Lunga

Lunga is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn, off Argyll and Bute. It sits between Luing and Scarba, twelve miles north of Oban. The island is made of several parts that join at low tide but separate when the water rises. The largest sections are Fiola Meadhonach and Rubha Fiola in the north, and Eilean Iosal and Fiola an Droma further south. The highest point is Bidean na h-Iolaire, while the main bay is Camas a Mhor-Fhir to the south. The waters around Lunga are known for the Grey Dog tidal race, a strong current that reaches eight knots in full flood. This strait, only two hundred metres wide, is sometimes called the Little Corryvreckan. The island belongs to a Special Area of Conservation, supporting outdoor activities like scuba diving and canoeing. Prawns, scallops and salmon are harvested nearby, and rare sea creatures live in the seabed. The land holds red deer, otters and visiting sea eagles. Visitors find a complex landscape of tidal islands and skerries, with pebble beaches at Poll nan Corran on the east coast. The adventure centre on Rubha Fiola once ran climbing and canoeing trips, though it closed in 2013. Only three houses remain on Lunga, used mainly for grazing. The churchyard on nearby Luing holds graves of former islanders. The island’s geology includes quartzite, limestone and schist, shaped by ancient glaciers.