A holiday on Shuna is a truly unique experience  

Imagine a holiday where there are no cars, no telephones, no roads, abundant wildlife at every turn and the romance of island life - all just 15 minutes from the mainland. A holiday that gives you and your family time and space to relax together and enjoy our beautiful island and the surrounding seas in a boat which we provide.

 The Island 

Shuna is approximately 3 miles long, and one and a half miles wide, covering an area of over 1000 acres. The island is 20 miles south of Oban, between the mainland and its larger neighbour of Luing. The short boat trip from the mainland takes around twenty minutes. There are countless rockpools and natural streams, woods and glens to explore. The island has just five holiday cottages, and one permanent family in residence, so you can easily feel as if you have the whole island to yourself. The island has no roads, cars or mains electricity. Visitors are free to explore the whole island without restriction. The surrounding seas are safe in good weather, and the climate is generally mild, sharing the benefit of the Gulf Stream with the rest of the west coast. Both cattle and sheep are farmed on the island, which remains a working estate and visitors are welcome to join in with the farming activities when appropriate. The main architectural feature is the ruined castle - a classic Victorian neo-gothic masterpiece.

 The Cottages 

Our holiday cottages bring you close to the past and are in perfect settings for those who want a quiet holiday, away from all the stresses of everyday life. Although the Cottages have no electricity or telephones, the houses have the usual domestic comforts you would expect - coupled with the romantic simplicity of a bygone age. Cooking, water heating and refrigeration are by gas (There is a telephone on the island for emergency use). Your water does come through the taps, supplied from natural springs, although is subject to occasional bovine vandalism! Filtered water is available in each house, and most have full low voltage electric lighting systems. All the rooms are functional and comfortable, with plenty of natural light and space. They have log fires or woodburning stoves, for which you have to cut logs yourself. A holiday on Shuna is a very traditional island experience. There is a track to each house, although the South End House is mainly accessed by boat. This house boasts what must be one of the most spectacular holiday locations in Britain - over two miles from any other property and with uninterrupted views southward along the Sound of Jura. Pier house and the Boat House are close to the main hub of activity on the island - the pier - from where the boats are launched and livestock and provisions come on and off the island. It has lovely views across Loch Shuna towards the mainland and Loch Melfort. The Garden House is around 200 yards from the sea and sits next to what was the walled garden of the castle. It overlooks woodland and sits on a firm track which runs roughly east-west across the island, and being one of the oldest buildings still in use is packed with period features and has a real sense of the past belonging to it. The house is a good choice if you have very young children as it is a safe distance from the sea. Oakwood Cottage used to be the laundry for the castle and still retains many of the features associated with its former use - including a giant copper boiler! It overlooks its own very sheltered bay, and is an easy walk to the Pier.

All our holidaymakers have access to mains charging points at the Pier for keeping mobile phones, laptops, mp3 players etc topped up.  There is fairly good coverage for mobile phones around the island, and at sea.  There is also an island laundry at the Pier, which is available to everyone for an extra charge.

Pier House

Garden House

Oakwood Cottage

Boat House

South End House

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Boats and the Sea

 A knowledge of boating and the sea is NOT necessary to enjoy a holiday on Shuna. Included with each holiday let is a 19 foot long aluminum hulled open assault craft with a small outboard motor. Each boat will take a maximum of six people. This will enable you to travel back and forth to the mainland during good weather, and to explore both the coastline of Shuna and much of the surrounding sea. You can visit sheltered bays, picnic on unspoilt beaches and make land on uninhabited islands! For the more adventurous we also have canoes for adults and children alike. Lifejackets are provided. We give you a very quick lesson in boat handling, and will make you aware of the few local hazards, and then you are free to take to the water, as much or as little as you like.  We also have a fleet of sit on canoes for use in our own sheltered Pier Bay, which are freely available for the use of all cottage visitors.