Blackmill Bay - Luing

Blackmill Bay, on the southwest corner of Luing, is a shadow of its former self. It was once a busy port, but all you will find there today are the crumbling remains of its old pier and ticket office, and a quiet B&B. (The ticket office is on the buildings at risk website.) It would be interesting to have seen Blackmill in its heyday, when livestock, slate, passengers, and goods passed through here on the way to (or from) Oban or Glasgow. 

Ticket office - Blackmill Bay

Decades ago Blackmill, and nearby Cullipool, were the place to go to seek out a fisherman to take you to Scarba, Lunga, and the Garvellachs. As you can see in the photos, my visit to Blackmill last May was on a wet, grey, and windy day. The place felt, and looked, desolate.

Just to the north of the old rotting pier they've constructed a modern stone breakwater. And behind it a solitary boat bobbed on the swells. Maybe the owner would take you to Scarba or Lunga if you ask.

  

Jetty at Blackmill Bay

You can see a photo of the pier in its better days on this CANMORE page, and an old photo of the ticket office on this CANMORE page. There is a B&B at Blackmill called The Gorsten that looked like a great place to stay if you wanted a quiet place to get away from it all on a Scottish island.

Blackmill Bay