
Protected by high ground the bay affords good shelter from winds from a westerly quarter, but is somewhat exposed to easterly winds and swell across the Lough. Access to the bay is straightforward in all reasonable weather and tide conditions.
Keyfacts for Scraggy Bay
Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Protected sectors
Approaches
Shelter
Last modified
July 10th 2021 Summary
A good location with straightforward access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is in the centre of the bay in about 2 metres.
What is the initial fix?
The following Lough Swilly Initial Fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in northwestern Ireland’s coastal overview for Erris Head to Malin Head
. A set of waypoints to assist when running up lough can be found in the Lough Swilly route
.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Scraggy Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Dunree Bay - 1.7 nautical miles NE
- Crummie's Bay - 2.1 nautical miles NNE
- Portsalon - 2.6 nautical miles NW
- Macamish Bay - 2.6 nautical miles SE
- Lenan Bay - 4.4 nautical miles NNE
- Buncrana - 4.6 nautical miles SE
- Rathmullan - 4.8 nautical miles SSE
- The Lough Swilly Marina - 6 nautical miles SSE
- Pincher Bay - 6.4 nautical miles NNW
- Ramelton - 8.3 nautical miles SSW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Dunree Bay - 1.7 miles NE
- Crummie's Bay - 2.1 miles NNE
- Portsalon - 2.6 miles NW
- Macamish Bay - 2.6 miles SE
- Lenan Bay - 4.4 miles NNE
- Buncrana - 4.6 miles SE
- Rathmullan - 4.8 miles SSE
- The Lough Swilly Marina - 6 miles SSE
- Pincher Bay - 6.4 miles NNW
- Ramelton - 8.3 miles SSW
Chart
What's the story here?

Image: Google
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?
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.
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.
Image: Greg Clarke via CC BY-SA 2.00
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.

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