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Beach

Carraig an Ròin (shoal, not a beach)

Rosneath Peninsula, Argyll and Bute

Directions
Type
Beach
Area
Rosneath Peninsula, Argyll and Bute
Grid ref
NS 2512 8392
Lat, long
56.01623, -4.80700
  • Moderate access

The Wild Days guide

This is not a beach. Carraig an Ròin, Gaelic for the seal’s rock, is a pebbly shoal in Stroul Bay on the Gare Loch, between Clynder and Rosneath, that shows as the tide falls. Enjoy it from the shore road and walk on round the peninsula instead.

Why it’s worth the trip

The Rosneath peninsula is a quiet corner of the Clyde. From Shore Road at Stroul Bay you look across the Gare Loch to Rhu and Helensburgh, with yachts and the occasional naval ship sliding through the Rhu Narrows. Clynder grew as a string of marine villas along this shore in the 1800s, and the walk south round the peninsula is lovely.

Make a wild day of it

Walk from Stroul Bay to Rosneath, round Rosneath Bay and out through the woods to the beacon at Castle Point, then south on woodland tracks past Culwatty and Meikleross bays to Portkil and Kilcreggan, about 9 km. The passenger ferry runs from Kilcreggan to Gourock, and the 316 bus runs back to Clynder.

Tides and safety

The shoal is weedy stone that covers at high water, and the loch is cold and busy with boats. Do not try to wade or paddle out to it. The walk has a short stretch on the foreshore at Portkil Bay, so check the tide. In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

When to go

Low tide, to see the shoal; any season for the walk.

Good to know

  • Parking: car park in Rosneath; check the board on site.
  • Buses: the 316 links Helensburgh with Clynder, Rosneath and Kilcreggan.
  • Facilities: a cafe in Kilcreggan; none confirmed at Stroul Bay.
  • Swimming: no.
  • Access: Scotland’s right of responsible access applies under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; keep to the tracks through the caravan park.

Getting there and parking

  1. Rosneath car park

    Check the board on site.

    In Rosneath village, about 700 m south of Stroul Bay along Shore Road.

    Directions

The walk in. View it from Shore Road (B833) by Stroul Bay; do not go out on to the stones.

By bus. The 316 bus links Helensburgh with Clynder, Rosneath, Kilcreggan and Coulport, roughly hourly in the daytime, and a passenger ferry crosses from Gourock to Kilcreggan. Check times before you travel.

Walks from here

Routes and trail data by Ghrups

Traced on the paths with Ghrups trail data. Dashed: along the beach or over open ground.

Clynder to Kilcreggan by Rosneath and Castle Point

Moderate

5.6 mi (9.0 km) 2h15 171 m up linear

Start: Shore Road by Stroul Bay

A quiet coastal walk round the southern tip of the Rosneath peninsula. From Shore Road by Stroul Bay, where Carraig an Ròin shows as a line of stones at low tide, walk south into Rosneath and follow the road round the side of Rosneath Bay. Where it starts to climb, turn left on to a surfaced track east through woodland and into Rosneath Castle Park caravan park, keeping to the tracks, to the small beacon at Castle Point. Head south through the park and on along broad woodland tracks past Culwatty Bay, then down to the sea at Meikleross Bay. A track follows the coast west to Portkil Bay, with a short stretch on the foreshore to Portkil Point, so check the tide, before a surfaced track and the B833 lead into Kilcreggan. Catch the ferry to Gourock or the 316 bus back to Clynder.

3 mtop 114 m
  • Path 74%
  • Open ground 13%
  • Earth 12%
  • Sand 1%
  • 2h21 at a steady pace (1h53 brisk, 3h10 relaxed)
  • Steep in places

Trail data by Ghrups

Routes are traced from open map data. Check the tide times before you set off, and carry a proper map.

The lie of the land

Drag to look around · two fingers to tilt

Nearby

See on the map