Things to see and do in Kintyre
Walking in Kintyre
We are working up a guide to walks in the area based on local walks that we and the dogs know and love. There are not many written up yet, but we will endeavour to add to them if you think this is useful. Please let us know and we’ll make more of an effort to update it with more of our favourite walks.
Choose your activity
Kintyre is spoilt for beaches. After all it is know as the Mainland Island meaning we are surrounded by some of the best beaches Scotland has to offer. Being a seaside hotel we have our own beach outside the hotel, Bellochantuy Bay, offering a good 2 mile walk to Killegruer. Then 5 miles south is the popular Westport Beach. a favourite with surfers.
Then there are the quieter more remote beaches at the Gauldrons near Machrihanish and several at Southend toward the Mull of Kintyre. On the west coast there is Saddle Bay with it Castle and ruins of a medieval abbey. The beaches here offer great view to Arran and at Carradale Bay there are cafes and hotels where you can stop for a drink or bite to eat. These are just a few of our our beaches. Ideal for walking your dog if you are taking advantage of hotel being dog friendly.
It is not all about the sea and beaches. Kintyre offers some superb inland walks and cycling opportunities. These cover forests, lochs, open moorland and hills. For a slim peninsular there is varied terrain on offer and the Kintyre Way is a way marked route covering 100 miles. It can easily be broken into sections.
There are also waymarked walks near Carradale and on Beinn Gullion by Campbeltown. Off the beaten track are a host of other walking opportunities which we would be happy to point out and lend you a map and compass. Don’t forget we can provide you with a packed lunch and flask of soup.
Kintyre may appear remote but it is in easy reach of many places that offer great days out. The Crinan Canal is well worth a visit and there are plenty of places for refreshment and food along its length. Slightly further north is Kilmartin, an ancient and mystical place, taking us back 5,000 years to early civilisation in the UK.
Inveraray is a picturesque town on Loch Fyne with a castle and Inveraray Jail worth visiting. Nearby is Fyne Ales craft beer brewers, who supply the hotel, offering tours. A little further and you are entering the Arrochar Alps with some fine hill and mountain walk and climbs.
Closer to home a visit to Tarbert takes you to a lovely village built around the natural harbour of East Loch Tarbert. It has a marina with chandlery shops, a fishing industry and a number of craft and art shops. All overlooked by Tarbert Castle.
Heading toward the south of Kintyre is the main town of Campbeltown, with is sheltered port at the head of Campbeltown Loch, where there is plenty to do. Its 3 distilleries Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia are worth visiting. You can swim or exercise in the Aqualibrium, find out more about the area in the Campbeltown Museum and spend time shopping or visiting the shops and taking the weight off your feet in its cafes or bars. As well as enjoying the sights of the harbour you can head out on a wildlife watching trip with Mull of Kintyre Sea Adventures or charter a boat for a day out with Kintyre Express.
If you enjoy golf then you’ll be spoilt in Kintyre with its 7 courses. Not only do they provide a range of different challenges – cattle at Dunaverty, hitting across the sea at Machrihanish – but they are all set within fantastic scenery, offering some of the best views you’ll get from a golf course.
There is a choice of three 18 hole courses; Machrihanish Old Course, Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty Golf Course. And four 9 hole courses at; Carradale, on the Isle of Gigha, just outside Tarbert and one at Machrihanish, linked to the old course club. The Argyll Hotel sits between them all making an ideal hotel for golf in Kintyre, Argyll.
If you enjoy the watersports then Kintyre has plenty to offer. If you have your own equipment there are plenty of places to launch craft and with Westport Beach you have one of Scotland’s top surfing spots. If you need to hire stuff or are looking for lessons then look no further than Pete’s Surf School and Hire for surfing and bodyboarding and Kayak Majik for sea kayaking, canoes and windsurfing.
If it’s fishing you want you can sea fish for free from many spots. For freshwater fishing the Kintyre Angling Club look after several lochs, with brown, rainbow and blue trout, which you can get a permit to fish.
