This is one of the most picturesque fishing villages you could
hope to see with its busy harbour and ruined castle. It is one of
my personal joys in life to be able to sit in the Columba Hotel
and watch the fleet coming in on a still evening.
Hotels
The Columba
is my personal favourite, when you enter Tarbert turn left at the
Co-op and follow the harbour along, the road reduces to single track
and the Columba is perhaps half a mile (something less than a kilometre)
trough the village. Rather than drive up form Glasgow at 4 a.m.
to catch the 7.30 ferry I often stay overnight here for the 15 minute
drive the next morning. The previous proprietors, Bob and Gina Chicken,
have produced the quintessential county house hotel with individually
decorated rooms, wooden furniture, a friendly and warming bar and
… wait for it … a gym and sauna! The new owners; Kevin
and Julie are continuing the tradition. The food is superb using
fresh, local produce where they can. The hotel has been the setting
of a “Taggart” episode and other TV plays. One of the
major benefits of a night there is that they will provide a continental
breakfast in a chill box for your early ferry trip. In some respects
it is better to stay for breakfast (wonderful) and then take a walk
around the village for the 12.50 ferry.
If you leave the hotel and turn right following
the road to the very end you will get an impressive view of the
village and of Loch Fyne, if you are a little bit more ambitious
a scramble over the rocks will take you to a beach comprising entirely
of clam shells, cast offs from the fishing fleet which have accumulated
over centuries.
This is not to belittle the other hotels in
the village, the brightly yellow coloured Victoria serves good food
and has a good atmosphere and the Tarbert Hotel has a very lively
bar most evenings.
Parking
Parking is free along the harbour past the telephone boxes. Make
sure your handbrake is on!
ATM
there is a Clydesdale bank Cashline just past the telephone boxes.
This will accept most credit and debit cards. This is your last
chance to get cash before you reach the ferry. When on the ferry
gaining food and gifts is tricky without cash – they do have card
machines of the old fashioned kind but the process is cumbersome
and slow.
Toilets
There are rest rooms a short walk further along
the harbour from the ATM machine. These operate during working hours.
Shops
There is a small Co-op supermarket on the corner. A good Book shop
along the front also sells nice cards and gifts. There are two cafes
and a fish and chip shop – another chance for our continental friends
to try deep fried pizza and deep fried haggis in batter! You will
also find a newsagents and a chandler.
Castle
Just past the dock there is a short but strenuous
climb to the ruins of the castle – it is an interesting place and
well described on numerous boards. What is also wonderful is the
view, if you have a spare half hour it is well worth the effort.
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