Holy Loch Marin

Holy Loch Marina lies on the southern shore of the Holy Loch at Sandbank, a few miles north of Dunoon on the Cowal peninsula. The sheltered sea loch opens onto the Firth of Clyde, with the marina’s pontoons set against a backdrop of wooded hills rising towards the Argyll Forest Park.

Today the marina is a busy berthing centre for sailing yachts and motor cruisers exploring the Clyde, but the Holy Loch is best known historically as the home of the United States Navy’s Polaris submarine base from 1961 until 1992. Quiet now, the loch is a fine spot for watching boats coming and going, with seals, gulls and occasional porpoises in the water.

Visitors can walk along the shoreline, take in the views across to Gourock and Greenock on the opposite shore, and stop for refreshments at the on-site café. The marina is easily reached by public transport: the Western Ferries route from McInroy’s Point near Gourock lands at Hunter’s Quay just down the road, and local buses connect Dunoon with Sandbank.