Seil the deal!

I have been trying to play all the golf courses in Argyll since we started Powdermills Bed and Breakfast near Inveraray. In part, it is to enjoy the most infuriating sport known to man and in part, because it has allowed Sue and I to travel to all parts, so that we can be as informative as possible to our guests when they visit. I hope ‘Mabel’s blogs’ show that being based at Powdermills allows visitors to complete varied and exciting day trips.

So, I am happy to report that we discovered another little gem – The Isle of Seil. It is situated 12 miles south of Oban and an hour and thirty minutes drive from Inveraray. The truth is that it is not a hidden gem – it is just that we had not discovered it until I found out that it had a golf course!

Seil is separated from the mainland only by the thinnest of sea channels, which is spanned by the elegant 18th century (1791) humpback Clachan Bridge, popularly known as the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’.

The island’s main village, Ellenabeich, comprises neat white terraces of workers cottages crouching below black cliffs on the westernmost tip of the island. The village’s main attractions are the gardens of An Cala with its glorious azaleas and Japanese flowering cherries in early summer and the Scottish Slate Islands’ Heritage Centre, which is housed in one of the little white cottages. The Isle of Seil originally thrived on the quarrying of slate.

In fact, the Isle of Seil golf course has a nine hole course that is situated in a redundant quarry. It was a sunny and warm day when I had my round. However, with 40mph winds it was not too helpful for the golf but presumably fantastic for the yachtsmen based at the popular yacht anchorage at Phuilladobhrain, Balvicar, on the island’s east coast.

To make matters worse, we decided that the dogs should come around the course but stopping Boo or Mabel launching after a rabbit or picking up my ball, made the round challenging to say the least. Nonetheless, it was a very pleasant walk with beautiful views and picturesque holes. Of course, not Muirfield but kept in good order considering the remoteness of the area.

We will back because Seil sealed the deal for a lovely day out!