Machrihanish, UK
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About Machrihanish
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (298°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (118°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 20). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 8°C in March, its coldest month (5/4 or 6/5, hood, boots and gloves), and 14°C in August, its warmest (4/3 wetsuit and boots). The town to stay in is Machrihanish, 1.1 km away (about 5 min by car).
Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
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Book the trip
From Chicago: about 16 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to EDI, direct.
See flights ORD → EDI · Skyscanner from about £375 returnAdGetting there. 4 h 25 from the airport to Machrihanish, 295 km.
Accommodation.
Stay in MachrihanishAd
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.
Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).
See all places to stay in Machrihanish (ad) on Booking.com →Closest towns to stay in
Machrihanish 2 min by car · rooms from £95 a night · 6 places to stay · where Machrihanish stays
Places to stay in Machrihanish · Booking.com Ad
Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Machrihanish · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Machrihanish · GetYourGuideAd
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Where it is
Machrihanish on Google Maps · Directions
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Forecast
Machrihanish does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 32, too small | 3 ft7 smushy | 73kJ | wind from the south, 7 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 44, fair | 4 ft11 shollow | 399kJ | offshorewind from the east, 11 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 62, good | 4 ft10 shollow | 322kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 8 knots, offshore | 12°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 0, too big | 6 ft9 scrumbling | 619kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 3 knots | 11°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 43, fair | 5 ft9 scrumbling | 342kJ | offshorewind from the south-south-east, 9 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 15, poor | 5 ft9 smushy | 336kJ | wind from the north-west, 30 knots | 9°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 0, too big | 8 ft9 smushy | 923kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 12 knots | 10°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 7, poor | 4 ft13 smushy | 389kJ | wind from the west, 34 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 5, poor | 6 ft10 smushy | 590kJ | wind from the west-south-west, 20 knots | 11°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 8, too small | 2 ft10 shollow | 75kJ | wind from the south, 14 knots | 11°C |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 4h 25 by road. About 16h 15 door to door
- Tue 20 OctSurf Machrihanish
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 4 ft at 10 s, offshore wind.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Thu 22 OctSurf Machrihanish
Best 16:00 to 19:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, offshore wind.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 16 of 80.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 0 of 80.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Direct flight ORD to EDI, then 4h 25 by road. About 16h 15 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,105–£2,055 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EDI, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag | £375–£780 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | £105–£175 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | £250–£420 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £240–£445 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £100–£170 |
| Total | £1,105–£2,055 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Places to eat near Machrihanish
- The Kintyre Restaurant & BarAmerican · in the centre
Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits
Book the trip
Where to stayAd
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