Tonight I want to take you to the north-western part of Islay, to Sanaigmore Bay to be precise. The drive to Sanaigmore alone is worth doing and so is visiting the beautiful sheltered bay, many times home to seals and other wildlife. Golden Eagles have been spotted here too. The area however has a somewhat dark side as well. The cliffs on your left, to the west, witnessed a terrible tragedy when the Exmouth of Newcastle was wrecked and 241 Irish emigrants lost their lives during a storm. The memorial at the end of road is a reminder of this terrible tragedy. The panorama image below shows the area at Sanaigmore with the memorial partly visible on the left.

Sanaigmore and Outback Gallery Panorama. Click to enlarge.

Besides the monument there is a lot more to discover in the area. The bay itself and the coastline to the west and (north)east is excellent walking terrain. Many hours can be spent here walking the coastline or the cliffs whilst enjoying the extraordinary views towards Mull with Ben More clearly visible on a bright day. Afterwards I can recommend a visit to the Outback Gallery, where a good cup of coffee can be enjoyed while enjoying the beautiful art. Below are two panorama images, from each side of the bay, taken in the winter of 2009.

Sanaigmore Bay looking west. Click to enlarge.

Sanaigmore Bay looking north. Click to enlarge.

Click here for more Islay panorama images

Tag: panorama photography sanaigmore exmouth memorial outback gallery