The sun shone on the Kilbrannan Sound.

Under the restaurant table, a chicken and cockerel were being herded by a collie. The restaurant gave out sun hats. A horse came to the field gate and watched us eat. I held a wooden spoon with a ‘funky chicken’ painted on it. This is the Skipness Seafood Cabin, and it’s marvellous.

We had travelled to the restaurant the long way around, stopping and walking favoured beaches, hammock camping, making tea and watching for random wildlife. Sunlit days without a clear objective.

Tarbet, Machrihanish, Southend and the Mull of Kintyre, Carrodale and Skipness. It had taken a couple of happy days, doing nothing at all to find ourselves at the end of the road. If we had come straight from Tarbet, it would have taken us twenty-five minutes but, where’s the fun in that.

A single track road ran along a jagged, sand bejewelled coastline. We drove down the dead-end road leading to the ruined castle and an occasional car would edge into the feeling of being comfortably alone. Who knew the ruin was so famous? The seascape called, and our minds wandered til we turned the corner, and discovered we had a parking problem.

The small car park was full. People had taken to the verges, and so did we. Leaving the car in the shade of a beech tree we followed the path. A piece of paper, pinned to a sign for the castle told us to go for a walk if we couldn’t find a table straight away.

Smiling at the thought, we turned down the path and along with with a whole bunch of other people, found a little piece of heaven called the Skipness Seafood Cabin.

The Portavadie to Tarbet ferry makes a visit to Skipness a worthwhile day trip. While you are down that way, check out the castle, chapel, amazing beaches and as you walk back to the car, pop into the Creelers smokehouse, I can recommend their Salmon Pate.

https://www.calmac.co.uk/tarbert-portavadie-ferry-summer-timetable

https://www.skipnessseafoodcabin.co.uk

https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/skipness-castle-and-chapel/

Smokehouse Shop

Don’t forget if you love seafood, we have what you need to make dinner time speical. Check out our kitchen range at:

https://yewtreestudio.com/shop