June 06, 2003
Byron Darnton Tavern, Island of Sanda, off Kintyre, Scotland
I originally saw this on London Blog, but had to put it up here for reference for fellow Scot-o-philes:
BBC NEWS | Scotland | Sailors' drink scotched on rocks
What do you do with an island where no one lives? You move there and open a pub, to try to draw in passing sailors. Shame about the rocks, but still. I dig, and must go.
I didn't find much else on the Byron Darnton, but here's a few links:
That piece also tells that the Byron Darnton gets its name from
the 7000-ton American Liberty ship that went ashore just 150yds from the lighthouse in March 1946. All 54 people on board, plus a husky dog, were taken off by the Campbeltown lifeboat in an extremely hazardous rescue operation. The vessel later broke up, becoming a total loss. Today, virtually all that remains to be seen is a portion of the bow section.
If you're really fired and determined to find the wreckage – as I'm sure you might be after a few of those pints – the folks at ChippenhamDivers Wreck Lookup have all the vitals for the BD:
BYRON DARNTON
Location: S tip Kintyre
Area: S Sanda Is.
Lat (N): 55 16' 25
Long (W): 05 35' 07
Max Depth: 16
Vessel Type: Steel Liberty Ship
Tonnage: 7176
So there you go.
I won't get to it this trip (bloody trains don't go to islands), unfortunately, but next time I'm in Scotland, I'm finding my way to the Byron Darnton for a few pints!
Posted by Ant at 10:46 PM
Related: Scotland
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Comments
Comment by Meg Gannon on June 16, 2003 01:03 PM
Hi Ant. its great that you have taken such an interest in our new venture on Sanda. We have had a very successful opening week-end and, with lots of visitors from Northern Ireland, the craic was tremendous. Sorry, there aren't any trains but boat trips can be arranged from Campbeltown, and perhaps in the future from Ballycastle, N. Ireland. Limited camping on the island can also be arranged. For more details refer to our website at www.sanda-island.co.uk
Hope to see you in the future, regards Meg Gannon.
Comment by Sian on August 18, 2003 10:30 AM
We went from Cushendall on a friends boat. It was a fantastic trip, it took only 40 mins one way as the sea was flat calm.
A walk round to the lighthouse is a must, theres a seal colony there and apprently you can see the shipwreck at low tide. Its MUCH nicer than Rathlin!
Comment by dave may on September 8, 2003 08:40 PM
have just watched a programme on tv featuring the pub on sanda, what a fantastic place.
Must go there next spring. do you knowif they have a web site?
Regards
Dave May
Comment by BOB MC GEACHY on September 18, 2003 11:04 PM
WINDTHRIFT THANKS FOR SEEING US BACK TO OUR ANCHOURAGE WITH YOUR SERCH LIGHT....