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Ardfern Riding Centre is 120 yards north in the big park below the house and is often busy with horses, jumps and dressage rings. There is an all weather manege and a cross country jumping course but many people just go out to see the countryside from the back of a well schooled horse. Instruction is available in the B.H.S. approved school.Rides go out too on half day, day and even week treks into the remoter hill paths of the west highlands. The stables breed their own horses, Appaloosa, originally imported from Argentine, and school them in riding, jumping and driving.
A further 120 yards takes you to the sea, past Lunga cottages, which are sometimes let for holidays and sometimes for the whole season. The track takes you to the small pier and boathouse, which overlooks the sandy and pebbly bay. Here you can launch small boats, and there are moorings for guest craft up to 35ft. The coastline from here south is completely wild for ten miles. There are many favourite and secret picnic spots. Cockles, mussels winkles and palourdes can be gathered and those with the equipment and knowledge could also catch salmon, seatrout, lobsters, crab crayfish, prawns and scallops, as well as a variety of sea fish. Others find as good sport in seeking out the local fishermen in the neighbouring bars, to find out when they are landing and persuade them to sell some of their catch.
Approaching Lunga you will have seen Craobh Haven,
two bays to the north, this is the nearest village. Three islands have
been linked to the coast with great rock causeways, making a marina, a
safe haven for 200 yachts and fishing boats.: Tel: 01852 500222. Fax:
01852 500252. 250 Pontoon Berths (serviced) max 22m. Depth (LWST) 3m.
Pay.Rubbish Disposal. Diesel. Boatyard. Chandler. Sailmaker. 15T
slipway hoist. Marine Engineer 7 days. Showers. PLI. VHF Ch 37, 80.
The village has a grocery shop, a craft and coffee shop, a launderette,
and a ships chandlery. There is a boatyard with slipway and straddle carrier for launching larger boats.
Boat trips and yacht charters are available from here.
The Pub ‘The Lord of the Isles, is open all day in the summer serving good bar meals and has an excellent restaurant., and often has live music at the weekends. The windows and patio overlook the Marina and boats and is an excelent place to sit and watch the world go by. Nick Kirks photographs of boats from Craobh at NDK photography
Two miles north is Arduine, where the Loch Melfort Hotel has a nice bar and restaurant and spectacular views especially at sunset and serves an excellent menu featuring local seafood. The neighbouring Arduine Gardens (NTS) are open to the public. They have a world famous display of rhododendrons, azaleas and sikkim primulas in woodland and water gardens which lead to the shore.
Two miles south is Ardfern, which can be reached on the main road or the shorter track over the hill. Some people get great pleasure from driving these rough narrow private roads, there are several on the estate, others prefer to conserve their car and stick to the tar. In the village which looks south down loch Craignish, straggling along the island sheltered shore for a couple of miles, is Ardfern Yacht Centre, moorings and marina for 120 yachts and fishing boats. They have a chandlery, yacht charter and slipway services. There is a village shop, a kirk, a school and a pub and hotel ‘ The Galley of Lorne’. The road runs to within a mile of Craignish point, coming to a dead end at a park with a good view of the Gulf of Corryvreckan, the second biggest whirlpool in the northern hemisphere. On the way it passes Kilmaharie, a small ruined mediaeval chapel where crusader knights and the carved stones of the descendants of the Lords of the Isles survey the snow capped peak of Ben Cruachan reflected in the tranquil waters of Loch Craignish. Further on Craignish Castle can be seen across the bay. It was last besieged by Col Citto during the little wars of Lorne, but the green lady still walks from the old keep to watch the death of her lover, a young officer from Montrose army, tied to prison rock, to await the incoming tide so they say.
Apart from the holiday homes there is a small community engaged in multifarious and outlandish projects. Many a tale can be told in the Lord of the Isles or Galley of Lorne where fishfarmers and foresters forgather with gardeners, crofters, artists, builders and sailors.
Kilmartin museum in the village of Kilmartin 8 miles south has a wealth of information on the local archeology of the whole area
GOLF
- Glencruitten Golf Club, Oban 01631 562868
- Dalmally Golf Club 01631 200619
- Lochgilphead Golf Course 01546 602340
- Machrihanish Golf Course 01586 810213
There is more though than old ruins, within an hours drive are:
It is possible to take a steamer and on a long day trip to visit the beautiful islands if Gigha and Islay or Mull and Iona. From Lunga you can go on one of the small motor cruisers to visit Jura or the Garvellachs, the Isles of the Sea, where St Columba’s 7th Century monastery can be seen
There are sea fishing trips available on Loch Fyne or in the Sound of Jura. Mackerel and Sea Trout can be caught off the rocks near the house. Nearby there are rivers and hill lochs aplenty for which you can get fishing permits. Loch Awe, 23 miles long and quite close is also fishable with a day permit. Even on the estate there are 6 hill lochs were brown and loch leven trout can be caught
Sometimes we give consent for a rabbit shoot or an afternoon clay pigeon competition. Occasionally we go waterskiing or have barn dance in one of the old byres at the stables. Almost always what people notice most is the total silence, the hush of the wind, the sound of water and birdsong in the peace and seclusion of this 3000 acre private estate
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