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Isle of Gigha by bike

9/2/2025

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Sunset in Gigha. The Island of Jura is on the horizon
Sunset in Gigha. The Island of Jura is on the horizon

Highlights

  • white sand beaches
  • ideal for cycling as the island is only 7 miles long by 1.5 miles wide 
  • 13th century Kilchattan Chapel
  • Achamore gardens with its exotic plants
  • Buying treats like island shortbread and tablet from honesty boxes

Getting to Gigha

The Isle of Gigha is reached by Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Tayinloan. The ferry takes 20 minutes. There are several ways to get to Tayinloan.

Citylink coach, service 926, from Glasgow
It takes around 4 hours to reach Tayinloan and the coach can carry one bicycle. You can book on the Citylink website.

Ferry to the Isle of Arran and 34 miles of cycling
You start this route by taking a train from Glasgow to Ardrossan (45 minutes). Then a ferry to the Isle of Arran. You cycle 14 miles across Arran to Lochranza. From there take another ferry across to Claonaig. Finally, cycle about 20 miles to reach Tayinloan.

Ferry to Campbeltown and 21 miles of cycling
You start this route by taking a train from Glasgow to Ardrossan. Then a ferry to Campbeltown. It's then a 21 mile cycle to Tayinloan.

Big Jessie's Tearoom

Tayinloan shoreline. The water is crystal clear. Low lying hills on the horizon
The shoreline at the ferry terminal for the ferry to Gigha
The ferry terminal at Tayinloan has a sandy beach and crystal clear water. It's certainly a contender for one of Scotland's most beautiful ferry docks.

​Big Jessie's tea room is here- do not pass it by. You can get an amazing sandwich called the Gigha Rarebit. It's a delicious combination of toasted bread, melted cheese, spring onions, mustard and garlic. ​There's an outdoor seating area that's perfect for soaking up some rays. 
Gigha Rarebit. Toasted bread with melted cheese on the top.
Gigha Rarebit at Big Jessie's Tearoom
There's also a great selection of home baking. I had a delicious toffee cake on my visit.
Toffee cake at Big Jessie's tea room
Toffee cake at Big Jessie's tea room

The ferry to Gigha

The ferry to Gigha. It is quite a small ferry with one deck and is painted black and white
The ferry to Gigha
The ferry is always a highlight when visiting Scottish islands. This is when the excitement builds about the journey ahead. The sense of anticipation of taking a boat to somewhere new. The smell of the sea. The rhythm of the boat. The sound of water churned by the propellors.

It's quite hypnotic sitting on the deck of a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry. The sun on my face. The gentle breeze. Surrendering myself to 'ferry time'. One of the best 20 minutes I've spent on public transport.
The view from the ferry to Gigha. There are hills on the horizon
The view from the ferry to Gigha. The hills on the horizon are the Isle of Jura

My first impression of Gigha

On some islands the place where the ferry arrives is not the most scenic and you have to cycle a little bit before it gets beautiful. Gigha is different. As soon as you are off the boat there's a small, white, perfect beach. There was a blue rowing boat on the grass in front of the beach, creating one of those quintessential Scottish island scenes.
Beach on the Isle of Gigha
The beach next to where the ferry arrives at Gigha
A blue boat with a beach in the background, on the Isle of Gigha
Boat overlooking the beach

Gigha hotel

Gigha hotel
Gigha Hotel
It's mores special to stay a night on a small island, instead of doing a day trip. It lets you slow down the pace and not rush around trying to see everything before the last ferry to the mainland.  You get to experience what it is like to wake up on a island and perhaps enjoy an evening meal.

I stayed in the Gigha hotel. It's a cosy, small hotel. In its restaurant I enjoyed a meal of scallops, followed by a burger. There was a large family sitting at the table next to me. The children were indecisive about which desserts to order. One of the adults had been outside for a cigarette and announced to the children, "I've found a nest! I think there are chicks inside. Do you want to see?"

The hotel is currently closed (as of February 2025) for renovations. There are other places to stay and eat on the island. You can find them all on the Visit Gigha website. 

Sunset cycle

Sun setting over the Isle of Jura,seen from the Isle of Gigha
Sun setting over the Isle of Jura,seen from the Isle of Gigha
I love heading out for a post-dinner cycle. Summer evenings on a Scottish island can be the most magical time for a bike ride. There's usually very few people around and you can often catch a sunset. The one I saw on Gigha will stay with me forever. 

The island was completely quiet, apart from birdsong. I felt like I had entered a portal to another world, transported to paradise. The setting sun over the Paps of Jura was stunning. I could not take my eyes off it. I felt like I was in a dream, that only such perfection can happen in a dream. 
Sunset, reflecting golden light onto a beach on the Isle of Gigha
Sunset from the beach. Isle of Gigha
This was particularly acute when I walked to a small beach marked with a sign for 'fisherman's cave.' The sun had turned the sand golden. I compared it to a sparkling bar of gold in a bank vault. Not that I've seen a bar of gold, but this is what I thought of. The water was completely still, not even the sound of a ripple. The experience was overwhelming. The beauty of our planet can easily leave you speechless. ​
A view of the Paps of Jura from Gigha. It's sunset and there is a beach in the foreground
Looking to the Paps of Jura from Gigha

The giant's tooth

During my sunset cycle I visited Carragh an Tairbeirt, a standing stone that looks  like a tooth. Legend has it that a giant had toothache and pulled it out its mouth, throwing it to the ground.

​The stone has been here since at least the Bronze Age and it is located on the narrowest part of the island. It was perhaps used to mark this spot so that it could be seen by sailors who could drag their boats across the land, instead of having to sail around it.
Carragh an Tairbeirt, standing stone on Isle of Gigha
Carragh an Tairbeirt, standing stone in Gigha

Gigha shortbread

The next day I explored more of the island. It was perfect cycling, with a noticeable absence of motor vehicles. I came across a table by the roadside with a collection of things for sale. It had an honesty box and a price list held in place with beach pebbles. I bought the tablet and shortbread, wrapped with a tartan bow. The shortbread was my favourite, the right combination of crunchy, crumbly butteriness. 
Gigha tablet and shortbread. They are rapped with tartan ribbon
Gigha tablet and shortbread

Kilchattan Chapel

I stopped at this 13th century ruin, having read about the beautfully carved grave stones. The chapel was dedicated to St. Catan, an Irish missionary.
Kilchattan Chapel on the Isle of Gigha. It is a stone ruin with no roof
Kilchattan Chapel
For me the most impressive carved stone is the one of a warrior. The figure looks like it has a kilt and wearing a sheathed sword. This is the grave of Malcolm MacNeil who was chieftan of the island in the 15th century.
Carved gravestone of Malcolm MacNeill at Kilchattan. The carving is of a warrior figure with a sword and kilt
Carved gravestone of Malcolm MacNeill at Kilchattan

Achamore Gardens

One of the top attractions on the island is the 54 acre Achamore Gardens. It's full of exotic and rare plants. Achamore House was built by the Scarlett family when they bought the island in 1837. In 1944 Sir James Horlick became the new laird of the island and he was a keen gardener.

Sir James transformed the grounds with rare and exotic plants. These include Brazilian rhubarb, Chilean Fire Bush and a rhododendron that's found only on one mountain in Myanmar. 
Achamore House, Isle of Gigha. It's a large house, 2 stories tall. It's painted white and has several bay windows
Achamore House
In 2002 the community bought the island from it's last private landowner. The gardens are now owned by the Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust.   
Achamore Gardens
Achamore Gardens
A mild climate helped by the Gulf Stream provides ideal growing conditions for the plants at Achamore. The extensive woodland gives them shelter from harsh winds.

I spent 2 hours here. The gardens are surprisingly large and when you are deep inside them it's easy to forget you are on an island. You can loose yourself in the beauty of the place, enjoying the variety of flowers. There is a sense of being somewhere tropical because of the exotic nature of what grows here. It's so peaceful that the loudest sound is buzzing insects.
Pond at Achamore Gardens
Pond at Achamore Gardens
Achamore gardens
Achamore gardens
Don't miss the viewpoint at Achamore gardens. It looks towards the islands of Jura and Islay.
A view from Achamore gardens on the Isle of Gigha. It looks over a shoreline with inslets and islands. The Isles of Islay and Jura are on the horizon
The viewpoint from Achamore gardens

Isle of Gigha ice cream

The Wee Isle Dairy is a family business producing milk and ice cream. They have a cafe where you can enjoy the ice cream or pick up a tub from Ardminish Stores. The tubs are decorated with photos of the island.

Let me tell you this is great ice cream. It tastes especially good when you read that they do not use the nasty ingredients you can find in other ice creams. 
Ice cream tub from the Wee Isle Dairy, Isle of Gigha. It features a picture of a family playing in the water at a beach. It's a sunny day with blue skies.
Ice cream from the Wee Isle Dairy

Other things to do on Gigha

  • try seafood at The Boathouse Restaurant or The Nook
  • enjoy a celebration of culture and music at the Sound of Gigha festival
  • hire a kayak or paddleboard from Gigha Boats and Activity Centre

Where next?

Try cycling to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse. It's one of the best bike rides I've experienced in Scotland.

First you take the A83 to Campbeltown. It's about 21 miles south of Tayinloan. Then it's 17 miles from Campbeltown to the lighthouse.
Cycling to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse
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