Inhabited, west coast Scottish islands

Moving north from Gigha, the next inhabited, inshore island is The Isle of Danna, or simply Danna (and not Dana as I think I misspelled it in my post on Gigha). Danna is located on the east side of the Tayvallich peninsula. To get to it you have to get on to the road between Lochgilphead and Crinan and then take the B8025 to Tayvallich - which you drive right through. This road leads down to Keills - but a short distance from Keills you take a left turn along an unclassified road which takes you through New Ulva and onto Danna. Note that I have read a couple of articles on the Internet which seem to suggest that New Ulva is also an island but this, as far as I could tell, is not the case as I crossed no bridges or causeways to get to it. This road stops being properly surfaced as soon as it crosses the causeway on to Danna. From there to it’s end it is a hard packed dirt track wide enough to take vehicles with ease. The surface was also pretty good with, from memory, no serious potholes or deep tyre marks - although what it’s like after a wet winter I cannot say as walked it on a bright, warm and sunny day. I remember thinking that taking a bike along it would be easy. It is also private or at least unadopted with a gate blocking the way for cars - but with a notice indicating that walkers were welcome. Fortunately, there is a small parking area immediately on the Danna side of the causeway.

When I first read about Danna, I had pictured, for some reason, a low moorland hill with the drab greens and browns associated with such a terrain. This was not the case as the land was split into fields, mainly holding sheep, of a lush shade of green. The island itself is about two miles north to south and about a mile and a half west to east with a high point of about fifty five meters. There are a couple of wooded areas but the bulk of the island is grassland. An article I read mentions that the quality of the land is not very good - but the sheep seemed happy enough. Very shortly after the causeway the road splits with a walking track which appears to lead to a ruined cottage. One photograph I saw on the Internet also seemed to show a small beach along this track - but I did not explore this as my aim was to go as far south on the island as I could.

The main road/track runs along the west side of the hill, which appears to be called Druim Chiachan, and rises as it goes - but note that there is another hill at the south east end of the island and I’m not sure which is the highest as my map is not clear on this. Less than a mile from the causeway (I’d say) there is a farm down to the right (or west). This farm is either called New Danna or it’s location is at New Danna. It looks out over Loch na Cille to Rubha na Cille at the very southern end of the Tayvallich peninsula. Shortly after this you reach a spot which also allows views over the east side of the island, over Loch Sween and towards Castle Sween. The castle is not very clear but a good zoom lens on a camera, or binoculars, resolves this. Shortly after this the road takes a sharp left and heads up to a cottage either at or called Mid Danna (the inhabitants of Danna do not appear to be very imaginative in their naming conventions). This cottage looks in good condition and could be inhabited - or it might now be a holiday cottage (as I have seen a holiday cottage advertised on the island).The road, at this point, then takes a sharp right turn (south) and continues a short distance to the end of the road at Danna na Cloiche. At the end of the road are two abandoned and ruined houses - probably originally crofts or small farms. It is a sad sight to see both of them in such a ruinous state.

There is not really much more to say about Danna. There do not appear to be any ancient structure to investigate. There would appear to be a couple of beaches but I’m not sure how they could be reached. A waste of time visiting? No, it was a very pleasant walk beside green fields and once the southern end is in sight there are fine views over the McCormaig isles, just off the south coast, and down the Sound of Jura - with Kintyre and Gigha to the left and Jura and Islay to the right. A couple of the McCormaig isles appear to be joined to Danna at low tide and there are some old buildings of interest (early Christian, I think) on them that might be worth visiting - if you are able to get through the fields and down to the coast (maybe ask someone at the Farm?).

On the way back to the causeway, not far from the southern end of the road, I met a group of adults and children heading south. I stopped for a chat and told them they were close to the end of the road where the only thing to see were the ruined houses. It turned out that that was where they were heading as one the men’s family had once lived there and worked the land before abandoning the struggle and heading away to America or Canada. I can’t remember which he said and I didn’t even ask if he’d been brought up there and moved away with his parents. I got the impression he’d not spent his early years there (I should have asked) but had, instead, been born across the Atlantic and was on a pilgrimage to the area to see his family roots.

At that is Danna. I got back into my van and headed off. I did make a detour, before heading back north, to Keills where there is a small chapel. The building itself is fairly basic and not of great interest but inside it is filled with ancient, carved burial slabs - which are worth going to see as part of a day out visiting Danna.

The above photo is of the causeway between New Ulva (where I took the photo from) towards Danna. My van is parked in the small parking area on Danna. I mention this only to indicate how close this parking area is to the end of the causeway.

The photo above was taken from the causeway, looking south west towards Jura. It also shows the western entrance to the channel between New Ulva and Danna and suggests the tide was out at the time (or, at least, out a fair bit).

The photo above was taken from the causeway, looking east. This indicates that it's more than a paddle to get from New Ulva to Danna.

The above photo was taken shortly after the start of the track/road through Danna, looking (I would say) north north east over the northern end of Loch Sween. I'm pretty sure the high hill, in the distance and to the right of the photo, is Ben Cruachan at the head of Loch Awe - but I didn't have a map or compass with me to check this out.

The Above photo is of the farm buildings at New Danna, looking west towards Jura.

The above photo is looking across Danna to the east towards the Knapdale. Castle Sween, on the far side of Loch Sween, is roughly in the centre of this photograph. I include this photo only to provide an idea of Danna's terrain.