Luing

Island intro

One of the trio of iconic Slate Islands, Luing offers plenty of experiences for visitors who are keen to explore the island by bike or on foot.

Ask an Islander

Islander Lorraine from the Atlantic Islands Centre shared her favourite things about the island of Luing with us.

“The picturesque conservation village of Cullipool is at the heart of life on Luing and where you will find the Atlantic Islands Centre, home to a fascinating historical exhibition and a gift shop selling books and gorgeous crafts from over 20 local crafters.”

“But it’s the cafe which is the real jewel in the crown of the centre, selling local seafood, bread from our award-winning island bakery and an amazing selection of cakes provided by the Luing home bakers co-operative.”

However, Lorraine’s favourite thing about life on Luing is the incredible community spirit, as she told us. “The best thing about Luing is the lovely warm community. I’ve not been here that long and everyone has made me feel so welcome – I feel like I’ve been adopted!”

“The community loves to come together regularly and are very proud of Luing. The centre holds a variety of events over the year from ceilidhs to book launches, and art exhibitions to community meals, where the whole island is invited!

“The centre opens on a Saturday night like a local pub and people gather to play pool, have a meal, share a drink with friends and catch up.”

“My favourite part of the island is the slate quarry in Cullipool. A walk to the quarry is like taking a walk into another world. It sits right beside the sea – a rugged coast where the water laps right up over the rocks giving you the feeling that you really are on the edge of the Atlantic!”

“The landscape has a real atmosphere and you can imagine the men who worked here long ago and the hard physical graft they had to put in to extract the slate.”

“Luing is really accessible,” says Lorraine. “It takes less than 40 minutes to drive down from Oban – and we have a brilliant regular car ferry service that runs all day.”

“You can visit for the day no problem – although you will want to come back to explore the rugged coastline, the scenic walks and see the local wildlife.

“The sunsets are also amazing! Luing is beautiful, unspoilt, wild and friendly – everyone who visits ends up falling in love with Luing!”

Gaelic / Gàidhlig

The name Luing is taken directly from the Gaelic.

Did you know that the word ‘cèilidh‘ is both a verb and a noun? A cèilidh is a well-known social event with dancing and Scottish folk music , but when used as a verb it means to visit or meet with friends and/or relatives.

Getting Here

Argyll and Bute Council operates regular sailings from Port Cuan on the Isle of Seil to Luing throughout the day. Seil is connected to the mainland by a bridge and buses run between Oban on the mainland and Ellenabeich.