Claggain Bay

Claggain Bay is a small inlet on the east coast of Islay, one of the Hebridean islands off Scotland. It lies about six kilometres south of McArthur’s Head and fifteen kilometres south-east of Bowmore, the island’s main settlement. The bay cuts roughly 250 metres inland and is about 1.2 kilometres wide at its mouth. Trudernish Point marks its southern limit, beyond which the Aros Bay begins. Near the bay’s centre the Claggain River enters, flowing from the slopes of Beinn Bheigeir to the south. A standing stone once stood on the shore, recorded in 1878 as standing about 1.2 metres tall with a base measuring forty-six by thirty centimetres. Searchers looking for it in 1959 failed to find any trace. Close to the river’s bridge, seventy metres to the south, are the remains of a house thought to have served a military purpose, though its origins and use remain unknown. In October 1906 the coastal vessel Unity ran aground here while sailing from Belfast to Islay. The single-track road from Port Ellen passes Lagavulin and Ardbeg distilleries before reaching Trudernish and continuing north to Ardtalla, stopping just short of the bay. The shoreline is quiet and sparsely populated, with few buildings apart from the ruined house. The Claggain River’s small delta creates a sheltered spot where wading birds gather at low tide. The surrounding hills rise gently, giving views across the bay towards Trudernish Point and the neighbouring Aros Bay.