Ardnamurchan (Gaelic: Àird nam Murchan: headland of the great seas) – home to the most westerly point of the British mainland, Corrachadh Mòr. It extends west from Salen out to Ardnamurchan Point and its famous lighthouse. Its rocky northern coast, bounded at the East and West by the beaches of Ardtoe and Sanna Bay is designated as a National Scenic Area because of its outstanding scenery and landscape. Its southern edge makes up the north shore of Loch Sunart, the longest sea loch in the Highlands.
Ardnamurchan is probably the most remote of our remote West Highland Peninsulas, mainly because the main access route from Salen is a winding single-track road that runs along the shore of Loch Sunart for much of its length. As you make the journey west you pass thorough ancient oakwoods and all the while, spectacular views of the Loch revel themselves. The journey also takes you past a distillery, RSPB nature trail and a natural history centre.
As you leave the oakwoods by the loch shore and begin the climb up round Ben Hiant, the mountain on the peninsula, you pass Camas Nan Geall where you get magnificent views across the Sound of Mull to the northern tip of Mull and the Isle of Coll beyond. The landscape has now changed to open moorland, where deer roam and eagles fly along the ridges of the hills that surround you.
Ardnamurchan’s geology is of international importance and if you take the drive out to the magnificent beach at Sanna Bay, you will find yourself in the centre of a huge and ancient volcanic crater, whose ring dyke encloses the road for much of the way from the main village of Kilchoan.
At Kilchoan, you will find a village store, coffee shop and the community centre, which hosts a regular Produce and Craft Markets. Kilchoan is also the ferry terminal for the crossing to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.
Beyond Kilchoan, you will find lovely beaches and Sanna Bay and Bay MacNeil, while at the most westerly point of the British mainland, high above the Hebridean sea, stands the magnificent Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. This stunning viewpoint looks across towards the islands of Mull, Coll and the Small Isles, with hazy outlines of Skye and the Outer Hebrides visible on clear days.
The northern coast of Ardnamurchan from Sanna Bay in the west to Kentra Bay in the east is designated as a National Scenic Area and you will find a mixture of dramatic rocky coastline and beautiful sandy beaches. There are the Singing Sands at Gortenfern and the secluded sandy coves of the beach at Ardtoe.
