UKC

I'm going to be in(on?) Kintyre quite soon for holiday purposes. Not exactly a typical Scottish winter destination as it's unlikely to be snowy and it's not very high. However... I'm mostly looking at birdy/ wildlife stuff but would like to get some interesting walks in and i'm taking the bike as well. The internet tells me of the Kintyre way, but apart from that, does anyone have any suggestions for outdoor entertainment?

In reply to toad:

Watching mist rolling in from the sea is traditional.

In reply to DaveHK:

funny you should mention that, I believe there's a song in there somewhere

In reply to toad:

You hum it I'll play it.

In reply to toad:

Can recommend a day trip to Gigha - ferry from Tayinloan. Take your bike . It's a lovely wee island with great views west to Islay and Jura.

In reply to toad:

There's some suggestions for walks here: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/kintyre.shtml and a couple of wee MTB trails http://www.visitkintyre.info/activities/mountainbiking/index.htm

In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:


I agree, I go down there a fair bit ( visit my BIL and sister on their farm)

Last trip I went over the tidal causeway to Davar.
A short walk to the top then dropped down to the beach and walked to the cave painting.
( watch the tide, check with the TI at Campeltown pier)

There are also boat trips from the pier, round Ailsa Craig, and even a rib to Ireland ( Ballycastle)
Bikes free( go and see the Giants causeway and the rope bridge perhaps. £80 return, seasonal)
http://www.kintyreexpress.com/ferry%20service.html
http://www.mull-of-kintyre.co.uk/

I would make sure you go to the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse ( take warm clothes a bite to eat, and perhaps a kite. On the way down/ up , take the short walk to the memorial to the helicopter crash site , and spend a few thoughtful moments.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/argyll/mull-of-kintyre.shtml

Go see the seals at Macrahanish , ( and Southend) and if you are a golfer you might want to see one of the best opening holes in the world. ( they have wild goats too on the beach( or in the local gardens) there is a seabird centre too.
http://www.machrihanishbirdobservatory.org.uk/

On previous trips I went to Gigha, like you I enjoyed cycling, but just hired one on the pier on arrival. I climbed Gigha's highest peak
I then cycled to either ends, watched some Dolphins ( heard a sea otter) and went to the gardens. There is a lovely small beach near the pier, but also a Tombola beach that is worth a visit ( and if you are lucky, the Dolphins ( otters) will be there.

There is a nice drive , cycle round the Carridale road looking towards Arran ( Calmer than the dramatic beaches on the Atlantic )
http://www.exploreargyll.co.uk/explore-kintyre-gigha.php

I had also gone go Islay and Jura ( hitchhiking ) but you can also just hire bikes at Port Ellen , and there is a youth hostel at Port Charlotte , if you want to stay overnight.

My wife and sister go places, no idea what they do. Retail therapy I suspect, crafts I suppose?

If you are lucky there might be a heavy horse ploughing competition on .

Lots more than this , but take a kite and fly it on the largely deserted sandy beaches, watching surfers perhaps, and on other beaches the waves crashing in , pushing pebbles up the beach, and back out again( hypnotic)

In reply to Jim C: crikey! Thanks very much

In reply to toad:



No problem. I just noticed that you are going quite soon, so some of the things might be seasonal ( Easter)
but I like the simpler stuff anyway, the remoter the better .
I now go to the remotest islands I can find cycle touring on the Shetlands, ( after a recommendation from a chap I hitched from on Jura)

In reply to Jim C: yeah, I suspect the rib to Ireland would be a bit too exciting at this time of year

In reply to DaveHK:


I'm humming now.
I was a teenager when that came out, and met my wife way back then.

I'm filling up with nostalgia
( but mostly missing my very long 70's hair- any hair in fact)

We both love going to Kintyre now, but she does everything in the car.
Whilst I'm off on my bike or foot.

In reply to toad:

The Giants Causway is good though, but too pricy to go for just one day.

In reply to toad:

Cycling is good in Kintyre on the east coast road from Campbeltown to Kennacraig ( or complete the circuit round the peninsula) or, if you have your "king of the mountains" legs on, the "Lear side" road to Dunaverty and then up to the road end at Mull of Kintyre and back via Dalsmirran to Campbeltown ...don't be deceived by the low altitudes there are some really hard climbs on this up to 1 in 4 and 300m of ascent at the Mull though the road is too narrow and steep to really let rip in descent.
The crags at the lighthouse are interesting enough if that's your thing but perhaps more interesting is to cycle in from Dalsmirran to Largybaan and visit the coast at Uamh Ropa cave (which is low ,dark and limestone rather than the high red sandstone at Dunaverty) you are guaranteed peace and quiet at Uamh Ropa. The coast to the north of here to Machrihanish is rough and dramatic and a spot of local interest is the "sailors grave" at Aenan's Bay. The hillwalk from Ifferdale at Saddell over BeinnTuirc and North to Maol Donn and Beinn Bhreac and back to Dippen via Rhonadale used to be really nice but may now be compromised by wind farm development.
If history is your thing there are carved gravestones at Keil , Dunaverty and at Saddell Abbey as well as "St Columbas footpint at Dunaverty and the continuation of the walk across the Dorlinn to the "crucifixion cave" is worthwhile too though not so ancient. The castle at Skipness is ok but there is a much more impressive castle at Castle Sween in Knapdale just up the road. There are some standing stones , duns and chambered cairns dotted about too and what I believe to be a rather impressive hill fort west of Borgadel on the road to the Mull ( though , much to my chagrin, I've not been there in person)
The beach at Westport is dramatic - one of the best of the mainland beaches and the beach and point at Carradale although on a smaller scale are very pretty too.
if you are going to Kintyre its only a short diversion from Lochgilphead to visit Kilmartin one of the great Bronze age sites of Scotland.
The circuit of Loch Awe is a superb road bike route ( though not any better than the routes described in Kintyre) and if you have a mountain bike you could also cycle the Leacainnn Muir road from Auchindrain south of Inveraray to Loch Awe and there is a trail centre developed by the Forestry Commission at Cairnbaan.

A great pleasure to talk about Kintyre.

In reply to DaveHK:


Pissed rolling home for your tea is another tradition.

In reply to andrew ogilvie:

Thank you for taking the time. I'm staying near sadell, so much of that sounds great

In reply to toad:

I spent Easter near Saddell once, next to the beach where the video for *that song* was filmed. Lovely place.

Arran is a shortish ferry trip away (to Lochranza, easy striking distance to the mountains in the north).

Not outdoorsy, but I'd recommend stopping at the Loch Fyne oyster bar (near the head of the Loch) for high quality fish and sea food on the way down.
And if you fancy doing something a bit different and/or enjoy a good dram, I recommend contacting Mark Watt of Cadenhead's to arrange a whisky tasting straight from Cadenhead's barrels in Springbank's dunnage warehouse in Campbeltown. Mark's a good laugh as well as being deeply knowledgeable, and the whisky is outstanding

In reply to toad: just to say thanks for all the ideas. In 10 days or so, we managed to tick pretty much all of the ideas mentioned. Gigha was fantastic and on the way back we even managed a detour to kilmartin and the (as we professionals call it) bloody big bog nnr down the road. I'm pretty sure if those stones were in Wiltshire, we'd have been overrun, but as it was it was just us and the golden eagle. Thanks again.