Davaar Island

The Island of Davaar at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch is a protective net for the loch’s use as a harbour. Its size almost seals the entrance. It is about 140 acres in size and 378ft (115 m) above sea level at its highest point. From being very steep and rocky towards the south the sea has gradually worn its way into many places and has formed a great number of caves.

At low tide the Island is connected to the mainland by the Dorlinn (Gaelic: A tidal isthmus). A bank of shingle on the southern entrance to the loch about 1 1/2 miles long (2.4 km). At high tide it is completely cut off, the waters south of The Dorlinn form Kildalloig Bay while opposite the nearest land is Macringan’s Point.

In one of the caves on the south west side is a painting of Christ which is supposed to be a reproduction of Munkacsky’s picture of Christ on Calvary. The painting was done in secret in 1887 by Archibald Mackinnon. When it was discovered in the summer of that year it created wide controversy. After much effort to discover its origins, Mackinnon declared himself to be the artist.

The principal feature of the Island after the cave painting is its lighthouse. The lighthouse itself was first constructed on the mainland using numbered bricks and then brought over by sea to the Island. The light was automated in 1983, its light is visible for 23 nautical miles. The light can also be seen over the horizon, as the light is scattered upward caused by particles of water vapour, a phenomenon known as the loom of the light.