What's the story here?

Scraggy Bay is a small open bay about a ½ a mile south of Knockalla Point and 6½ miles south of the entrance to the Lough. The bay provides an anchorage off the small village of Bunglass, and the northern part of the bay has a jetty that is suitable for a dinghy landing.

The bay offers reasonably good shelter being protected by the Knockalla Mountains on the mainland to the west, possibly slightly better than Ballymastocker Bay a couple of miles northward, but it is exposed to easterly winds and the swell across the Lough which can make life uncomfortable when moored. However, unlike Ballymastocker Bay's Portsalon, there are no facilities ashore here.

How to get in?

Approaches to the Lough Swilly can be found in northwestern Ireland’s coastal overview for Erris Head to Malin Head . A set of waypoints to assist with the run up the lough as far as Fanad can be found in the Lough Swilly route .

The entire length of Lough Swilly is marked with various easily identified navigation lights along the main deepwater shipping channel. The fairway is about 3½ miles wide at its entrance from which it gradually narrows to a width of 1½ miles between Dunree Head and Saldanha Head on the opposite shore. Knockalla Point is less than a mile to the southeast of Saldanha Head and Scraggy Bay is entered a ⅓ of a mile south of Knockalla Point.

Give the shore close south of Knockalla Point a berth of about 400 metres in order to avoid Yellow Rock. This is a ledge that dries to 0.8 metres and is situated on the north entrance point to Scraggy Bay.

Keep a sharp eye out for fish farms that are not always lit. There are many marine farms and shellfish beds off Knockalla Point in Scraggy Bay and to the south of it.

The preferred anchorage, which has a depth of about 5 metres, is in the southern part of the bay off the small village of Bunglass. The northern part of the bay has a jetty suitable for a dinghy landing at the small village of Bunnaton More, but there are no facilities available. Call +353 74 50171/59072 for permission to use the jetty.

Why visit here?

Do not be put off by the name, Scraggy Bay. It is a secluded and tranquil picturesque bay by the Knockalla Mountains to the west on the mainland of the Fanad Peninsula.



It is a lovely little bay in a scenic location and well worth a visit for a quiet anchorage.

What facilities are available?

There are no facilities available at Scraggy Bay.

With thanks to:

Graham Wilkinson, Kevin Flanagan, George O'Hagan and Ciaran Bradley.