PORT ASKAIG

For those making the short crossing from Jura across the Sound of Islay, Port Askaig is the gateway to Islay, though by no means its largest settlement. There are also ferry links from Port Askaig to the mainland and to Colonsay. The port enjoys wonderful views of the Paps of Jura from across the narrow strait, all the better when there is a decent sunset, with the Paps silhouetted against the sun and the water glistening. One of the things Islay is best known for is its distilleries; there are eight of them on the island, and the one nearest Port Askraig is the Caol Ila Distillery in a little cove just to the north. Just inland from Port Askaig is the important historic site of Finlaggan, seat of the Lords Of The Isles and the Clan Donald. Loch Finlaggan and the islands of Eilean Mor and Eilean na Comhairle were the nerve centre of the Lords' Administration from the 13th to the 15th centuries. A cottage has been converted into a museum which is run by the Finlaggan Trust, and the ruins of Finlaggan Castle, built in the 13th century, lie on Eilean Mor.

Map of the area.

Port Askaig and the Ferry to Jura - geograph.org.uk - 1190. Photo by Dorcas Sinclair, via Wikimeda Commons.