A Culinary Highlight Ardfern to Gigha 16 August 2025

 

Gigha was like the Costa del Sol today.  Very sunny, very calm, and thronging with people enjoying themselves.  The beaches were busy, there were paddle boarders everywhere, the Boathouse restaurant was spilling out onto the beach, and the pontoon was full - RIBs were tied up three deep at one point.

We left Ardfern shortly after 10.00 and headed south.  The sea was like a millpond and surprisingly un-busy with other boats.  However it was busy with Harbour Porpoises - they seemed to be everywhere.  I presume they are everywhere all the time, but you just don’t see them.  With today’s conditions every fin that broke the surface was spotted.

When we got to Gigha we wanted to go on the pontoon, but there wasn’t a chance.  Too busy.  So we tied up to a mooring not far from the end of the pontoon, and for a good part of the afternoon we watched the sights and sounds of a happy place.  Good to see. We even needed the Bimini up it was so hot - a rare event indeed.

It’s a tough life but someone has to live it.



At 17.00 we went ashore for a bit of a pre-dinner walk - there are a couple of fairly recently created walks to or from the harbour, that take you through the near-shore habitat full of wide flowers, butterflies, birds, plus a few bees, wasps and ants!  

Car parked outside one of the visitor shops.
We didn’t hang around to find out the outcome.


Following these walks took us past the recently refurbished Gigha Hotel - not yet operating as an hotel, but the bar was open.  We felt obliged to support the local economy 🍺🍺🍺🍺

Then it was down to the harbour where The Boathouse restaurant is located.  We had a booking, which was just as well because they were turning people away.  

They are seafood specialists.  We had scallops and mussels to start with, and then two portions of Hake and two of John Dory.  It was extremely good.  Susie had a pineapple carpaccio as a sweet - that was reported to be wonderful as well.
This is not a cheap restaurant, but actually was less than we were expecting. We would definitely come back again.

Lazaway at its mooring just before dark.


Looking back at the pontoon and restaurant.

On board we played Race Across the World (board game version) and had a final spirit night cap.

Our route:




























































































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