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Visitors Moorings & Pontoons in W. Scotland

Sometimes it's nice to know that at the end of a long, tiring passage you will be able to go alongside a pontoon or pick up a mooring buoy. A buoy that is rated for a greater tonnage than your vessel, which you know is regularly inspected, is a great comfort when an onshore wind begins to howl in the small hours. However, bear in mind that the visitors moorings might all be taken when you arrive, so be prepared to anchor or go elsewhere if necessary - never assume there will be a buoy available. Beware also entries in the pilot book which mention visitors moorings - these entries can be out of date.

Moorings and visitor pontoons are put down and maintained by various bodies. Some moorings - usually council maintained - are free. Others maintained by a local body - e.g. Tobermory Harbour Authority - will cost you up to £10 per night, with various facilities onshore usually available as part of the deal. Some pubs and hotels also lay visitors moorings. These are often free provided you have a meal. There will invariably be a charge for a pontoon berth, and these are detailed below when known.

A couple of cautions on buoys - many have no pickup, and threading a rope through the ring can prove tricky; a midships pickup may be easier. On buoys with no pickup, a single rope passed through the ring and back to the yacht can quickly chafe through in the course of a lively night, so either tie on with a knot to the ring or use a short section of chain. A short section of chain with poly hose over it where it goes through the bow roller - for peace and quiet - is a useful addition to the anchor locker. If you must use a slip rope, use two.

Visitors Moorings and Pontoons in W. Scotland

Visitors Moorings and Pontoons in Scotland, Arranged By Area

PLEASE NOTE: While this information is believed to be accurate and up to date, no guarantee can be given and it should be assumed that all moorings are used at your own risk. BlueMoment is not responsible for any incidents that may arise as a result of the use of this information. If you have any corrections or further information, please     LAST UPDATED 12th APRIL 2007

Information here is primarily about facilities designed for overnight or short-term stays. Marinas or long-term mooring facilities will often also have overnight moorings or berths for visitors. These can be found in the Scottish Marinas and Moorings section of the website. If you are planning a Scottish cruise you are strongly advised to consult this section of the website in addition to the information contained below.

FIRTH OF CLYDE:   North Ayrshire : top

Millport, Great Cumbrae Updated May 2007
12 moorings in one trot with one marker buoy. Owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council - they are all free, blue and marked "Visitors Only 15 Tonnes Max". They should be laid in time for the Easter holidays and are usually lifted late October.

Brodick, Isle of Arran Updated May 2007
15 moorings in 3 trots of 5 owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council - they are all free, blue and marked "Visitors Only 15 Tonnes Max". They should be laid in time for the Easter holidays and are usually lifted late October.

Lamlash, Isle of Arran Updated July 2004

Latest report from a correspondent indicates 10 yellow visitor's mooring buoys. He did also notice the green buoys but took advice from someone already tied up to one of the yellow buoys. He also confirms that there is supposed to be a charge (£10 he thinks), but he was not approached for payment before leaving at about 10.30am.

June 2003 report was of new moorings, close to village, northern end of bay. 15 in total, painted green. There is a charge, but although our correspondent was there for an overnight stay, he reports that no-one collected fees.

Lochranza, Isle of Arran Updated May 2007
12 moorings in one trot. Owned and maintained by North Ayrshire Council - they are free, blue and marked "Visitors Only 15 Tonnes Max"

In Southerly winds this bay can be very squally, and fin keelers may swing about dramatically. Don't just use one slip rope! Facilities ashore: hotel (bar).

Added Apr 2008   A recent report suggests there may now only be 5 moorings, but that they appear to be recently serviced.

FIRTH OF CLYDE:   Argyll & Butetop

Argyll Hotel, Strone, nr. Dunoon
The new owners are in the process of having visitors moorings laid. To date (May 1st 2003) there is 1 single 10 ton one laid, with a further two 10 ton ones to be laid within the next two weeks These moorings are being installed by a qualified contractor. The hotel offers a small selection of bar meals , fine beers & ales,Wines and spirits, and in the future they hope to offer showering facilities. (RECENT INFORMATION SOUGHT FOR THIS ENTRY)

West Bay, DunoonUpdated June 2007
On a recent visit (04 June 2007) local residents advised that two of the four moorings at Dunoon were blown away in spring 07. The remaining moorings should therefore be considered unsafe.

Knockderry House Hotel, Loch LongAdded May 2005

At the entrance to Loch Long. 6 15 Tonne well maintained moorings with pickup buoys, for the exclusive use of visitors to the hotel. The hotel often has special offers on for the sailing community - such as a free bottle of wine with lunch or discounted accommodation ( for those who fancy a night ashore). See the website at http://www.knockderryhouse.co.uk for more details.

Ardentinny Hotel, Loch LongUpdated WInter 2004

The dinghy pontoon is no longer available, and a correspondent has reported that the moorings have not been checked in three years. The hotel is now being used as temporary housing for homeles people by Argyll & Bute Council. Based on current information, we recommend that yachtsmen do not use these moorings.

Creggans Inn, Loch Fyne
Five fully maintained and serviced moorings available for guests. Maximum weight is 10 Tonnes. The Inn is at Strachur on the east shore of Loch Fyne, approximately 18 nm from Ardrishaig. See their website for more details

Otter Ferry, Loch FyneUpdated Mar 2008
Five visitor moorings maintained by the Oystercatcher Hotel on the East coast of the loch. Blue with top rings, no pickups. Recent addition of a floating pier for dinghies just south of the old ferry jetty. Wireless internet available to visiting yachts. See their website for more details

Head of Loch Fyne
At the head of Loch Fyne, further on from Creggans, there are 4 fully maintained and serviced moorings available free for patrons of the Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd. oyster bar and shop - maximum weight 10 tonnes, overnight stay possible. The oyster bar & shop are situated 200 yards along the main road from the moorings - further details on http://www.loch-fyne.com/

Kilchattan Bay
St. Blane's hotel. Six free moorings in the Bay for the use of visiting yachts dining at the hotel. Donations to the Kilchattan Bay Pier Fund in the box on the refurbished pier at your discretion. Moorings are clearly marked for St Blane's use and are checked annually. Hotel web site http://www.stblaneshotel.com.

Colintraive Hotel, E. Kyles of ButeUpdated July 2005
3 x 15 tonne white mooring buoys with pick ups to north of ferry ramp. Showers available £2.50 with towel. Excellent food.

Tighnabruich, Kyles of ButeUpdated Oct 2007
Many years ago, HIDB established three trots of moorings, six at each site, at Tighnabruaich Hotel, Royal Hotel and Kames Hotel. Over the years, these were adopted by the host hotels and the situation in Jan 2002) was :

Tighnabruaich Hotel, beside RNLI station. No maintenance on these for a number of years, should be considered to be redundant

Royal Hotel ( * * * * ). Elegant restaurant and a bistro overlooking the Kyles. Bar lunches and dinners. Local seafood a speciality. Twelve moorings, serviced annually, remain in water throughout year. A lightweight pier was constructed last year with a floating pontoon for dinghies.

Kames Hotel ( * * * ) Impressive dining room, dedicated malt whisky bar, real ales, good food. Shower available for visitors. Golf club (9) overlooking the Kyles. Fifteen moorings, annually serviced. Two moorings (15t) in all year, others taken ashore for service, reinstated in March. Easy landing on a clean shelving beach. Website: http://www.kames-hotel.com/
Availability is generally good but there are occasions when all the moorings are full.
UPDATE June 2005 - Hotel under new management but moorings still there. Radio station no longer in existence.

In October 2007 a correspondent reported that there are usually moorings available for vistors at Mara Marine, and often no charge for 1 night, but you must go ashore and ask permission.

National Centre, Great Cumbrae
In the last few years there have been developments at the centre, which now has a floating break water with land connection. Visiting yachts are welcome to tie alongside in suitable conditions and will now find a licensed bar in the centre to offer a refreshment. This can provide some excellent shelter and easy access ashore. Details re. depths/tides etc. to follow.

Rothesay BayUpdated July 2007
Bute Berthing Company at Rothesay Bay have laid 35 visitor moorings. Charges are currently £7 per night, collected each morning. A recent correspondent reports that they are badly affected by ferry wash. (Could the person who sent the report please resend it, as fhe details have gone astray)

FIRTH OF CLYDE:   Kintyre Peninsula top

SandaAdded April 2007
We have been advised that the mooring buoy at Sanda Island is not maintained and is dangerous. Apparently 2 x yachts have ended up on the rocks. £10 overnight charged for the mooring - current advice is don't use it, ANCHOR FREE!

CampbelltownUpdated August 2007
Visitors pontoon opposite the lifeboat station. Outer (SE) end can be a bit exposed if the wind is blowing straight up the loch, but otherwise OK. Charges are £11 per night, with every third night being free. Electricity available on pontoon, using swipe cards. Some gas bottles for sale on pontoon. Showers at nearby swimming pool visible from pontoon, WC at public conveniences in town, closed overnight. Free internet access at library (same building as swimming pool): after registering, card gives access to all libraries in Argyll and Bute. (May 07).

Note - the large shed at Trench Point shown on page 84 of the 'Clyde to Colonsay Guide' has been demolished.

Tarbert Loch FyneUpdated October 2007
Long pontoon with space usually available, although you will have to raft up at busy times. Very sheltered. Rates now (2007) an expensive £19 per night for a 31 footer. Good toilet facilities, but showers cost extra. Good pub grub onshore. (The Victoria is a yachty favourite).

PortavadieAdded October 2007
Portavadie now open - basic facilities - showers/toilets. No pub yet but one is planned. Cost £15 for a 31 ft boat. Ferry to Tarbert, or the marina manager will run you to Tignabruich and you can get a taxi back.

Ardrishaig, entrance to Crinan Canal
There is a small waiting pontoon which might be used for an overnighter when waiting for the sea lock to open in the morning.

MAINLAND:   Argyll & Butetop

Crinan BoatyardUpdated Oct 2007
Overnight fees on buoy £15. Loading pontoon for stores, diesel & water (£1 for fresh water, £2 to wash down). Don't leave the boat on the pontoon though. Good chandlers.

Kilmelfort Yacht Haven, Loch Melfort
55 heavy-duty swinging moorings up to 60 tonnes capacity and 6 alongside berths for short stay and loading/unloading. Nightly rates up to 6 metres £7.00, over 6 metres, £11.00. Mooring rates include free use of the pier and pontoons, normally for loading and unloading, easy access to diesel and water supplies, 24 hour, 7 day access to toilets, showers and washing facilities, free car parking, locked dinghy compound and public telephone. See http://www.kilmelfordyachthaven.co.uk/ for more information and long-stay rates.

Melfort Pier & Harbour, Loch MelfortUpdated May 2006
There are now 20 moorings, all in place and set ready for use. Cost is £12 per night. There is a pontoon available for short term loading, unloading, taking on water etc., but check depth as this gets shallow at low water. Facilities: shower (£1), toilet. Laundrette, power and drinking water all on request at office. A restaurant and bar are under construction and expected to be in service by late summer 2006.

Ardfern, Loch Craignish
Ample swinging moorings, including some suitable for larger vessels. £1 per metre per night for visitors, or £1.50 per metre on the visitor's pontoon, which has space for 25 yachts. See http://www.ardfernyacht.co.uk/home.htm for more details.

Arduaine, Loch Shuna - Melfort HotelUpdated Oct 2003
56°13'9N 005°33'2W
4 pink buoys with pickups, free to customers. Exposed to the S. Excellent food and drink at the hotel, with spectacular views from the terrace. Usually dropped in the Winter.

Oban BayUpdated Oct 2007
The visitor moorings on both the north and south sides of Oban Bay were taken over by Northwest Marine in about 2004 or 2005. The buoys are now yellow with chain pickups. Thee was at first a phone number to pay (about £10 per night) but that has stopped. As far as can be ascertained the moorings have not been serviced for at least two years. They seem to be slowly disappearing. There are currently 2 on the north side and 3 or 4 on the south..

Barcaldine Marine, Loch CreranUpdated Oct 2007
50 new moorings installed 2006-07 at Barcaldine, 3.5 miles from Loch Creran entrance. Planned new shore facilities were not complete at the end of the 2007 season, but planned amenities include a loading pontoon, toilets and showers, waterside car parking, and secure dinghy storage. Water and fuel alongside. Resident moorings plus long and short term visitor moorings.

Note that Creran Marine, and not Barcaldine Marine, own the trots of white mooring bouys West of Barcaldine pier: there are no specific visitors moorings but space can usually be found on vacant moorings (max. 8.5T, 36'). Equally the 2 yellow moorings immediately West of the Pier belong to Creran Marine and are not visitors moorings.

The Pierhouse, Port AppinAdded Jul 2006
8 or 10 moorings (reports vary) with pickups at The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin, Argyll. Cost is £10 / day with showering and drying facilities offered to all guests who arrive by sea. Overnight stays are fre to diners. Plans exist to erect a floating pontoon (summer 07). Bar and renowned Seafood Restaurant. Website. Tel. 01631 730 302.

Linnhe MarineUpdated Oct 2007
Good loading pontoon with plenty of water (40ft+ even at low water) with water piped to the end of the pontoon, red diesel for sale and showers - though the toilet is some way off. A ferry service is provided to the moorings - even out of hours. The mooring area is very sheltered from the south and west but somewhat exposed to the north and a short swell can enter the bay. There is a bouyed channel to the south leading to the area north of Lismore and hence south to Oban or west to Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull if you're going that way. Moorings are around £10 per night. More info at http://www.linnhemarina.co.uk/

INNER HEBRIDES:   Argyll & Bute : top

Ardminish Bay, Isle of Gigha
11 15 tonne mooring buoys, no pickups. Owned and maintained annually by Argyll and Bute Council. (NB - Argyll & Bute tell us they put out the maintenance of their remaining moorings to tender each Spring. All moorings are then inspected by the successful contractor(s) and any essential maintenance/replacement work carried out).

Port Ellen, IslayUpdated Oct 2007
Port Ellen now has pontoons with electricity and water. This is a vast improvement on the visitors moorings, which were very exposed and a long dinghy ride out. Recently (2007) dredged so there is now 3m minimum depth. No toilet block as of Summer 2003 - which seems a bit of an oversight. A report (2007) says that the hotel is charging £3 for showers. Operated by Port Ellen Harbour Association. Charges are £12/night under 10m and £14/night over 10m (2007) and include water and electricity. See the website for more details.

(The old Visitors Mooring buoys out in the bay were still there in 2007 - but we have no current information on their status)

Craighouse, Isle of JuraUpdated Apr 2008
The moorings have been taken over by the Isle fo Jura Development Trust. They plan to install an additional 8 moorings outside the 8 existing ones. At the stone pier they intend to install a dinghy pontoon and bridge as well as lighting along the pier and will be removing many of the boulders in the area of the moorings and pier. There will be a charge for use of the moorings/pontoons (amount not yet known) which will be retained within the project to support operational and maintenance costs and in addition maintenance of the stone pier which the trust are currently taking over ownership of. They hope to have the pontoon and bridge installed during June and the additional moorings in place and boulders removed during April/May.

Overnight charge £10, short stay £5. Pick up buoys will be installed on all moorings. Fees will be collected by honesty box or at the Jura Hotel bar or collected on the moorings.

Arinagour, Isle of CollUpdated Oct 2007
£15 for mooring on the visitor moorings. No receipt, no leaving of rubbish ashore. Showers at hotel, £3. All bouys now have strops and pickup bouys - although one correspondent has reported buoys and pickups as being in 'dubious condition'.

Tobermory, Isle of MullLast update Mayl 2005
The moorings here are owned by Tobermory Harbour Association. The charge is £12 per night (slightly cheaper for under 8m).

NEW PONTOONS: There are now pontoons at Tobermory. New and shiny, plenty of depth, rubber edges for careless parkers. Cost is £2 per metre per night. Water available, diesel in cans.

Tobermory gets very busy in the Summer, and you should plan on getting there by 4pm on weekends to have any hope of finding a mooring - although the pontoon will help. There is an anchoring area, but it is deep and the holding is adequate but not great.

Salen (Isle of Mull)updated June 2005
A correspondent reports that he stopped off at Salen last summer and didn't find any moorings. There are two BIG moorings, possibly for ferries, but no yacht moorings. He anchored off the ruined pier.  

Craignure (Isle of Mull)Updated Jul 2002
It appears that there are no visitors moorings at Craignure this season (2002). A correspondent reports: "We were at Craignure in our Contessa 28 over the weekend of 29th/30th June. There are no visitors' moorings out in the bay, but we anchored in good holding close inshore about 3 cables west of the ferry pier. Going ashore, we saw the visitor's buoys lying in the grass on the shore". If anyone has any further information, please  

ARDNAMURCHAN:   Argyll & Bute

Salen, Loch SunartLast update April 2007
4 red visitors' buoys (marked 'Jetty') maintained by a 'local' who says they are inspected and insured. Suitable for 15 tons. Charge depends on size, but a recent (Feb 2005) correspondent reported paying an outrageous £20 per night for a 12m boat in 2004. No pickups on the moorings. Charge includes use of private jetty. (There are charges for using it to land from a dinghy if anchored). Diesel and water available at the jetty (from about half tide). Water is charged for.

UPDATE OCT 2005: This report is given verbatim from a correspondent:

"David, who owns the jetty and moorings at Salen could not be more helpful. He lives above the harbour and will invaraibly meet any visiting yacht as it arrives. He comes out in his dinghy, provides a follow-me service to the moorings, attaches your mooring lines to the bouy, provides the latest weather forecast, offers his local advice, takes your rubbish and could not be more helpful.He can readily supply water and diesel and arrange a wide range of services to support visiting yachtsmen in this remote location. Also, he will almost instantly provide locally caught shell fish of excelleny quality on request. He is an ex master mariner and sea pilot and knows the sea well. In fact, I'd say that these moorings are the most welcoming and helful on the west of Scotland.

Salen Hotel has reopened, the food is excellent and the hosts really welcome yachties.

UPDATE APRIL 2007: This report is likewise verbatim from a correspondent:

"Your website is right, Davie who looks after the place is fabulous, no end of help, assisted with lines, took rubbish ashore and can offer diesel. The hotel has as you say re-opened with fantastic food and atmosphere. Davie will also look after your dinghy for tides etc. £15 per night for our 32 foot cruiser.

The editor can only comment that he personally finds £15 a night a bit steep for a small boat - Tobermory is cheaper.

KilchoanUpdated May 2004
4 moorings, no pickups, rated to 15 tons. Fully insured, maintained by West Ardnamurchan Jetty Assoc. Ltd. Last inspected May 2000, new inspection scheduled for April 2002. Cost per night: £ 10 requested. Facilities ashore: Two pubs. One general store. Water. Petrol. Diesel. Calor Gas. Camping Gaz. Showers. Jetty. Launching ramp. Community Center with tourist information, cafe, fitness center. Ferry to Tobermory. Bus to Fort William. (anchorage possible to East of visitor moorings). Local web site: http://www.ardnamurchan.com/ . These moorings are very exposed to the S and W.

ISLE OF SKYEtop

Armadale, Isle of Skye
6 blue former HIDB moorings rated to 15tonnes. These have been taken over by the local moorings association, South Skye Marine Development Association. There is a charge of £12 per night,which is collected by Isle of Skye Yachts.

Isle of Skye Yachts maintain a further 11 yacht moorings in the bay, inshore of the blue visitor ones. These are primarily for their charter fleet, but are usually vacant for Saturday (after 6pm) through to Thursday night. Visitors, max 15t/40' are very welcome to use them at a cost of £12 per night. Isle of Skye Yachts can provide fuel(diesel) and water directly to yachts on one of their moorings via a very long hose, and most other visitor services are available ashore; petrol, Gas and Gaz, Laundry, Shop, Pub/Restaurant, Chandlery. The majority of moorings now have float buoys, either yellow or grey, with a pick up pennant. There is a new 12m pontoon in the lee of the old stone pier to which dinghies can be tied. Also yachts may go in at +half tide to briefly (no unattended vessels) take on fuel or water. Electricity also available.

KyleakinUpdated May 2006
There are 3 15tonne visitors moorings off the beach at Kyleakin (blue, no pickup) which are maintained annually by Highland Council divers. Overnight use is free of charge. There is also a new (2000) pontoon in Kyleakin, beside the ferry terminal. Fees for an overnight stay are £5.00 for yachts under 35ft, otherwise £10.00. The £100,000 pontoon facility provides 180 metres of year-round berthing space and a minimum depth of water alongside (low spring tides) of 3 metres. It is sheltered from the west, and will often provide a more comfortable overnight stay than the Kyle pontoon across the water. Pontoon has no water hose - adjacent tap.

NOTE May 2006: the shuttle bus between Kyleakin and Kyle of Lochalsh no longer operates. The service is now irregular and operates from Kyleakin youth hostel, not the pontoon. Fare is now 70p instead of 15p.

Raasay, Churchton Bay
There are 4 15 tonne Highland Council-maintained visitors moorings in the bay, blue, no pickup. Overnight use is free of charge.

Portree, Isle of SkyeLast update Oct 2007
There are 8 15 tonne visitors moorings in the bay, blue, no pickup. Maintained by Highland Council. They are no longer free of charge - we have a report (Aug 02) of a charge of £15 for a 37ft yacht for one night - payment is to the Harbourmaster in his office on the pier. Buoys exposed to SWlys.

Updated Oct 2005  "Tons of moorings - just be quick. Great place to boot."

Updated Feb 2007  "The Local Authority has laid a trot of 8 (?) yellow visitor buoys. They are very close together."

Stein, Isle of SkyeUpdated Jul 2003
There are 4 15 tonne visitors moorings in the bay, blue, no pickup. Maintained by Highland Council. Overnight use is free of charge. Overhauled with new chains July 2003.

Dunvegan, Isle of SkyeUpdated Aug 2003
There are 3? visitors moorings in the bay, various colours, no pickup. Not sure who they are maintained by, or even if. We spent a night in July 2003 on a yellow buoy laid by Dunvegan Hotel - there used to be more of these.

Updated Feb 2007  The 4 visitor buoys look to be non-maintained and the closest to the hotel is very shallow. There is now water on a floating pontoon at the pier.

Carbost, Isle of SkyeUpdated May 2005
Spencer from the Old Inn in Carbost, Isle Of Skye writes (May 2005) :"We are located besides the Talisker distillery in Carbost on the west of Skye in Loch Harport. The distillery manages two free green moorings for visiting boats both with pickups situated out from the pub. Water, showers, laundry, accommodation, food and drink are all available at the Old Inn which offers traditional Highland hospitality. Our website is www.carbost.f9.co.uk . We are in the process of trying a get a grant to provide additional moorings and a pontoon, hopefully by next year."

HIGHLAND REGIONtop

Ballachulish - West Harbour
A 40 metre pontoon is maintained by Lochaber Watersports www.lochaberwatersports.co.uk. LIMITED visitors berthing space is available when their own yachts are away. An advance phone call to 07831 846025 may be helpful. Cost is £15 per night and includes FREE use of swimming pool and sauna at the adjacent Swallow Isles of Glencoe Hotel. Water and rubbish disposal is available at the pontoon. A well stocked Co-op, doctor, Post Office and bank(Tues and Fri) are in Ballachulish - 5 minutes away. Fuel is available at Glencoe Garage about 2 miles away.

Fort William
One yellow visitors buoy maintained by Lochaber Yacht Club and inspected twice yearly. £5 per night.

Arisaig HarbourUpdated Oct 2003
Arisaig Marine have a total of fifty moorings for rental. These are suitable mainly for vessels up to 13 meters, but five are for vessels up to 24 meters. Buoys have pickups. They are professionally checked with Divers in March or April of each year, with a report on file of replacements conditions etc.

Fees are paid at the Harbour Office. There are public toilets five minutes from the Linkspan landing or Pier, and showers available at the Arisaig Hotel which is about two minutes walk. The village has an excellent range of facilities, Hotel, Bistro with accommodation, Cafe/Take away, Grocers Shop, Post Office, Doctors surgery, Railway station and Bus service. The Boatyard has repair facilities, Slipway for up to 24mtr vessels, Diesel, Parking and Winter Storage facilities. See the website for more details or contact info@arisaig.co.uk.

Kyle of Lochalsh
There is a visitors pontoon West of the Railway Pier, offering berthing for approx. 8 yachts (more if rafted up). Convenient for taking on stores, but can be exposed. As well as swell, can be subject to disturbance from other traffic. (Tourist trip boats need constant access to load and unload their passengers). Water available on the pontoon. Fuel at the Fishery Pier. For an overnight stay, Kyleakin is a better option.

Inverie, Loch Nevis (Knoydart)
The Old Forge Inn maintains approximately ten visitors moorings off the pier at Inverie. These are free to visitors dining in the restaurant, otherwise they are charged for at a maximum rate of £10/night (single night stay, less for more nights). Maintainance is by annual ongoing inspection when the chains are individually checked by divers who are moorings specialists. They plan to lay another 4 so should have 14 or 15 this summer (2002) if all goes to plan. The location of the moorings is 57deg.02'N - 05deg.41'W.

Update Oct 2005 (from Claymore) No water and you cannot leave your rubbish anywhere ashore. Moorings are disrupted at present due to RORo slip construction - should be done by 2006

Plockton Updated March 2008

6 yellow "Visitors" moorings with pick up ropes and small orange buoys (Max boat size 12 m) located on the east side of the inner bay (£10 per day)

4 yellow "Visitors" moorings with pick up ropes and small orange buoys (Max boat size 15 m) located to the west of the Plockton Rocks opposite the old pier and new pontoon. (£12 per day)

The buoys are all clearly marked "V" and are suitable for one boat at a time up to the sizes shown above.( NO Rafting Up). For 2008 the charges for use of the moorings are as shown. The charges include free use of the pontoons by dinghy. Fees should be paid in the Village shop, Plockton Hotel or Plockton Inn.

There are two pontoons, a drying one, behind the small island by the main village car park. (Where there are also toilets and a water tap) and the main one at the old stone pier. The Main Pontoon may be used by visitors for short periods to take on stores and land crew. It is in regular use by fishing boats and the Seal trip boat, so yachts should not be left there unattended. The pontoon is not designed for overnight berthing and this is not allowed. (Boats up to12m alongside for up to 5 hours £5)

More details of facilites, anchoring areas, other fees etc are available on the notice boards on the pontoons and in the Plockton Harbour Association Guide booklet available in the village and locally.

LochcarronNew Apr 2008
Two fully serviced moorings in 6m just South of Lochcarron Pier which is conveniently situated between Lochcarron Hotel and Garage. The Pier is really a drying concrete jetty which allows easy access to the village facilities which include: Red Diesel (by can) and fresh water from Lochcarron garage, immediately beside pier (closed all day Sunday); Hotels, Cafe, Restaurant, large Grocery Store (voted "Best Small Village Shop of the Year 2006" ); Bank with ATM (HBoS), Dentists (two surgeries) and Doctor's surgery.

The moorings are yellow with no pickups, and are charged at £10.00 per night. They are suitable for an overnight stay in settled conditions but are exposed to the West and are not recommended for use in strong Westerly winds. More local information may be available by following links on www.lochcarronsailing.com

Shieldaig, Loch GairlochUpdated Oct 2007
There are now 6 visitor buoys with pick ups here. They maintained (and charged for) by the Gairloch HM. They are maintained annually and he reports that they are very substantial - he uses them for trawlers when Gairloch is full.

Badachro, Gareloch, Wester RossUpdated Oct 2007
After a report from a visiting yachtsman that the moorings here were in poor condition and not being inspected we contacted the Badachro Inn directly. They told us that they have two moorings in good condition which are inspected regularly. There is no charge for customers of the Inn. Showers are available at the Inn, with clothes washing facilities also available for a small charge. Shopping in Gairloch can be arranged at the Inn. Chandlery in Gairloch. Badachro Inn website: http://www.badachroinn.com/binn.html

Gairloch, Wester RossUpdated Oct 2007
A 60 metre pontoon provides 12 berths providing for up to 30 rafted yachts. Pontoon has water hose. The pontoon is pretty full with resident local boats but there may be space for 1 or 2 yachts rafted on the SE end. It is run by Highland Harbours, who give the second consecutive day's berthing free. This free day can be used at another Highland Harbours harbour e.g. Kyle of Lochalsh or Lochinver.

Ullapool
No information currently available

LochinverUpdated Oct 2003
Pontoon. Water. Showers at the Seamen's Mission. Standard charges - ie £5 for 4 hours, £13 overnight, but not applied as rigourously as at Gairloch

KinlochbervieUpdated Oct 2003
Pontoon. Details unknown.
Note:Kinlochbervie, Loch Inver, Gairloch - a 14 day pass is available which covers all 3 and gives very good savings- believed equivalent to about 4 nights stay.

OUTER HEBRIDEStop

Stornoway
The Cromwell St Quay has pontoon berthing for yachts up to 12m length, 2m draught. Security is via swipe cards obtainable from the harbourmaster's office.

W. Isles Council Visitor Moorings
There are visitors moorings provided by the Western Isles Council at 8 different locations on the East coast of the islands from Rodel in Harris to Castelbay in Barra. max. vessel size 15 tonnes. All have pickup buoys, they are inspected annually and are free to visiting boats for a maximum of seven days.
For more information see http://www.w-isles.gov.uk/harbourmaster/moorings.htm or Outdoor Hebrides

Many thanks to all our correspondents cruising the W. Coast who help us keep this page up to date.
Please   if you have any corrections or information to add.