Location &
accommodation

Not only is the Eachaig almost certainly the best sea trout river on the West Coast, it is easily the most accessible – only a short ferry ride across the Firth of Clyde. Glasgow Airport is just over 20 miles away. There are two ferries – Calmac from Greenock to Dunoon and Western Ferries from Gourock to Hunter’s Quay, the latter being the shorter journey and the preference of anglers.

From Hunter’s Quay it’s about five minutes’ drive along the A815 to where the bridge crosses the river.

There’s not a bewildering amount of accommodation in the area but a reasonable availability at acceptable levels.  Kind words have been said by owners about the following:

Hotels/B&B

Cottages/lodges

History of the river

Once the hereditary hunting grounds of the Dukes of Argyll, the Benmore estate was acquired in 1888 by the Younger brewing family and gifted to the nation 40 years later. The fishing rights were retained until 1985 when they were sold for development as a timeshare.

For a short period in the 1950s the Eachaig was stocked with salmon from the River Naver and the catch rose to around 250 a year. When the stocking ended, sea trout again became the dominant species.

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Over the years until all netting stopped in 1985, commercial catches accounted for tens of thousands of fish. Records reveal that in 1897 a local fishmonger was given the right to net the estuary and in just one season removed 8,500 fish, There were stories of nets almost too heavy to haul.