk/ for more information and long-stay rates.
There are now 20 moorings, all in place and set ready for use. Cost is £12
per night. There is a pontoon available for short term loading, unloading, taking on water etc., but check depth as this gets shallow at low water.
Facilities include: Shower, Laundrette, Pay Phone, WiFi, Restaurant and Bar. Power and drinking water all on request at the office. Melfort Mermaid Restaurant and bar open all day. Arrive hungry, leave happy.Overnight mooring only £10.00 night, when you dine in Melfort Mermaid. Longer stay moorings available- £120.00 per month, £600.00 for six months. Call 01852 200 333
Ardfern Yacht Centre has around 80 pontoon berths with visitors pontoon berthing being provided on both sides of the pontoon systems outer walkways. Overnight charge £2.15 per metre with electricity extra at £3.50 per day. See http://www.ardfernyacht.co.uk/home.htm for more details.
VB's as you go into the Lagoon. Big V on them - red buoys I think. Newly laid by NW marine for the 2012 season. Honesty box by the concrete slip where the sailing club currently operates from.
56°13'9N 005°33'2W
15 visitor moorings at Cardingmill Bay (south side of Oban Bay) lat 56°24.70'N / long 005°29.16'W - large yellow buoys; £15 per night / £75 per week / £5 for 3 hours maximum stay before 1600hrs - fees include 1 visit per day up to 30 mins alongside adjacent landing stage, and leaving dinghy alongside. No advance booking. 07810 880315 http://www.obanbayberthing.co.uk Cardingmill Bay Landing Stage: step ashore into Oban, change crew, take on water and provisions and land by dinghy; £2 per visit up to 30 mins alongside; water and refuse bin available. Lying at the heart of some of Scotland's finest cruising grounds, Oban has most major facilities sailing visitors need - shops, chandlery, restaurants, banks, transport links, marine engineers, fuel - all a short walk from the landing stage. Oban is the main centre for a number of sailing events throughout the year including West Highland Yachting Week - held during the first week in August - and a great cruising destination ! Full details on http://www.obanbayberthing.co.uk/landing.htm Season ticket and prepaid pack of 10 tickets available on application - email 07710 880315
50 new moorings installed 2006-07 at Barcaldine, 3.5 miles from Loch Creran entrance. Planned new shore facilities were not complete at the end of the 2007 season, but planned amenities include a loading pontoon, toilets and showers, waterside car parking, and secure dinghy storage. Water and fuel alongside. Resident moorings plus long and short term visitor moorings. Note that Creran Marine, and not Barcaldine Marine, own the trots of white mooring bouys West of Barcaldine pier: there are no specific visitors moorings but space can usually be found on vacant moorings (max. 8.5T, 36'). Equally the 2 yellow moorings immediately West of the Pier belong to Creran Marine and are not visitors moorings.
10 moorings with pickups at The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, Argyll. Moorings are put out at Easter and lifted in late October. Exposed in strong southerlies. Cost is £10 / day with (luxurious) showering and drying facilities available at a cost of £5.00. Overnight stays are free to diners. Landing for dinghies on the N side of the concrete jetty. Bar and renowned Seafood Restaurant. Website. Tel. 01631 730 302.
Good loading pontoon with plenty of water (40ft+ even at low water) with water piped to the end of the pontoon, red diesel for sale and showers - though the toilet is some way off. A ferry service is provided to the moorings - even out of hours. The mooring area is very sheltered from the south and west but somewhat exposed to the north and a short swell can enter the bay. There is a bouyed channel to the south leading to the area north of Lismore and hence south to Oban or west to Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull if you're going that way. Moorings are around £10 per night. More info at http://www.linnhemarina.co.uk/ |
11 15 tonne mooring buoys, no pickups. Owned and maintained annually by Argyll and Bute Council. (NB - Argyll & Bute tell us they put out the maintenance of their remaining moorings to tender each Spring. All moorings are then inspected by the successful contractor(s) and any essential maintenance/replacement work carried out).
Port Ellen now has pontoons with electricity and water. This is a vast improvement on the visitors moorings, which were very exposed and a long dinghy ride out. Recently (2007) dredged so there is now 3m minimum depth. No toilet block as of Summer 2003 - which seems a bit of an oversight. A report (2007) says that the hotel is charging £3 for showers. Operated by Port Ellen Harbour Association. Charges are £12/night under 10m and £14/night over 10m (2007) and include water and electricity. See the website for more details. (The old Visitors Mooring buoys out in the bay were still there in 2007 - but we have no current information on their status)
The moorings have been taken over by the Isle of Jura Development Trust and have doubled in number. Cost £10 per night, and the money is collected from your boat in the morning. Showers available for £1 in the area at the back of the hotel.
There are twelve moorings in Arinagour Bay (Loch Eatharna) for visiting yachts and other craft. The moorings are run by CMAL and are suitable for vessels having a maximum displacement of 10 tonnes. Overnight fees are £10 per vessel and fees are payable at CalMac's pier office (during open hours), an honesty box on the middle pier or in the Coll Hotel.
The moorings here are owned by Tobermory Harbour
Association. The charge is £13 per night (slightly cheaper for under 8m). NEW PONTOONS: There are now pontoons at Tobermory. New and shiny, plenty of depth, rubber edges for careless parkers. Cost is £2.25 per metre per night. Water and electricity o the pontoons, diesel from the fuel berth on the hammerhead. New toilet, shower and laundry facilities were opened in a purpose built building above the marina in June 2008. Showers are £2.00. WiFi is available. A correspondent reports that he was there in mid May 2008 and that there are no moorings except local small boat moorings behind the reef on the south side of the bay. They anchored inshore of the pier in 3m.
Apparenty there are no visitor moorings in Craignure any more. A correspondent reports that there are 5 moorings, but 4 of them were being used by local boats. They used the spare one but were visited at 10pm by a local to be told the mooring was unsafe as it hadn't been checked in 5 years!
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4 moorings, no pickups, rated to 15 tons. Fully insured, maintained by West Ardnamurchan Jetty Assoc. Ltd. Cost per night: £ 10 requested. Honesty box at head of jetty. Facilities ashore: Two pubs. One general store. Water. Petrol. Diesel. Calor Gas. Camping Gaz. Showers. Jetty. Launching ramp. Community Center with tourist information, cafe, fitness center. Ferry to Tobermory. Bus to Fort William. (anchorage possible to East of visitor moorings). Local web site: http://www.ardnamurchan.com/ . These moorings are very exposed to the S and W.
There are two visitors moorings at the head of Loch Sunart, by Strontian. They are free to users of the Kilcamb Lodge and Restaurant. Heavy duty pick up leads to a chain for mooring. Kilcamb is the building to the west of the river, take your dinghy ashore anywhere on the shingle beach. Our correspondent recommends dinner at the Kilcamb. Fixed price for, on the face of it a 3 course meal.But there are 8 courses including canape's and coffee. All of a very high standard in a very comfortable hotel.
Now under new management. 4 maintained 15 tonne swinging moorings (marked 'Jetty'), red with orange pickups. Cost is £14 per night inclusive of water and rubbish disposal. There is now also a spacious visitor pontoon for 8 visiting yachts. Electric and water are available on the pontoon. Reservations can be taken for moorings/berths (max 24 hours in advance). Red diesel is available at competitive rates. There is a website HERE.
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