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The road across the moor of the Oa, the monument small on the far skyline.
Isle of Islay

American Monument

A cliff-top tower at the Mull of Oa, raised in 1920 for the American servicemen lost off Islay in 1918.

Welcome

The American Monument stands on the cliff top at the Mull of Oa, the far south-western tip of Islay: a round stone tower about ten metres high, close to the edge of cliffs that drop some 300 feet to the sea.

The American National Red Cross raised it in 1920 for the hundreds of American servicemen lost when two troopships went down off Islay in 1918. The Tuscania was torpedoed seven miles offshore that February, and the Otranto sank in Machir Bay after a collision in fog that October.

You reach it from the RSPB car park at the end of the Oa road, on a waymarked path of under a mile that can be boggy in places, with short stretches of boardwalk. The view runs across the North Channel towards Ireland, and golden eagles are seen over the reserve all year. A waymarked circuit returns past Upper Killeyan Farm. Bring your own food and drink, as the nearest shops and toilets are in Port Ellen.

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The Daily for 13 November, from Scotland with love. A waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks into a woodland pool, autumn leaves scattered on the water.
Round the cornerMull of OaThe cliff-bound south-west tip of Islay, an RSPB reserve of 100-metre sea cliffs and moor, open at all times, where golden eagles fly.1 min by roadSee itA dark headland and a rocky cove at the Mull of Oa, the sea bright beyond.

Before you go

The monument is a short walk from the RSPB car park at the end of the Oa road.

It stands close to the cliff edge, so keep to the waymarked path and keep children and dogs close. Take your own food and drink, as there is no shop or café on the reserve.

Where
The Mull of Oa, south-west Islay, about 6 miles from Port Ellen. The RSPB car park is at PA42 7AU.
Open
The Oa reserve is open 24 hours.
Price
Free. The RSPB lists entrance as free for adults and children.
Parking
The RSPB car park has 18 spaces, with a rolled stone surface and no lighting.
Dogs
The RSPB asks for dogs on a short lead from 1 April to 15 August and wherever there is livestock. Assistance dogs are welcome in all parts of the reserve.
Getting there
Islay is reached by CalMac ferry from Kennacraig to Port Askaig, because the Port Ellen terminal is closed for upgrades from 2 June 2026 until about 2029, or by Loganair flight from Glasgow to Islay Airport, 4.9 miles from Port Ellen. The Oa road is single-track and runs from Port Ellen to the car park. There is no public transport to the car park; the nearest bus stop is in Port Ellen.
Access
Mostly natural paths that can be soft underfoot, with short boardwalks over wetter ground and short moderate slopes. Anyone arriving with an off-road wheelchair is asked to contact the reserve first on 01496 300118.
Walk
0.75 miles (1.2 km) each way from the car park. Walkhighlands gives the waymarked circuit past Upper Killeyan Farm as 1 to 1.5 hours with 52 m of ascent, over moorland and a clifftop path with some boggy patches.
Toilets
None on the reserve; the nearest are in Port Ellen, about 4 miles away.
Food
No café or shop on the reserve; the nearest food and drink is in Port Ellen, about 4 miles away.

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Where it is

The Mull of Oa, south-west Islay, about 6 miles from Port Ellen; the RSPB car park is at PA42 7AU.

Close byOn the Oa, west of Port Ellen.
  1. The crown and the words THE SHOP on the red telephone box.Shop in the BoxA red telephone box on the Oa road turned into an honesty shop of island prints and cards, raising money for good causes.3 miles 8 min by road
  2. Carraig Fhada lighthouse on its rocky point under a dark sky.Carraig Fhada LighthouseScotland's only square lighthouse, built in 1832 at Kilnaughton Bay by the Laird of Islay in memory of his wife.6 miles 17 min by road
  3. The Singing Sands, a curve of pale sand below a brown headland, waves washing in.The Singing SandsA small sheltered beach near Port Ellen, by Carraig Fhada lighthouse, whose sand is said to sing underfoot.6 miles 17 min by road
  4. Port EllenPort EllenA village of white and pastel cottages on Islay's south coast, founded in 1821, with three famous distilleries along the road east.7 miles 16 min by road
  5. Soldier's Rock rising from white surf below the dark cliffs of the Oa.Soldier's RockA tall sea stack below the cliffs of the Oa, reached by a walk from Kintra past abandoned townships.8 miles 23 min by road
Directions
A dark headland and a rocky cove at the Mull of Oa, the sea bright beyond.AttractionsMull of OaA step away
White cottages line a clifftop row with a lighthouse in the distanceAttractionsIsle of Islay (pronounced Eye-la)6.5 miles
Surf breaking on dark rocks at Laggan Bay, the dunes and white farmhouses beyond.AttractionsLaggan Bay7.7 miles
Laphroaig's white warehouses with the name in black across the bay, waves on the stony shore.AttractionsLaphroaig Distillery8.3 miles
The white front of Lagavulin with its name on the wall and the red chimney behind.AttractionsLagavulin Distillery9.2 miles
The broken tower of Dunyvaig Castle on its rocky point, the sea grey beyond.AttractionsDunyvaig Castle9.5 miles
Ardbeg distillery's whitewashed warehouse wall beside the rocky Islay shoreAttractionsArdbeg Distillery10 miles

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