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Scraggy Bay is a small open bay on the Fanad Peninsula located more than six miles within and on the western shore of Northern Ireland's Lough Swilly. The bay provides an anchorage with the opportunity of landing by dinghy at a pier or on its beach at the head of the bay.

Scraggy Bay is a small open bay on the Fanad Peninsula located more than six miles within and on the western shore of Northern Ireland's Lough Swilly. The bay provides an anchorage with the opportunity of landing by dinghy at a pier or on its beach at the head of the bay.

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.


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Keyfacts for Scraggy Bay
Facilities
Marked or notable walks in the vicinity of this location


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring locationBeach or shoreline landing from a tenderJetty or a structure to assist landingScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: fish farming activity in the vicinity of this locationNote: could be two hours or more from the main waterways

Protected sectors

Current wind over the protected quadrants
Minimum depth
3 metres (9.84 feet).

Approaches
4 stars: Straightforward; when unaffected by weather from difficult quadrants or tidal consideration, no overly complex dangers.
Shelter
4 stars: Good; assured night's sleep except from specific quarters.



Last modified
June 23rd 2025

Summary

A good location with straightforward access.

Facilities
Marked or notable walks in the vicinity of this location


Nature
No fees for anchoring or berthing in this locationRemote or quiet secluded locationAnchoring locationBeach or shoreline landing from a tenderJetty or a structure to assist landingScenic location or scenic location in the immediate vicinity

Considerations
Note: fish farming activity in the vicinity of this locationNote: could be two hours or more from the main waterways




Position and approaches
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Haven position

55° 10.284' N, 007° 34.397' W

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:
55° 17.800' N, 007° 35.030' W
This is an approach position for the lough that keeps a vessel clear of Fanad and Dunaff Heads where there can be some confused seas. It is also close south of the first waypoint of the Lough Swilly Route.


What are the key points of the approach?

Offshore details are available in northwestern Ireland’s coastal overview for Erris Head to Malin Head Route location. A set of waypoints to assist when running up lough can be found in the Lough Swilly route Route location.


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:
  1. Dunree Bay - 1.7 nautical miles NE
  2. Crummie's Bay - 2.1 nautical miles NNE
  3. Portsalon - 2.6 nautical miles NW
  4. Macamish Bay - 2.6 nautical miles SE
  5. Lenan Bay - 4.4 nautical miles NNE
  6. Buncrana - 4.6 nautical miles SE
  7. Rathmullan - 4.8 nautical miles SSE
  8. The Lough Swilly Marina - 6 nautical miles SSE
  9. Pincher Bay - 6.4 nautical miles NNW
  10. 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:
  1. Dunree Bay - 1.7 miles NE
  2. Crummie's Bay - 2.1 miles NNE
  3. Portsalon - 2.6 miles NW
  4. Macamish Bay - 2.6 miles SE
  5. Lenan Bay - 4.4 miles NNE
  6. Buncrana - 4.6 miles SE
  7. Rathmullan - 4.8 miles SSE
  8. The Lough Swilly Marina - 6 miles SSE
  9. Pincher Bay - 6.4 miles NNW
  10. Ramelton - 8.3 miles SSW
To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

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What's the story here?
Scraggy Bay
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.


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How to get in?


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

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.

Haven location 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.

Sunset over the Knockalla Mountains on 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.









About Scraggy Bay

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.

Sunset over the Knockalla Mountains on 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.

Other options in this area


Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Macamish Bay - 1.6 miles SE
Rathmullan - 3 miles SSE
Ramelton - 5.2 miles SSW
The Lough Swilly Marina - 3.7 miles SSE
Buncrana - 2.9 miles SE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Portsalon - 1.6 miles NW
Pincher Bay - 4 miles NNW
Mulroy Bay - 5.2 miles WNW
Sheep Haven - 5.7 miles W
Tramore Bay - 9.8 miles W

Navigational pictures


These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Scraggy Bay.









A photograph is worth a thousand words. We are always looking for bright sunny photographs that show this haven and its identifiable features at its best. If you have some images that we could use please upload them here. All we need to know is how you would like to be credited for your work and a brief description of the image if it is not readily apparent. If you would like us to add a hyperlink from the image that goes back to your site please include the desired link and we will be delighted to that for you.


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Please note eOceanic makes no guarantee of the validity of this information, we have not visited this haven and do not have first-hand experience to qualify the data. Although the contributors are vetted by peer review as practised authorities, they are in no way, whatsoever, responsible for the accuracy of their contributions. It is essential that you thoroughly check the accuracy and suitability for your vessel of any waypoints offered in any context plus the precision of your GPS. Any data provided on this page is entirely used at your own risk and you must read our legal page if you view data on this site.




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