When we moved back to Scotland after several years working abroad, we had a decision to make about where we wanted to put down roots. We chose Argyll, and more specifically a spot overlooking Asknish Bay on Scotland’s West Coast.
Calum had spent much of his childhood holidaying in Scammadale, and his family’s connection with the area goes back even further. He spent so much time here growing up that Hugh and Mary, who owned the accommodation his family returned to, became known as ‘Aunty and Uncle’.
So, we didn’t end up in Argyll by accident. We already had roots here, people we knew and a connection with the area. The coincidence was that, just as we were looking for somewhere to make our home, Loch Melfort Hotel came onto the market.
Today, Loch Melfort Hotel is our home as well as our business, and living by the sea has become part of everyday life (if you follow us on Instagram, you might already be familiar with our morning dog walk stories and finds). We watch the weather changing across the water, see boats coming and going through the bay, spot wildlife from the hotel grounds and experience the coastline changing with the seasons.
It’s very easy to talk about Scotland’s West Coast in terms of its scenery, but living here gives you a different perspective on it. So, rather than simply listing the reasons to visit, we wanted to share some of the things we’ve come to love about having a hotel (and life) by the sea in Argyll, along with a few thoughts from the people who live and work here with us.
What is it really like to live by the sea on Scotland’s West Coast?
At Loch Melfort Hotel, the sea is an important part of the landscape, and an enormous draw for our guests. However, there’s a difference between visiting the coast for a few days and making it your home. When you live here, the things that might initially feel like part of a holiday become part of everyday life.
At one point, we moved from a city of around 16 million people to a village of a handful of houses. We’d lived in São Paulo, spent time in the south of England and rarely stayed anywhere for more than three or four years. We’ve now been at Loch Melfort for 18 years, and we wouldn’t live anywhere else but Argyll. In fact, these days even Glasgow can feel busy. There’s something about driving home and passing Loch Lomond when we both start to feel that we’re properly back.
There are the obvious reasons we chose to be here (the uninterrupted views across Asknish Bay towards the islands of Shuna, Luing and Scarba being one of them), but there are also smaller things we’ve come to appreciate, and probably some that we now take completely for granted.
When the postcard becomes your everyday view
For our first eight years here, we lived in an apartment within the hotel. It was entirely possible to walk from the flat to reception, spend the day working in offices at the back of the building and barely look out at the sea. We eventually realised we had to make a conscious effort to stop, walk through the hotel and actually appreciate where we were. What looks like a postcard to someone visiting for the first time can very quickly become your everyday backdrop.
That might be one reason we’ve created little family traditions that make us stop and enjoy it. On the longest day of the year, we’ll take a bottle of wine and a flask down to the point and sit out to watch the sun go down. Christmas Day has developed its own version with the boys, although the flask contains whisky instead.
It’s not always calm seas and sunsets
There are less romantic sides to coastal life too. When a Force 9 gale or a proper West Coast storm arrives, there’s nothing between us and the open coastline to soften its impact. The noise can be incredible, particularly the wind through the trees.
Perhaps surprisingly, if we ever moved away from the sea, the wind is one of the things we’d miss. The view might be the obvious answer, but the sound and drama of the weather have become part of living here too.
And then there are the practicalities of rural family life. Living remotely with children can involve an awful lot of driving and plenty of time spent as ‘Dad’s Taxi’.
But there are freedoms that come with it too. Our boys have grown up being able to head from the house down to the rocks, build huts from things washed up on the shore and get out on their paddleboards. It’s a very different childhood from the one they might have had on a city street or housing estate, and one of the things we’ve come to value most about raising a family here.
What wildlife can you see on Scotland’s West Coast?
We’ve had so many conversations with guests about this over the years that we’ve written multiple blogs on it! A couple of our reader favourites:
The waters and coastline around Argyll are home to a huge variety of wildlife, and living beside the bay means we’re in a particularly good position to keep an eye on what’s happening on and around the water.
The best sightings are always the most unexpected, and over the years there have been plenty of moments that have caused us to whip out our phone cameras, or someone to point towards the bay and call somebody else over to take a look.
Otters are a regular sight along the shoreline. Sometimes we’ll see them playing together, or watch a mother with her pups as they learn to hunt. Getting a photograph is another matter. They tend to disappear remarkably quickly once they realise they’ve been spotted.
It’s also no secret that our local otters appear to be rather fond of sea urchins. Every now and again we’ll find an almost perfectly intact urchin shell washed up on the shore or left sitting on the rocks. Jellyfish are another fairly common sight in the bay, usually small ones. On one occasion, however, we found an enormous jellyfish washed up on the rocks. We took to our social media followers to help identify what kind of jellyfish it was, and eventually identified it as a barrel jellyfish. As the UK’s largest species of jellyfish, they can grow up to one metre across, so this was quite an exciting find! Looking a little closer around the shoreline, there are lots of smaller discoveries to be had too, including crabs scuttling around the rockpools and the occasional starfish.
One of our most familiar visitors is a heron that you’ll often see around the bay. It’s almost a daily sight, and we regularly spot it standing on the rocks when we’re out walking the dogs before it takes off across the water. There’s something almost prehistoric about seeing it in flight, and we’ve mentioned it to so many guests over the years that looking out for our resident heron has become a bit of a story in itself.
If you’re very lucky, there are much rarer sightings too. White-tailed sea eagles can be seen around this part of the West Coast, although spotting one from the hotel is certainly not an everyday occurrence.
Spring and summer tend to be particularly busy for wildlife around us. We’ve seen pine martens, bats and plenty of other visitors around the hotel and grounds over the years. Then, after dark, there’s often something else to listen out for. Tawny owls live around us, and there are evenings when we can sit outside and hear them spending what feels like hours hooting back and forth to one another.
Where can you see marine wildlife around Argyll?
While we’re lucky to see plenty of wildlife near the hotel and around Asknish Bay, heading out onto the water gives you the chance to explore more of the coastline and islands around us.
There are several local boat trips operating around this part of Argyll, taking visitors out through the surrounding waters in search of marine and birdlife. What you might see will depend on the season, the weather and a fair bit of luck, which is all part of the experience.
Rather than give you a long list, we’ve included a few of the local operators we know and are happy to recommend to our guests. We know many of them personally through the local community, and which one we suggest often depends on the type of experience you’re looking for. If you’re up for a bit more of a thrill, we might point you towards one of Seafari’s RIB trips, while for something more relaxed, informative and personal, Sealife Adventures can be a great choice. Some trips also have minimum age restrictions, so if you’re travelling as a family, it’s worth checking before you book.
- Seafari Adventures – Ellenabeich harbour (around a 35-minute drive form Loch Melfort Hotel)
- Sealife Adventures – Seil (around a 30-minute drive form Loch Melfort Hotel)
- Venture West – Crinan Harbour (around a 35-minute drive form Loch Melfort Hotel)
- Farsain (who operate right out of Craobh Haven Marina just a few minutes down the road from our hotel)
- Crinan Canal Cruises – Crinan (around a 35-minute drive form Loch Melfort Hotel)
Where are our favourite places to enjoy the coast in Argyll?
Ask anyone who lives around here for their favourite stretch of coastline and you’ll probably get a different answer. We all have the places we go back to, whether it’s for a walk, a day at the beach or somewhere we always take friends and family when they come to visit.
The shoreline at here at Loch Melfort Hotel
For us, the easiest answer is right outside the hotel. The shoreline in front of the hotel leads around towards the point and is one of our favourite places for a morning or evening dog walk.
Part of the appeal is just the convenience of being able to walk straight from home, but mornings and evenings here can feel completely different. Mornings tend to feel fresh and quiet, while in the evening it’s a wonderful place to watch the sunset. The sky over the bay can turn everything from pink and purple to the fiery orange sunsets that this part of the West Coast does particularly well.
Ganavan Sands
When we fancy going a little further, Ganavan Sands, just beyond Oban, is another favourite. It’s around a 40-minute drive from Loch Melfort and has a long, flat sandy beach that’s particularly popular with dog walkers. It’s an easy place to spend an hour or two without really having a plan. At low tide, stretches of sand appear further out towards the water, giving you even more space to wander (and fof the dogs to sniff) before heading back along the beach.
There’s also a large car park right beside the beach, so it’s an easy recommendation for guests who want a straightforward coastal walk without committing to a longer hike. The council car park at Ganavan Sands is currently pay and display, with the first two hours free.
Crinan Canal
Another favourite when we’re out with the dogs is the Crinan Canal. It’s an easy walk underfoot and, importantly when you’ve got dogs with you, generally a much less muddy option than some of our countryside walks. You don’t have to tackle the whole canal either. There are various places where you can park and join the towpath, so it’s somewhere we can head for anything from a short wander to a longer walk.
The hill above Loch Melfort Hotel
For a walk straight from the hotel with a little more effort involved, there’s a track leading up the hill beside us (that leads to Cruach na Seilcheig.) The route follows a proper track and, with a locked gate preventing vehicle access, it’s a peaceful way to get up above the hotel and see the surrounding coastline from a completely different perspective. Allow around an hour to walk up and roughly 45 minutes to come back down.
A few more places we’d recommend
If friends or family are visiting, Arduaine Garden, right at the end of our hotel path, is an obvious place we’ll take them. The walks around here are beautiful, and the trail up to the viewpoint rewards you with uninterrupted views across the islands. But there are plenty of other stretches of the Argyll coast that we think are worth making a little more time for.
Ardrishaig beach is one that visitors can easily overlook. There’s a café on the waterfront, a sandy beach and yachts often bobbing in the water, yet it doesn’t tend to attract the same attention as some of the better-known coastal spots of Scotland – which is exactly why we love it!
Then there are the nearby, islands Kerrera, Seil and Easdale (take a look at our blogs about them!) while Gigha makes a lovely day out when we have more time. The ferry leaves from Tayinloan, around a 90-minute drive from Loch Melfort Hotel, and you can travel with the car or simply go across as a foot passenger. The Boathouse is within walking distance of the ferry pier for lunch, and Achamore Gardens gives you another reason to spend a few hours exploring the island.
Easdale Island
Gylen Castle on the isle of Kerrera
Seafood is a big part of life on Scotland’s West Coast
When you live by the water, you don’t have to travel very far to see where some of Scotland’s seafood comes from. When we’re eating out, a big seafood platter is usually our go-to, particularly if there are plenty of langoustines. Café Fish on Tobermory is a favourite for exactly that. At home, we’ll often head to D. Watt & Son, the fishmonger in Oban, pick up some freshly landed langoustines and cook them ourselves on the barbecue. We’ll usually have them as a starter, and when you’re buying them locally like this, they’re about as fresh as they can be. Here at the hotel, we’re particularly lucky to have some excellent seafood producers and suppliers close to home.
Find our full menu here – we cater to vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan diets
Scottish Steelhead Trout from Kames
Kames has been farming trout in the sea lochs in this area since 1972, when the family business was established by Stuart Cannon. Today, their Scottish Steelhead Trout is grown in the same waters that form part of our everyday surroundings. Steelhead is actually the same species as rainbow trout, but unlike freshwater rainbow trout, it spends part of its life at sea.
Fresh fish from Iain Stewart Fishmongers
We also work with Iain Stewart Fishmongers, a traditional family-run fishmonger based in Fort William with more than 50 years of experience in the fishing industry. They work with local fishermen and source according to what’s in season, supplying fresh fish, shellfish and smoked fish to hotels and restaurants across the region.
Of course, seafood is only part of the story when it comes to the food we serve. We work with producers and suppliers from across Argyll and the wider West Coast, and you can meet more of them on our Provenance page.
How do we make the most of being by the water?
For all the time we spend looking out at the sea, we actually manage to get out on it every now and again too. Around this part of Argyll, sailing and boating have long been part of coastal life, while kayaking, paddleboarding and sea swimming have become increasingly popular ways to enjoy the shoreline. Asknish Bay itself sees plenty of activity on the water, particularly through the warmer months, and we have four swinging moorings in the bay for guests arriving by boat.You can learn more about those on our dedicated page: Free Moorings at Loch Melfort, Sailing Guide to Asknish Bay
For our family, one of the easiest ways to get out on the water is by kayak. We keep our own kayaks here and can launch them straight from the slip in front of the hotel and our home. Staying closer to the shoreline makes for a pleasant paddle, with a little shelter from the more open water. If you’re more experienced and conditions allow, you can venture further out towards some of the small islands nearby.
The slip (located right at the end of our path) is also a popular spot for wild swimming, and it’s not unusual to see people heading into the water from the shoreline. Local open-water swimming coach Dan the Merman regularly uses this part of the coast for his swimming sessions, so if you’re wondering what it’s really like to swim in the waters around Loch Melfort, we’ve spoken to Dan about exactly that in our blog: Wild Swimming in the North West Highlands with Dan the Merman
What are communities by the sea like on Scotland’s West Coast?
When you live and run a business here, you become part of a relatively small community, and over the years many of the people around you become friends, neighbours, suppliers and colleagues. Raising our boys here has probably connected us even more closely with the community. Rugby has become a big part of family life in Oban, with Hugh playing for Oban’s first men’s team and Alex playing at under-16 level. Alex is also a piper with the Oban High School Pipe Band, who you’ll see performing at events including the Oban Games.
Music is a big part of our own social life too. Calum plays the fiddle and regularly joins other local musicians for informal sessions around the area. That might mean heading into Oban for a session at The Whisky Vaults, or playing closer to home at Melfort Village, Tigh An Truish, Seil or at the Puffer on Easdale Island.
Does it really rain all the time on Scotland’s West Coast?
We couldn’t write about life on Scotland’s West Coast without mentioning the weather. Yes, it rains. Sometimes quite a lot, but (in our local experience) that’s really no different to the rest of Scotland! As a quick fun fact, Tiree (the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides) is noted as being the 2nd sunniest place in the UK. It averages about 1524 hours of sunshine per year, sitting just behind the Isle of Wight with 1923 hours.
And, anyone who has lived here for a while will also tell you that looking at the forecast doesn’t always give you the full story. Showers can often blow over quickly, and our hotel deck is a favourite spot for locals looking to enjoy good weather with lunch or a drink.
Dare we say, ‘coolcations’ becoming a thing in Scotland?
Interestingly, our cooler West Coast weather has become something of a selling point recently. While much of Europe and large parts of England and Wales sweltered through periods of record-breaking heat this summer, things remained considerably cooler here in Argyll. We noticed it in conversations with guests too. Several told us they had deliberately chosen Scotland because they didn’t want a holiday spent trying to escape the heat. They wanted to be outside walking, exploring and sleeping comfortably at night, and were quite happy to swap soaring temperatures for a few more clouds.
There’s even a name for it now, the ‘coolcation’, with Scotland becoming increasingly popular with travellers looking for somewhere cooler to spend their summer holidays. The BBC even started reporting on the new travel term!
So perhaps our famously unpredictable West Coast weather isn’t always such a bad thing after all.
Would we ever live anywhere else?
For now, the answer is a fairly easy no.
After so many years, Argyll is home. Our family has grown up here, our friends and community are here, and the sea has become such a normal part of everyday life that we’re not sure how we’d feel about living without it. Of course, you don’t have to move to Scotland’s West Coast to understand some of what we’ve been talking about. Come and borrow our way of life for a few days instead.
Take a morning walk along the shore, keep an eye out for the otters, eat seafood that’s come from just along the coast, head out onto the water and, if the weather plays along, finish the day watching the sun set over Asknish Bay.
Loch Melfort Hotel has been our home for the past 18 years. We’d love to share a little of it with you.
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