18. Kilchiaran Bay

As I drive up the west coast of Islay I have a number of beaches marked on my map, but I’m not yet sure how to reach them. A few miles up the road from Currie Sands I pass this lovely bay. From the road, I hop over a gate and walk alongside the ruins of Kilchiaran Chapel, knocked up by St Columba in 560AD. The beach itself is formed of sand and shingle with lovely photogenic rock formations scattered across the bay. I imagine this is a fabulous spot for a sunset picnic in the summer, if you can grab one of the two parking spaces up on the road.