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!