Port Appin

Castle Stalker with the Mountains of Morvern Beyond

Port Appin lies on the coast of Appin, just north of Loch Creran as it meets the sea. It looks directly across the strip of water called the Lynn of Lorn to the northern tip of the island of Lismore, and across Loch Linnhe to the coast of Morvern beyond.

Appin Community Co-op Another View of Castle Stalker Lismore Seen from Port Appin The Airds Hotel

This is one reason why Port Appin can be a crowded place at popular times of the year. The shortest and cheapest ferry crossing to Lismore runs from the jetty here. The Lismore is a passenger-only ferry running every hour Monday- Saturday (8am - 8pm summer sailings; 8am - 6.30pm winter sailings) in each direction, with a 2 hourly service on Sundays. There is also a small car ferry linking Lismore to Oban. This allows you more flexibility on the island, and your own transport, but at a higher price and with a lower frequency of service.

The Lismore Ferry

Village Craft Shop

1920-Era Roadsign in Port Appin

The first signs of development in Port Appin were on a 1750 map that showed a substantial house here, and also recorded a ferry route to Lismore. Another ferry ran from nearby North Shian across Loch Creran to South Shian on the Benderloch peninsula.

By 1850, Port Appin was being visited by steamers en route from Inverness to Glasgow via the Caledonian and Crinan Canals. More recent years have seen a range of developments. The Airds Hotel was steadily enlarged to what you see today while the historic Pierhouse Hotel was once the original residence of the Pier Master who was responsible for overseeing cargo and passengers onto the 19th century steamers. Both offer superb food and accommodation, and both take full advantage of the breathtaking scenery. In the early 1990s the village shop in Port Appin was taken over by a local co-operative and is also home to a busy Post Office.

Port Appin is also the terminus of a private ferry that runs across Loch Linnhe to Glensanda on the Morvern coast. This ferry allows local people to work in the Glensanda superquarry. Glensanda involves the quarrying of an entire granite mountain, Meall na Easaiche, before transporting the pulverised granite along a mile of conveyor belts in tunnels to a jetty, where it is loaded directly into bulk carriers.

Glensanda started operation in 1986 to provide lining material for the English half of the Channel Tunnel. At its height two ships a day sailed from here, and they even laid out a small airstrip on the coast. Today Glensanda continues to provide high quality granite to various destinations in Europe and beyond.

As you turn off the main A828 towards Port Appin your attention is immediately caught by Castle Stalker, set on its own very small islet in Loch Laich. Castle Stalker was built in about 1495 by Duncan Stewart of Appin who was granted lands in the area by James IV for his support in destroying the power of the Lords of the Isles (see our Historical Timeline). The castle was taken by the Campbells in 1620, before being recaptured by the Stewarts after a siege in 1685. The castle was abandoned in the late 1700s and roofless by 1830. What you see today has been restored since the 1960s.

It is possible to visit Castle Stalker on certain dates between May and September. More details and contact information can be had from the castle website. Access is dependent on the state of the tide and the weather.

Port Appin & The Pierhouse Hotel Seen from the Sea Image Courtesy of The Pierhouse Hotel