Kinnabus Loch
How to get there
From Port Ellen, going north out of Port Ellen, go left before the maltings, sign-posted The Oa. Follow this single track road for 7.5 miles ( after about the first mile DO NOT go straight ahead to Kintra, after you pass the woods go to the left,go past the cemetery on your left staying on the same road ). After 7.5 miles you will see a turn off to the left to Kinnabus farm, take this road leaving the main single track road, follow the gravel road for 100m to the loch.
A substanial car park allows plenty of room to kit up for fishing and there is also a picnic table and seats for a wee rest!
This loch has a boat available for hire and permits, as with the other P.E.A.C. boats, can be obtained at Iain Laurie's newsagents shop in Port Ellen. The boat is moored at a small jetty on the near south side of the small peninsula that you see to your right as you arrive.
Dont be fooled as to the size of this loch by this first impression, as you will discover as you make your way around it, it is a large loch, in fact it is the second largest loch on Islay
The view above is of the loch from the north, from this point of the loch to the furthest point in the distance is about 1km, but even to get to the furthest point away from the car park should take no longer than 20-30 minutes and is a nice walk over good ground.
The 2nd small area of land that you see in the right hand side of this photo is the small peninsula which is locally known as "Crawfie's Point" and it is on the other side of this that the boat is moored
Fish will be hooked all over this loch and it is a great size to fish from the boat if that is your preffered choice.
The size of the catch here will probably be a bit less on average than Glenastle Loch but there is a very healthy population of good fighting trout........regardless of their size !
The loch is good for bank fishing all around and has a good numbers of small bays and inlets.
The picture above shows the large bay at the north east of the loch
It is at the top of this bay that the small stream from the School loch ( Loch ard Achadh ) runs in to the loch.
The south of the loch contains a small sandier bay and a long uninterupted stretch of a more stoney shoreline which is ideal for bank fishing, especially if you like wading, but generally the whole loch has an excellent shoreline for bank fishing.
On a good day if you are lucky, as well as having all the stunning scenery to take in, you may also be lucky enough to see a golden eagle or two which quite often hover over the loch and the hills surrounding it.
