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Leaving Port Askaig
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Links to pages in the Place Guide
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| Links to pages in the Place Guide |
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Port Askaig is the arrival point for the 1.00 pm ferry from Kennacraig and the leaving point for the Island at 3.30 pm. Check in is 45 minutes before departure. The village looks out over the Sound of Islay and towards the Paps of Jura. These pictures were taken on a cold November evening heading off to Glasgow. Mundell’s are the largest carriers on and off the island, there are few crossings where you won’t see one of these lorries. Clicking on these pictures will take you to the full-sized picture. |
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Port Askaig is a tiny village and one of my favourite pastimes is watching the longer vehicles manoeuvring onto the car deck through an awkward angle. The Mundell’s drivers are amazingly skilled at this but occasionally you get a visitor who can cause some hilarity. To the left the Jura ferry prepares to go across the Sound to Jura, the service is frequent and links with the arrival and departure of the ferry. |
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Pointing directly towards the Paps of Jura across the Sound of Islay a cannon guards the village. In older more savage times Islay was vulnerable to pirates and other invaders, there are several fortified sites on the island at strategic points including the octagonal watch tower at Bridgend. The cannon is a wonderful photo opportunity, especially for families with small children, it is sited directly beside the lifeboat station. The Paps (political correctness nowadays encourages us to refer to them as “the Bens of Jura” by the way) are a great climb for those who like hill walking. A fairly short walk in from the ferry port takes you up the steady slope over a great deal of scree unfortunately to some magnificent views from the top. A whole day and proper clothing and footwear are essential. |
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The hotel is a pleasant place to stay and have a drink or a meal. You can find information on their site, also there is an advertisement on the ferry. They have a number of attractive deals for accommodation if you plan to stay three or more days. During the summer the picnic tables are a great place to sit and watch the ferry arrive and get a cold drink. Directly opposite the the Port Askaig shop has a range of groceries and also petrol at the pumps behind the shop. There is no diesel here. It is worth knowing that it is next to impossible to get petrol on Jura, if you are going over this is a good time to tank up. |
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The Islay lifeboat is a modern, self righting Severn Class vessel. It is capable of a sustained 25 knots in all weather and we do get some spectacular weather here. With a range on a full tank of 200 miles (320 kilometres) it forms a vital part of the RNLI service on the west coast. A significant part of its price was donated by a local landowner without whose help it would have been difficult to provide this vessel. There is a donations box at the lifeboat station if you feel so inclined. If you are especially keen I have a picture of me on the foredeck in a captains hat and a life jacket.
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The ferry parks facing west – pointing towards Colonsay, as it leaves the jetty the captain uses the bow thrusters to carry out a sharp 180 degree turn to point us into the channel and towards the mainland. This is a great time to be on deck with a camera as the whole of Islay and Jura swing around. There are a tiny cluster of houses just in view as the boat turns and the “Angie” parks here when she isn’t working. In this thumbnail the Angie is a mere red blob but is better resolved on the full-sized image. |
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And finally: With the sun setting, the jetty and buildings at Port swing back into view, the captain winds up the diesels to give the ferry her maximum 15 knots and we head off towards Kintyre, two hours away. Time for a coffee. |
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