Tayvaillich - Loch Sween & the Sound of Jura

If you've not visited the village of Tayvaillich you've really missed out. It's a lovely spot and a superb base for sea kayaking. From the village itself there's several day and multi day trips which are definitely worth doing.

What makes Tayvaillich so special is it's location, it's on a narrow peninsular jutting down into the Sound of Jura. On the east side is Loch Sween, a narrow shelter loch with densely wooded sides, some of the woodland is among the oldest in the UK and definitely has a prehistoric feel.



The route below is the best way to get a feel of the area, it's starts in Loch Sween and loops around the bottom of the peninsular and back up the Sound of Jura to Carsiag Bay.

Start at the small jetty near the café in Tayvaillich. Unfortunately parking can sometimes be difficult at weekends, so you may need to drop the kayaks and park away from the centre.

Tayvaillich

Setting off from the village you weave through the boats in the natural harbour and out into the loch. Paddling south you pass several islands which are worth exploring and after 10km you reach Castle Sween.

Castle Sween 

From Castle Sween head south to the southern trip of the Island of Danna.

Although Loch Sween is not particularly tidal, the bottom of the Island of Danna is, so ideally you should aim to hit it at slack water. If you decided to do a detour to visit Eilean Mor it is worth noting there is a strong tidal race to cross. When we visited the island's it was flat calm and there was still quite a bit of movement in the water and on another occasion when I did this route in reverse on a spring tide there was some very rough water a few hundred metres from the shore, so plan well.

 View into Loch Sween from Eilean Mor

After heading around the Island of Danna you paddle north up the Sound of Jura, past several small islands which are great spots to see otters. Once you reach Carsaig Bay, there's a short walk back to Tayvaillich, so it's worth having a trolley with you.

Additional information

Distance
28.02km
Tides
The tides are generally quite strong in the Sound of Jura and this route should be carefully planned. They are particularly strong around the southern tip of the Island of Danna and the tide race between there and Eilean Mor can cause very rough conditions.
Swell
This route is only affected by swell from the South, however strong southerly/westerly winds combined with a spring tide can create huge conditions in the Sound of Jura.
Access
Parking can be a problem.