UKC

Would Cambeltown be the most isolated town on the GB mainland? Not sure how that would be defined, though. Every time I drive down the side of Loch Lomond I marvel at rhe signpost in Tarbet which, IIRC, declares Cambeltown 96 miles. It makes me wonder how it feels to live in such a location or even more to grow up there.

Are you really sure the sign says that? 

No, I reckon it's Penzance. Must be about 600 miles from anywhere much.

It is a long way: 3 and a half hours from Stirling, so further than Manchester or Liverpool.

Hmm, that sounds like a northern accent.  You're not from these parts are you....

My step-dad's dad grew up there. Left to fight Hitler as a teen (Royal Marines) and never really went back. Settled in Lancashire.

The McSporrans of which he was are still very well represented in Campbeltown and Kintyre more generally.

There's a sign for Cambeltown just before the Erskine bridge stating a distance of 125 miles. It's easily the furthest distance in the UK mentioned for such a small place on a primary route sign. Road sign distances and destination population ratios only get you so far as very small hamlets or even single houses can be signposted from relatively large distances, but without the destination actually being particularly remote.

(Before anyone comments, yes the signs at Ullapool and John O'Groats state 170 miles in each direction but they are brown tourist signs which would never exist for practical purposes).

As you say it's hard to define remoteness but I would agree that for mainland UK Campbeltown is exceptionally out of the way. Were either Thurso or Wick to stand in isolation they would be contenders but to me Caithness "feels" like an island with a road connection to Inverness.

There are other coastal towns which suffer / benefit such isolation such as Millom in Cumbria, which takes a surprisingly long time to get to and from almost anywhere else. Chronographs of traveling times to London can emphasise just how distorted connectivity is within the UK.

As for growing up in such places it's very hard to return once you've left. I remember a piece of inspired graffiti spray painted on the side of the much underused library in my local home town which stated: "SMALL TOWN. SMALL MINDS". In that particular case it was, still is, painfully accurate. I've not moved back.

There was a documentary made maybe 15 years ago now about kids growing up in Campbeltown, although from memory it got slated for misrepresenting it and I remember a friend who worked there saying the same.

I know a chap who grew up in Cambeltown, now lives in a hamlet in a rural part of Ayrshire.

Cambeltown is a lot bigger a place than many remote hamlets, would imagine its not too bad a place to brought up.

Now, if only the loch were made of whisky 

Sorry. I was obviously being facetious. Really just wondering how to define and measure isolation.

Fairly sure. Maybe someone else can confirm or deny.

Not 96. Infact it is 99! 

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.2033696,-4.714831,3a,79.3y,238.79h,99.02t/d...

Cambeltown. A long way to go if you need a p

How careless of me.

Indeed! It is so Davaar away.

As it happens, I had never seen or heard of Davaar Island until yesterday. I was very impressed by the huge crags visible from the coast road. There doesn’t seem to be much reference to the crags on this site. Are they completely undeveloped? There appears to be some, even a lot, of decent looking rock, though of course hard to tell from a distance. Or has the tidal approach been a deterrent?

I always presumed that traditionally it's connections were by water, so in that sense it would have been not really so far from Glasgow, or at least Ayr Troon etc. It's like many parts of Norway where you have villages that are 100 kms drive from each other round a fjord but a few kms in a boat so were closely integrated that way. 

Remote - probably nearer Ballycastle than Glasgow, but has its own airport.

Was there a few years ago for the Mull of Kintyre 10k (half marathon also for proper runners). Local hosts put on pasta meal the evening before for runners and at the ceilidh the next evening, sat at a free table and were soon surrounded by friendly chatty locals. Guitarist in the band was local high school physics teacher. Town had 60s vibe with ice cream cafes and juke boxes. Cool place though I can understand young folk wanting to move on.

Went back another time to do the Kintyre way which was great, walking through hilly dairy farm country side with spectacular coastline.

Hit me right between the eyes too, the more so perhaps because I'm married to one, a Cam(p)bell that is. What's more I was living in Arrochar when I met her.

I'm fairly certain the crown would go to Inverie on the Knoydart peninsula. Only accessible by boat or a 17 mile walk in. Though with a population of 95 it probably stretches the definition of town...

Cool place though. There is a pub which claims to be (and verified by Guiness) the most remote pub on the UK mainland

Fear not Rog for I note many of your correspondents have repeated your uncharacteristic error. My wife, being of that clan, may not have been so forgiving.

Went to a wedding close to Cambeltown a few years ago. Really liked the Kintyre peninsula - stayed in Tarbert- it felt as if most tourists headed north towards Oban and sort of ignored Kintyre. Thought Cambeltown itself felt a bit tired and neglected. 
It once had 80 distilleries but now has only three- the wonderful Springbank amongst them. I visited the Springbank distillery and I think they mentioned that they were the only distillery where every part of the process from malting to bottling was done on the one site. 

Not sure that pub is open at the moment, it's been shut for a while. I've read it's been acquired by the local community so it should reopen some time soon.

https://www.theoldforge.co.uk/

Just spent a week in the area and enjoyed it greatly. Very very quiet! I think  the complications of getting there puts people off, but for us part of the fun. There is a boat from Ardrossan to CamPbeltown in the summer. We went Wemyss Bay to Bute then the Ardentraive and Portavadie ferries. Not cheap but nor is diesel. Spent some time on Arran too which is very quiet at present as the Brodick ferry isn’t running - must be very annoying for residents and businesses.