From Bridgend to Port Askaig
The distance is exactly 12km and the road runs through good quality farmland and some very interesting points of interest. Just before reaching Ballygrant, there is a small wood on the right in which stands Kilmeny Church. A little track before the wood leads to Kilmeny Farm and the old Kilmeny chapel and cemetery, which has a few beautifully carved medieval grave slabs. South of the chapel are the earthworks of Dun Guaidhre, an Iron Age fort. A few km further down the road is the little village of Ballygrant. From the 17th to the 19th centuries, Ballygrant was the centre of a considerable mining industry for both lead and silver. All that remains visible today are decayed buildings, holes in the ground and spoil tips. In the centre of Ballygrant is a turning to the right where the single track Glen Road to Cluanach starts. One km further down the main road is a signposted turning to the left to Mulreesh and Finlaggan, the administrative centre of the Lordship of the Isles. Back on the main road and heading north is the village of Keills followed by the turning to the left onto a beautiful and very scenic single track road to Persabus Pottery and the Bunnahabhain Distillery, both worth visiting. A little further towards Port Askaig is a turning to the left towards Caol Ila directly followed by a parking place on the right-hand side of the main road by a parking place with a fine track towards the Lily Loch and Dunlossit Estate.

Port Askaig Harbour
The mainland Ferry comes to Port Askaig every afternoon in summer and weekdays in winter except Christmas and New Years Day. Just before reaching Port Askaig, Dunlossit House can be seen from the ferry. Port Askaig is the second main ferry port of Islay offering (day)trips to Colonsay and Oban once a week during the summer. Oban is the main hub for all transport links in the west hightlands and islands. The link to Oban is likely to be expanded in the near future because the Scottish Executive are around 50% through of a £7M civil engineering development in Port Askaig which will result in much enhanced berthing facilities for larger ferries and commercial and pleasure craft.

Isle of Jura Ferry
The Isle of Jura ferry runs on approx 30min intervals daily from 7.30am till 6.30pm from Port Askaig. Booking is not required, here it's first comes first served. The costs are around £15 return fare for car and driver, extra for passengers. It is advisable to fill up your car with petrol or diesel at Port Askaig, for services on Jura and Colonsay can be irregular. In earlier days the Isle of Jura ferry was called for by shouting to the other side of the Sound of Islay, which probably only worked during calmer weather.

Port Askaig
Port Askaig, located on the shore of the Sound of Islay, is one of the smaller settlements on Islay containing no more than a few houses, a shop, petrol station, the RNLI Lifeboat station and life boat and Port Askaig Hotel. The Sound of Islay is the narrow sea passage between Islay and Jura and the water flows at great speed, pushed in and out by the tides. Because of its sheltered position Port Askaig is sometimes used as an alternative ferry landing for Port Ellen when the weather is rough.

Port Askaig Local Information: