CRAIGNISH - Ardfern, Craobh Haven and Lunga - the Craignish Peninsula

Seawilding: A pioneering Seagrass restoration project at Loch Craignish, Argyll

3/6/2021

We are super-excited to share that local charity Seawilding has announced the launch of Scotland's first community-led seagrass restoration project in Loch Craignish!

They are partnering with Project Seagrass and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) to deliver the project, which is being funded by the NatureScot Biodiversity Challenge Fund. Their aim is to enhance an existing meadow by 1/4 hectare this autumn, and develop best-practice, low-cost methodologies using a mobile seed processing unit, and create a “how-to” practical guide which can then be rolled out to other community-led seagrass restoration projects across Scotland.

Great news for our Loch, well done the Seawilding team!

See www.seawilding.org for more info.

Craobh Haven Watersports & Cafe is now OPEN!

18/5/2021

Get on the Water in Argyll – Dinghies, Power, Paddle, Fish, Explore, Enjoy!

Situation on Buidhe Island (by Craobh Haven Marina) in an idyllic spot, Craobh Haven Watersports is now open and offers motor boat hire, sit on top kayak hire, paddle board hire and power boat training.

Plus they also have a waterside cafe serving delicious lunchtime treats and baked goods.

For more info visit their website: https://craobhwatersports.co.uk/ or give them a call on 07818 033 811

Oyster Hoister sponsorship helping to restore native beds in Loch Craignish

18/5/2021

The project to restore the native oyster beds in Loch Craignish, undertaken by our local community charity Seawilding, is powering ahead, and receiving much favourable attention.

The plan is to restore 1 million native oysters to the Loch, where they were once prevalent, in order to filter and clean the water, sequester carbon and replace lost biodiversity. So far, community volunteers have introduced 60,000 native oysters to local restoration sites, and another 100,000 are growing in a floating nursery at the top of the lagoon for release in 2021.

This is community-led marine habitat restoration at its best!

At Ardfern Yacht Centre they are suspending “oyster hoisters” beneath the pontoons. Each hoister contains up to 100 juvenile native oysters which are cleaning the water and releasing spat into the water column adding to the efforts to restore local stocks. Meanwhile, once COVID restrictions allow, pupils from 5 local primary schools will monitor them monthly, conducting “citizen science” and collecting important data.

You can be a part of this exciting community initiative, by sponsoring an oyster hoister. The sponsorship pays for the cost of the cage, the oysters and the ongoing school’s monitoring programme. The more sponsorship, the more hoisters! So far, there are 18 sponsored, with approx. 1000 oysters under the pontoons. So, if you don’t have a holding tank and would like to do your bit to help restore the health of the loch, please consider sponsoring.

The cost of sponsorship is £130 for the first year and a service charge of £60 annually (should you wish to continue). Each hoister will carry a label with your name. Seawilding have erected an information board next to the pier shed at the Ardfern Yacht Centre with more information and the names of all sponsors.

To find out more, contact info@seawilding.org and visit the website: www.seawilding.org

Lucy's Cafe is hiring

12/5/2021

Lucy's Cafe is on the lookout for another team member! They need a full time cook, 5 days, weekends and possibly the odd evening. To work in their Ardfern and Kilmartin cafés. Own transport would be a huge bonus!

Please e-mail cv’s to lucy@lucysardfern.co.uk

This is a great chance to work in a busy, friendly cafe that serves amazing food!

Local Art and Photography studio now open to visitors

28/4/2021

If you're in Ardfern don't leave without visiting Lizzie and Philip's studio! It's in the centre of the village just opposite the school. Both exceptionally talented, Lizzie Rose is a Scottish Contemporary artist and Philip Price is the founder of Loch Visions and an award winning wildlife photographer.

Paintings, drawings, photographs and cards will be on display and for sale.

Ardfern Chandlery now available 7 days a week for enquiries & collections

16/4/2021

With the travel ban across Scotland set to be lifted earlier than expected on this coming Friday 16th April, the Ardfern chandlery and offices will now be fully staffed at weekends once again.

The latest welcome announcement from the Scottish Government has made it clear that people will be able to travel across Scotland as long as they do not stay overnight.

Restrictions on travel to and from Scotland with other parts of the UK, are also now expected to be lifted from Monday 26th April. At that time overnight stays on boats are expected to be permitted for all customers from single households.

As the chandlery cannot fully reopen until ‘non essential retail’ is permitted to resume in Scotland on 26th April, they will continue to offer their ‘click and collect’ service for all items. If you would like cleaning products, antifouling, anodes, engine spares or any other chandlery items putting aside for collection now or for reserving for you when you arrive, please contact the chandlery on 01852 500247 or email office@ardfernyacht.co.uk

Office and chandlery opening times for collections, along with gas and diesel services on Saturday and Sunday will be from 9am to 5pm, while week day opening times remain as 8.30am to 5pm.

https://www.ardfernyacht.co.uk/

Would you like to run a cafe by the sea?

15/4/2021

Craobh Haven Watersports are looking for an enthusiastic person to help run their seasonal Cafe and Watersports business.

The role will predominantly be cooking and serving in the cafe. Wages will depend on experience, basic accommodation can be provided, local applicants welcome.

A great opportunity! Applications via their Facebook page

Hot off the press! Both Craignish ospreys are now back from Africa.

14/4/2021

This is a photo from last year of our treasured ofspreys. Thanks to Lindsay of Craignish Cruises for keeping us updated, we look forward to spotting them sometime soon flying over Loch Craignish. Lindsay knows where to find them so its well worth considering a boat trip, you might even spot whales, dolphins and seals too, just to name a few of the amazing wildlife on our shores.

A Message to Visitors

27/3/2021

Natural treasures under our waters

18/2/2021

Look how beautiful our seagrass meadows are in Loch Craignish, easily accessible from many of our tucked away beaches.
Thanks to Iris Bevan for taking and sharing these photos last summer.

Loch Craignish has ten small seagrass meadows, totalling approx. 1 hectare, and while these seem dense and healthy, they are isolated and fragmented. Over fifty species of fish have been recorded in one meadow along with hundreds of species of invertebrates such as molluscs, shrimp and marine worms. Seagrass is also an important carbon sink as it sequesters carbon thirty-five times faster than rainforest. However, owing to pollution and disturbance of habitat, 95% of the UK’s seagrass meadows have disappeared (Source: Ocean Seagrass Rescue). Local charity Seawilding hopes to start seagrass restoration in Loch Craignish next year, trialing Scotland’s first community-led seagrass restoration at Loch Craignish.