Eurail Blog | Home About

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:

  • Island farmer opens one-man pub
  • Remote pub opens in spite of lightning and a beer shortage (though from the sound of it you should be able to get some pretty nice brew there now)
    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!