(Gaelic… Lighthouse at the headland of great seas)
TAIGH SOLAS AIRD
NAM MURCHAN
At the most westerly point of the UK 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.
It is not just tourists flocking here in the summer, this is the destination of choice for minke whales. Thousands of minkes visit Scotland every year and on some days they can be spotted feeding just offshore by the lighthouse. Seals can be seen basking on the rocks in the bay to the north, but they often pop up just below the lighthouse, playing in the waves very close in.
You might still be on the mainland here but you feel a million miles from anywhere, the remote and untouched beauty of this spot is captivating.
A bit about the site
The lighthouse is at the end of a long single track road linking you to Kilchoan and the wider Ardnamurchan Peninsula. There is no public transport to the lighthouse, but ample parking. The café and Lighthouse Tower are open to the public April – October, but the outside areas can be visited year round..
Getting here
Ferries from Mull to Kilchoan
No public transport out to the site
Accessibility
Mostly tarmacked and wheelchair accessible at ground level
Useful links
Visit Ardnamurchan
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Visit Scotland - Ardnamurchan
Responsible Access
Wondrous creatures in the waters
Look out for
Minke whales
Bottlenose dolphins
Harbour porpoise
Basking sharks
Common dolphins
Killer whales (orca)
Seals
Otters
Shearwaters
Gannets
Skua
White-tailed eagles
Check out the latest sightings on HWDT Whale Track
There she Blows
Every summer volunteers from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust can be found whale watching from this spectacular location, and one species that never fails to delight is the majestic minke whale. Individual minke whales have been identified coming back to these waters year after year, to spend their summers in the Sea of the Hebrides. One minke whale, Kasey, has been spotted nearly every year since 2000, and is easily recognised by three notches in its dorsal fin. Whose fin will spot?
Got a head for heights?
Why not pop up the to the top on a lighthouse tour and see what you can spot from this precipitous platform. Davie the lighthouse keeper has some incredible stories about the sea creatures he has spotted from up here. Looking down from this height you can get an idea of the size of these wondrous creatures. Want to keep your feet on the ground? The foghorn platform is our first choice for whale-watching. You have great views across the Hebrides to the islands and across mighty seas where you might just spot something wondrous.
Header photograph © Craig Mackie
“Otter!”...It sat, happily munching away, for five to ten minutes before quietly slinking back into the sea.”
