The Kintyre Forum

An Argyll and Bute bay popular with cockle pickers has been temporarily closed to shellfish harvesting because of raised levels of bacteria.

Monitoring work carried out by the council’s environmental health team service has identified raised levels of bacteria at Kildalloig Bay near Campbeltown.

Cockles from this area may pose a risk to human health and cannot be put on the market. Notices to warn the public and casual gatherers have been posted at various locations on the shore.

Commercial shellfish harvesters in these areas have been contacted by the council, and steps have been taken to postpone harvesting until microbiological level subsides.

The council will continue to monitor the situation. When the levels sufficiently reduce, the warning notices will be removed.

For further information, please contact the council’s environmental health team on 01631 567920.

A spend of £20+ million on a new network, a new filter plant, disruption to the community for years on end - according to the findings of the Council's Environmental Department - still no solution to pollution!

Update on algal toxin levels in Argyll and Bute waters

Raised levels of naturally occurring algal toxins have been identified in various areas of Argyll and Bute.

Monitoring work carried out by the council has now identified increased levels of the toxins at Campbeltown Loch, Saddell Bay, Caradale Bay and Loch Fyne at Skipness.

Two areas – Loch Fyne at Stonefield and Loch Striven – were already closed to shellfish harvesting.

Eating shellfish such as cockles, mussels or razor fish from any of these areas may pose a risk to human health, and notices to warn the public have been posted at various locations on the shore.

Commercial shellfish harvesters in the affected areas have been contacted by the council, and steps taken to postpone harvesting until algae levels subside.

The council continues to monitor the situation at all locations, and the warning notices will be removed when the levels sufficiently subside.

For further information, please contact the council’s environmental health team on 01631 567920.

I live round near kildalloig and the wilk pickers are still picking! Each day there have been ones on the shore. I presumed this ban had been lifted?

Spent half my childhood at Kildalloig. Don't recall ever seeing cockles. I'm sure they were there, but I never ever saw any

Raised algal toxin levels in another Argyll and Bute area

Raised levels of naturally occurring algal toxins have been identified in another Argyll and Bute loch.

Monitoring work carried out by the council has identified increased levels of the toxins in Loch Fyne at Ardkinglas.


Eating shellfish such as cockles, mussels or razor fish from this area may pose a risk to human health, and notices to warn the public have been posted on the shore.

Commercial shellfish harvesters in the affected area have been contacted by the council, and steps taken to postpone harvesting until algae levels subside.


Loch Fyne at Ardkinglas is the latest area to be affected by raised levels of algal toxins this year. Loch Fyne at Stonefield has been closed for the same reason since March, and Loch Striven since April.

Loch Fyne at Skipness, Campbeltown Loch, Saddell Bay and Carradale Bay were all previously closed to shellfish harvesters, but re-opened earlier this month.

The council continues to monitor the algal toxin situation across Argyll and Bute. The warning notices at Ardkinglas, Stonefield and Loch Striven will be removed when the levels sufficiently subside.

It is a sensible precaution to avoid eating shellfish from these areas until further notice.

For further information, please contact the council’s environmental health team on 01631 567920.