What are the roads like on Gigha

[bentley01]

We are going to Scotland driving for three days and quite fancy seeing Gigha . Is it worth taking the cars over on the ferry? Thanks 🙏

[ianrb]

Look at it on Google Street View and decide for yourself.

[gdr]

6 miles long. Hire a push bike I would suggest.

[deckster]

Roads

Admittedly it's been 30 years since I've been, but there back then was a thriving cycle hire business running out of somebody's back garden which is a lovely way to see the island. It's only six miles long and I'd imagine it's quite hard to get out of second gear in a car.

[Rozzers]

Ford have specifically made a version of each model specifically for this purpose.

[sjabrown]

Definitely not worth taking a car across. Get a bike and cycle. It's a small island, single road, nothing is very far from the ferry.

[bentley01]

Thanks I thought it was a non starter. Looks worth a visit though.

[SlowAndDull]

I went over last week - we took our van as the friends we were with didn’t have bikes, and the bike hire place isn’t open this year.

I can recommend visiting Twin Beaches, at the top of the island, which is around 5 miles from the ferry so pushing it in a day without a car.

We also had to wait 2 hours at the ferry terminal after being queue jumped by a milk tanker, so I was glad we had facilities to make a cup of tea while waiting (the cafe is also closed)!

[loskie]

I went to Gigha once many years ago(I was working in Campbeltown and finished at midday), it was a lovely summer's day, I went on foot and walked from the ferry (berths in the middle) to the south end of the island where there is a deep water berth.

I remember standing on the pier at the south end and looking down into the very deep water. It was so so beautifully clear with white sand at the bottom what I imagined the Caribbean to be like.

Walk or bike don't take the car.

Also worth on the way back up Kintyre is taking the road round West Loch Tarbet via Kilberry to Ardrishaig.

BUT please remember these are very narrow rural roads for sedate, sensible driving.

Depends on your 3 day Scotland itinery though as it's out on a limb.

Edited by loskie on Thursday 10th September 07:35

[mike74]

SlowAndDull said:

I went over last week - we took our van as the friends we were with didn’t have bikes, and the bike hire place isn’t open this year.

I can recommend visiting Twin Beaches, at the top of the island, which is around 5 miles from the ferry so pushing it in a day without a car.

A 10 mile round bike ride or even walk is ''pushing it'' in a day?

Surely if you're only seriously unfit or disabled?

[SlowAndDull]

On foot with young kids - yes. Also the ferry is running a reduced service so a day is not quite a day!

[bentley01]

Thanks everyone duly noted. Can’t wait for the trip we love our annual pilgrimage to Scotland.

[bodysnatcher]

Also might be worth avoiding the Rest and be Thankful portion of the A83.

2 landslides recently have led to closures. Last one was Saturday, as we were returning from Islay. Luckily I'd already chosen to go via Kilberry
then /Tyndrum/Crianlarich/Tarbet, as we had on the way up. Which is of course the more fun piece of road (* well, apart from Tarbet to Ardlui, real throwback to the Loch Lomondside road of the 1970s)

Enjoy the wee island

Edited by bodysnatcher on Tuesday 15th September 21:44

Edited by bodysnatcher on Tuesday 15th September 21:45

[loskie]

Kilberry.




Bliss

[stevoknevo]

loskie said:

Kilberry.




Bliss

I lived there for 3 months when we first moved here, wife was working every hour under the sun and it drove me nuts/to the drink with no one to talk too! Stunning part of the world though.

Only take the car to Gigha if you want to go north and see the twin beaches, or south to see the Dancing Ladies, 'Creideas, Dòchas is Carthannas' (Faith, Hope and Charity, the islands wind turbine electricity producing system) There's a beautiful wee beach less than two minutes walk from the ferry outside the boathouse. And if you have younger kids then the swing park is a further two minutes walk towards the Gigha hotel.
We've got friends on the island and they either pick us up or there's an island car of theirs to use - and the milk tanker trumps all ferry traffic to get the milk off the island!

[loskie]

When I was at college in the late 80's my then GF lived up behind the church at Carse a couple of miles from Kilberry. It was a lovely area. In fact Argyll is one of the nicest parts of Scotland