Drive Stay and Eat 400

Luxury 400 - Drive, Stay and Eat gourmet

Complete a stage or two then stay at one of the numerous award winning overnight venues. Eat amazing food in the restaurants and bars and relax ready for the next day's amazing choices. 

Recommendations are based on personal experiences coupled with Tripadvisor references and other users recommendations. Please contact me to verify quality or pass on less positive experiences.

On each online map look for the icon below.

Stage 1
The Village Inn - Arrochar
Ben Arthur's Bothy - Arrochar
The Holy Loch Inn - Sandbank - Dunoon
The Argyll Hotel - Dunoon
Abbot's Brae Hotel - Dunoon
The Creggans Inn - Strachur

Stage 2
Portavadie Marina
The Royal an Lochan - Tighnabruaich
The Kames Hotel - Tighnabruiach
The Colintraive Hotel
Food
Portavadie Marina restaurant and bar

Stage 3
The Creggans Inn - Strachur
The Kilfinan Hotel - Kilfinan
Food
The Oystercatcher - Otter Ferry
Inver Cottage - Castle Lachan

Stage 4
George Hotel - Inveraray
Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa
Food 
George Hotel - Inveraray
Brambles Cafe & Bistro - Inveraray
Skippers - Inveraray
Loch Fyne Oyster Bar - Cairndow

Stage 5
Empire Travel Lodge - Lochgilphead
Stonefield Castle hotel - Tarbert
The Grey Gull - Ardrishaig
Cairnbann Hotel - Cairnbaan
Food
Starfish restaurant - Tarbert - #2 of 264 in Argyll
The Smiddy Bistro - Lochgilphead
The Rumblin Tum - Ardrishaig
The Yot Spot - Ardrishaig

Stage 6
The West Loch Inn - Tarbert (Food & Accomodation)
Food
Seafood Cabin - Skipness
The Glen Bar and Restaurant - Carradale

Stage 7
The West Loch Inn - Tarbert (Food & Accomodation)
The Ugadale Hotel & Cottages - Machrihanish 

Stage 8
The West Loch Inn - Tarbert
The Kilberry Inn
Food
The Kilberry Inn

Stage 9
Cairnbaan Hotel - Cairnbaan
Food
Tayvallich Inn

Stage 10
Cairnbaan Hotel - Cairnbaan
Crinan Hotel
Food
Kilmartin Museum Cafe

Stage 11
The Galley of Lorne Inn
Food
Lord of the Isles - Craobh Haven

Stage 12
The Ranald Hotel - Oban

Stage 13
Taynuilt hotel
Ardanaiseig Hotel - Loch Awe detour
Loch Awe Hotel
The Brander Lodge hotel & Bistro

Stage 14
Bridge of Orchy Hotel
Glengarry house - Tyndrum

Stage 15
Ewich house - Crianlarich
Craigbank guest house - Crianlarich



Links page

Links on here are for information regarding the whole route area. You will find links relevant to the stages within each separate page.

Heart of Argyll
Heart of Argyll Wildlife Association
Explore Argyll
Argyll's secret coast


Facebook
Scottish Motorhome Wildcampers
A83 Road information


Weather
Rain Radar
XC Weather
Detailed weather outlook

Other
Calmac ferry status updates

West Coast 400 Scenery & Photography

Stage 5 - Lochgilphead and Tarbert

White Shore, Tarbert, Loch Fyne. Grid NR 874 694.


Stage 6 - Kintyre East

Arran from the B8001 road to Skipness. Grid NR 880 563



Stage 7 - Kintyre West

Views North and South from Killegruer campsite. Grid NR 662 355



Stage 9 - Knapdale North

Jura from Carsaig Bay. Grid NR 735 878.






West Coast 400 Wildlife Hotspots

Please bear in mind a responsible approach to viewing and observing wildlife. If there are already other vehicles and people at sites please choose to move on to another.
Disturbing wildlife is in some cases a criminal matter and please take steps to make sure you are not affecting the habitats you are entering.





Otters are seen around many of the coastlines around the West Coast 400

Regular sightings are at these locations.
- Minard and Brainport (stage 4)
- Various locations on stage 9
- Skipness (stage 6)
- Bellanoch bridge (stage 10)

Gannets

Gannets dive for fish and can been seen on many of the stages.
Early in the year look out in stage 6. April onwards there will be more chance in stages 5, 4 and 3

Seals




Seals can be seen throughout the area.
Regular sightings are on the second half of stage 8 in Loch Caolisport

Beavers

The Scottish beaver trial is within stage 9. Car parking is near the war memorial on the B 8025. The Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation have their center and guided walks based from Barr-an-Daimh - map below.

Deer

Deer are found all around the routes with Sika and Red deer the common sightings.
Although not wild the red deer enclosures on stage 8 between Tarbert and Torinturk on the left side of the road make for good photo opportunities.

Bird life and Ornithology

Listed below is the Mid Argyll list just for the first few months of the year. (January to the end of May)


Barn Swallow
Black Guillemot
Blackbird
Blackcap
Black-Headed Gull
Black Throated Diver
Black Guillemot
Blue Tit
Brambling
Bullfinch
Buzzard
Carrion Crow
Chaffinch
Coal Tit
Common Chiffchaff
Common Cuckoo
Common Gull
Common Kestrel
Common Restart
Common Sandpiper
Common Whitethroat
Cormorant
Curlew
Eider
Gannet
Glaucous Gull
Goldeneye
Goldfinch
Goosander
Grasshopper Warbler
Greenshank
Great Black-backed Gull
Great Northern Diver
Great Tit
Greater Canada Goose
Greenfinch
Greenshank
Grey Heron
Greylag Goose
Hen Harrier
Herring Gull
Hooded Crow
House Martin
House Sparrow
Iceland Gull
Jay
Kittiwake
Knot
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Lesser Redpoll
Little Grebe
Long Tailed Tit
Magpie
Mallard
Mandarin Duck
Meadow Pipit
Mistle Thrush
Muscovy Duck
Mute Swan
Northern Wheatear
Osprey
Oystercatcher
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Pink Footed Goose
Red Necked Grebe
Red Throated Diver
Redshank
Redwing
Ring Ouzel
 Ringed Plover
Robin
Rock Pipit
Rook
Sand Martin
Sandwich Tern
Sedge Warbler
Shag
Shelduck
Siskin
Song Thrush
Starling
Stonechat
Swallow
Swift
Tawny Owl
Tree Pipit
Twite
Whimbrel
Whinchat
White-fronted Goose
White-tailed Eagle
Whooper Swan
Wigeon
Willow Warbler
Wood Warbler
Wood pigeon
Wren
Yellowhammer