Things to see and do round seil island

The Slate Islands consisting of Seil, Luing and Easdale are historically important for the slate quarrying which took place here - the remains of this appear as deep lagoon-like pools on the islands. A Heritage Centre in Ellenabeich, which, along with a museum on Easdale Island, tells you all about that period of time, as well as giving information about flora, fauna and the island way of life.

Transport between the Islands is by ferry - a small passenger-only ferry to Easdale, and a car ferry to Luing. The latter fights daily across the rip tide flowing between Luing and Seil.

Seil has a lovely church at Kilbrandon which is known for its wonderful stained glass windows. It is also a beautifully peaceful place to sit and contemplate the world. Visitors are always welcome at the Sunday services.

Seil has the Tigh and Truish Inn, the Oyster Bar and Balvicar Stores, Easdale has the Puffer Bar, and Luing has Cullipool Stores, so you’re never very far from something to eat and drink!

Cycling - Cycling on the main roads nowadays is not very pleasant, but our roads here are a little bit quieter. And the forest is a great place if you have an off road bike. The Island of Luing too, is wonderful to cycle round as it is so quiet from traffic. Bring your own bike, or you can hire one from the caravan site on Luing. Remember to observe the highway and countryside codes, and to take care.

Gardens - Argyll has more than 20 gardens open to the public ranging from those of a formal nature, to others which are more or less wild, but all beautiful in their own way. The ones closest to us are An Cala at Ellenabeich which is a wonderfully peaceful spot to watch the world go by, and Ardmaddy Castle which, as well as having a pond garden, woodland walk and wonderful rhododendrons and azaleas, it is also a “working garden” growing vegetables to supply local grocers and houses. One of our own personal favourite gardens is Angus’ garden by Taynuilt - a woodland garden with a lake. A haven of peace and quiet.

Golf - Seil island has its own 9 hole golf course, and there are also courses at Oban, Dalmally and Taynuilt. All give a variety of different challenges from difficult holes, sheep and the weather. Your game may suffer because of the distraction of beautiful and stunning views. One visitor complained about the Oban course claiming you had to be a mountain goat to play it!

Fishing - Sea fishing can be had from the shores around the island and surrounding area, or if you prefer boat fishing, you can hire boats in Oban. Commonly caught are mackerel, haddock, pollack, wrasse, and plaice. There is also skate and shark around.

Fishing for trout at Inverawe

There are countless lochs and small rivers holding trout as their main stock and the rivers in spate can produce sea trout and the occasional salmon. Permits for fishing are available in Oban. Inverawe Smokeries and Fisheries is a great place to learn to fly fish, if you fancy a go, and their pools are well stocked.

There are plenty of boat trips to choose from now, the most local being the fast and exhilarating Sea.fari from Easdale and the Sealife Adventures from Balvicar - both are very informative and great fun. You can also take boats from Crinan and Craobh Haven, further down the coast. All these trips offer great opportunities to see deer and wild goats on the islands, seals, marine mammals and eagles.

If you want a bigger boat, try the one which cruises the length of Loch Etive, or even just go on one of the Calmac ferries to Mull and back! There is also a steamer which visits Kilchurn Castle on Loch Awe.

Smaller boats? The waters around here are great for sea kayaks - many paddlers count the area amongst their favourite waters, and understandably so.

If you are out on the water, gloves, woolly hat, sunglasses and waterproofs are essential - it is often cooler out there than it is on land. Cameras and binoculars are a good idea too.

Animals - For those interested in wildlife, you can take a landrover expedition to Mull to see otters, golden eagles, and other shy birds and creatures. If you want less wild and more cuddly, try the Rare Breeds Farm near Oban where the sheep and goats will lick you to death. Some regular guests were delighted by their 13 year old Yorkshire Terrier playing with a gang of piglets.

For underwater wildlife, go to the Sealife Centre just the other side of Oban, where you can feed the sharks and watch the seals being fed. The centre runs a rescue, re-habilitation and release programme for seals, and breeding programmes for other species, including seahorses.

Riding - There are several places to go riding - probably the most popular is the Appaloosa Centre near Ardfern where you can even have a go at Western style riding.

Other Areas and Places of Interest - Oban is an obvious place to visit. It has McCaig’s Tower, the Distillery, a small (but yummy) chocolate factory, an old fashioned sweetie shop, a bustling working harbour, the War and Peace Museum, and a great mixture of shops and cafes. One of the best ways to see Oban is perhaps a guided walk with Scot An Sgeulaiche who is a traditional storyteller or Seanachaidh.

Just north of Oban is Dunstaffnage, Barcaldine and Stalker Castles, and if you wish to go further there’s Port Appin and Glencoe. The latter is wonderfully atmospheric especially in bad weather. There’s a great visitor centre there - and not forgetting the tea room!

Going East there is Inverawe Smokeries, Ben Cruachan which has a power station built in the heart of the mountain into which you can go on a guided tour, and St Columba’s Kirk at Lochawe Village.

Mull offers plenty of day trip possibilities including Torosay House and Gardens, Duart Castle, Iona, and Tobermory. There is a miniature railway runs between the ferry at Craignure and Torosay house. There are whale watching trips, landrover wildlife trips, and day trips to Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Isles.

Going south, Kilmartin Glen is the seat of the ancient kings of Scotland with its standing stones and burial chambers. Crinan Canal is the home of the puffer from Para Handy, and is normally buzzing with boating activity as well as offering a lovely walk along the towpath. And if you get up early enough you could head off to the Isle of Gigha or down to Kintyre.

And finally, for those who just wish to relax and watch the world go by there are plenty of places to sit and do just that.

This list is not definitive - there are many other things to do and places to visit. We have many leaflets here at the Willowburn, and the Tourist Information Centre in Oban has a wider selection.

Seil Island lies off the west coast of Scotland 14 miles south of the fishing port of Oban by road. Access to the island is easy as it is connected to the mainland by the famous Atlantic Bridge.