Scottish anchorages

 Loch Creran

This is the bay on the east side of Eriska, an anchorage dominated by boats on private moorings I fear. Hard by is the very upmarket Isle of Eriska Hotel on its own privately owned island of Eriska, connected to the mainland by a 1900 bridge. I suspect you would get wet and muddy getting there from your own boat and they would not somehow approve. Ah, but in 2010 the hotel upgraded its jetty, although i am not exactly sure where it is, which now floats up and down with the tide - so no excuses, dinner jackets! Certainly phone to check dress code and enjoy your meal, by all accounts the food is excellent (01631 720 371). The style is Baronial country house, 1884 - the building not the food.

There is a small slipway in the SE corner just by the islets that you can land at although it may be part of someone’s garden (an old inn, built in the mid 19th century), and then there is a walk of about a mile up a very quiet road (turn left at the cross roads) to have a look at a spectacularly perfect late 19th century restoration of the early 17th Century Barcaldine castle, or rather L-shaped tower house described in the Black Book of Taymouth, 1855, as ‘ane greit hows in Benderloch in Lorne of four hows heicht’. It is privately owned and it does up market bed and breakfast which must be fun as well a costly (ph 01631 720598).