Day 16: Machrihanish to Grogport, Mull of Kintyre

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

 20th January 2021: 104.18 walked today taking the total to 1697.71/8854km. % of 221 people's totals submitting 1488.31km.

Route 4: Mull of Kintyre to Kennacraig

Before reaching Machrihanish itself we pass the airfield which used to be RAF Machrihanish and then we pass the famous golf courses and the beach. Machrihanish beach runs for 3 miles northwards and joins onto Westport Beach and is reputed to be one of the best places to surf in Scotland.

Heading south we pass the Machrihanish sealife and wildlife observatory where there is a purpose-built sea watching hide. As well as seabirds, otters are seen regularly, as are grey and common seals and occasionally minke whales, bottlenose dolphins and the common porpoise.

We continue to head southwards before turning inland and climbing Binnean Fithich which is in the Largiebaan Wildlife Reserve run by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Here we have a good chance of spotting birds of prey, such as golden eagles, as well as wild goats. The path then heads south eastwards up onto a ridge which ends at Amod Hill before we descend into Glen Breakerie and walk to the south coast of the Mull of Kintyre at St Columba’s Chapel. A detour can be made to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse, but it adds over 20 kilometres to our walk and the route is by single track road there and back. At the medieval St Columba’s Chapel there are 3 other historic sites. These are the Keil Caves, used since prehistoric times, a holy well said to be established by Saint Columba and a fascinating footprint carved into a rock also said to be the Saint’s. There are actually 2 carved footprints, only one of which is supposed to date back to 564AD and is thought to have been used in the coronation ceremonies of ancient Kings. The other was carved by a mason in the 19th century. It is said that this was the place where St Columba arrived in Scotland after being exiled from Ireland.

We then head east towards Dunaverty Castle which was once a fort belonging to the Clan Donald. The headland it was built on had the sea on 3 sides and it was only approachable from the north with the castle being accessed by a drawbridge. The castle changed hands many times and over a period of many years it was captured by King Haakon of Norway in 1263, visited by Robert the Bruce while fleeing his enemies, and seized by James IV in 1493. In 1647 the castle was besieged by Scottish supporters of Oliver Cromwell led by General David Leslie. The MacDonalds surrendered but then 300 of them were massacred. There is very little left of the castle and because of the massacre it is known as Blood Rock.

Leaving Macharioch we head north along the Kintyre Peninsula to walk to Davaar Island. Situated at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch, it is accessed via a mile-long causeway at low tide. Once on the island, we walk to the lighthouse built in 1854 and still in operation today, now automated. We look out for sheep, goats and mink, walk further to view its sea caves, then return to shore before the tide comes in! One of the caves has a life-size cave painting of the crucifixion, painted in 1887 by a local artist called Archibald MacKinnon after having had a vision in a dream. When it mysteriously appeared in the cave, it was thought to be a sign from God and caused quite a stir in the area. When it was discovered to be the work of MacKinnon, they exiled him from Campbeltown indefinitely!

We continue towards Campbeltown passing Kilkerran Castle en route. Only ruins remain in a cottage garden of this castle, built by James IV to house a garrison in the fight to subdue the powerful MacDonald Clan who ruled Islay and Kintyre (1158-1493). We walk Kilkerran Road into Campbeltown, once the whisky capital of the world, but now only 3 of the once 34 distilleries remain. Kinlochkilkerran was once the name of Campbeltown which was renamed in the 1600s, hence the castle name Kilkerran. We walk along the seafront passing the Linda McCartney Memorial Garden, sited behind Campbeltown Museum (1898) and the oldest 'picture house’ in Scotland (1913) located next door. The Memorial Garden was created by the local community and includes a bronze statue of Linda donated by Sir Paul McCartney. Sir Paul purchased High Park Farm on the peninsula in 1966; Linda and he spent a lot of time there after the Beatles parted ways. He paid tribute to the place with the release one of the biggest songs of its time with his band, Wings, ‘Mull of Kintyre’ in 1979:

‘Mull of Kintyre, oh mist rolling in from the sea

My desire is always to be here

Oh, Mull of Kintyre.

Far have I travelled and much have I seen

Dark distant mountains with valleys of green

Past painted deserts, the sun sets on fire

As he carries me home to the Mull of Kintyre.’

Linda loved Kintyre, her ashes are buried on the peninsula, so a trust was set up to memorialise her connection to this place and the garden was born.

We continue past the Campbeltown Cross, standing on a traffic island today. It was carved in the late Medieval period, c1380, and there are a few theories linked to its origins; the main thought is it was moved from a churchyard in the 1600s to serve as a Mercat Cross. We turn left and head up Main Street to turn right on our route out of town, where we spot the white Town Hall (1760) further up the street before doing so; this is where the Mercat Cross once stood prior to its relocation after World War 2. We walk the B842 alongside Campbeltown Loch, made famous by the folk song of the same name. The chorus of the song goes:

‘Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky

Campbeltown Loch, och-aye

Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky

I would drink you dry.’

We see an old burial ground and old military defences left over from the World Wars before reaching Kildonan Dun. Excavations in the 1930s suggest it was constructed around 1st-2nd century AD as a fortified residence and would have been at the centre of a farming community. It saw many centuries of occupancy before being abandoned in the early 14th century.

A further 4 kilometres brings us to the Saddell Castle area on Saddell Bay. The castle was constructed in the 16th century from the remains of Saddell Abbey further up the road. It was once a bastion for the Clan Donald but came into Campbell hands in 1607. It fell into disrepair after nearby Saddell House was completed in 1774. Standing near the beach the castle commands fantastic views over the Bay and has been restored by The Landmark Trust as a grand holiday home. The house, built further round the bay, was also restored by The Landmark Trust to lease as a holiday home. We continue through the tiny village of Saddell where the abbey was based and only a fragment of the buildings now remain. The abbey was founded in 1148 after the land was granted by Somerled; he freed the Highlands and Islands from Norse rule in 1158 and took up the role of King of the Isles. The abbey thrived until James IV took control of western Scotland from the then-called Lord of the Isles, so went into decline after 1493.

We continue north along the coast to Carradale, then head inland to follow a forest walk up to Grogport. The small village of Grogport was at one time a secret haven for whisky smugglers. It has a white sandy beach with views over the Kilbrannan Sound and is a great place to try and spot seals, porpoises, and otters. Nearby is the ‘Sailor’s Grave’, the ruins of a Bronze Age cist dating back to 2000BC and there is also a peculiar shaped and cup-marked boulder named the ‘Priest’s Chair’. We then continue along the coast towards Claonaig where we arrived on the ferry from Arran.