Mull of Kintyre

Just waking up twice at Skipness to this sight makes the trip worthwhile and as happens frequently, it’s a wrench to leave.

However, a favourable weather forecast helped the decision and we headed for The Mull of Kintyre. There are just two roads and we stayed on the eastern B road which is mainly single track but with copious passing places.

It’s quite a drive, with lots to see, including the west coast of Arran and the odd timber lorry. These trucks, hauling cut forests, are far bigger than you expect to see on these roads and the drivers do expect you to see them, as they don’t stop. Logging is a huge industry and eventually you do get used to huge swathes of land having been cleared, with the stumps still showing. It appears that the replanting is done in between these rough remains. Maybe the idea is that in twenty years or however long it’s been, the stumps will have rotted down.

Along the way we see plenty of houses and farms, some of the houses are really special; very Scottish is how I can describe them. 

In Campbeltown we did our shopping in the CO-OP and walked around a little. It was dry but somehow felt very cold even though it was about 10C. For those who know it, it’s the same feeling as you get at Harpur Hill. ⛄️ 

Eventually we dived into a café for broccoli soup, a fruit scone and tea.

Then we went to ‘The Mull’. What a great day we chose. The sea was flat calm and Northern Island, only twelve miles away, looked so close. The road is narrow, steep and single track but it wasn’t busy. There were two cars at the end where there’s a small car park and turning space.

The lighthouse is on the rocks way down a very steep road. We walked halfway before stepping onto heather in order to visit the monument to a Chinook helicopter crash.

We were startled to see that this was in 1994. It seems so much more recent. What a terrible crash with so many lives lost.

These huge helicopters are still in service and they fly low, past our house every few days.

Here’s the lighthouse and the NI coast beyond. 

For many years Dawn has talked of a childhood visit here but can only remember that the telegraph poles were short and stumpy. Well we located the very same poles, although they are no longer in use. They are still very short and stumpy!

Turning around to retrace our steps towards Campbeltown we had a view of the distant Ailsa Craig (think golf at Turnberry) with Sanda Island in the foreground. There’s a crazily located lighthouse there, visible through binoculars at the far right. 

This isn’t my photo through binoculars!