Wild Swimming
Easdale Slate Quarry Pool
Easdale is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Inner Hebrides — a short passenger-ferry crossing from Ellenabeich on Seil, the "Island Over the Bridge" — and its flooded 19th-century slate quarries are one of the most unusual swim locations in the UK. The quarry pools are calm, blue-green water surrounded by abandoned slate workings, and they are deep. The World Stone Skimming Championships are held here each September (11 September 2027, per the organiser).
Quick facts
- Type
- Quarry Pool
- Region
- Argyll
- Grid ref
- NM 740 169
- Entry
- Rock slab
- Depth
- Deep (over head near entry)
- Midges
- Moderate
- Dogs
- On lead only
Key hazards
- deep water immediately from rock edge
- sharp submerged slate
- no exit ladder — entry and exit on rock slabs
Getting there
Park at Ellenabeich on Seil, south of Oban. The Easdale ferry is a small passenger boat across the sound — check its times before you rely on it for the return. The quarries are a short walk from the island's pier.
Safety
Not a designated bathing water. The quarry edges drop vertically into deep water — no gradual entry, and getting out is harder than getting in. Submerged slate can be sharp and the water quickly becomes dark. Supervise children closely near the edges.
Best for
- unique industrial quarry swim
- Oban day trip
- World Stone Skimming spectating
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 07:28
- Sunset
- 16:45
- Civil dawn
- 06:48
- Civil dusk
- 17:25
NOAA Solar Calculator · 31 October 2026
Common questions
- What are the World Stone Skimming Championships?
- An annual stone-skimming competition held on Easdale in September — the 2027 championships are on 11 September 2027, according to the organiser. Competitors skim Easdale slate across a flooded quarry. Places to compete are allocated by ballot; check the organiser's site for entry details. Spectators come in their hundreds.
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