Campbeltown, Mull of Kintyre, Southend, and Carradale.

Friday 11 May - a poor weather day

We had a brighter morning than expected. I did the short walk to Carradale harbour, along the shore and up the hill before breakfast. Not my usual routine!

The old water wheel - Carradale village hall has been converted from the water mill.

From an information board nearby - “Little is known about the early history of the mill building. it was used by the Paterson family for threshing oats until the Mitchisons who bought Carradale House and lands from the Forestry Commission in 1939 decided to convert the building into a village hall."

We drove into Campbeltown, enjoying the views this time, as the mist had lifted. 

We did the town trail more or less, following a leaflet found in the cottage, and ended up with a coffee in the Wee Picture House as the rain came down heavier. A little essential shopping completed the excursion.

Saturday 12 May - Mull of Kintyre 

This was one of those beautiful days that western Scotland enchants us with. . We set off at 10 to drive to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse car park. The last seven miles or so are a single track road, and the road down to the lighthouse is private. You have to walk.

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The car park is at about 1000 ft and the lighthouse is almost at sea level - the distance is a mile and a bit. 

A first view of the lighthouse from the road

We went up to look at the Chinook crash memorial from 1994. 

Then down to the lighthouse, where we had coffee from our flask, and sketched a bit. There were great views across to the coast of Northern Ireland, about 12 miles away, and further north along the coast of Kintyre.

Some people had obviously got permission to come down the easy way, in a land rover.

It turned out that they were filming for the BBC, about "a very old man who walks"...

No lift up to the car park for us though. Quite a climb.

and Southend

Not the one in Essex, but the southernmost point of Kintyre, south of Campbeltown, We had some lunch on picnic table overlooking the beach.

Afterwards we parked at Keil cemetery, where we saw the film crew again.

Along the rocky shore seals were basking and oystercatchers whistling.

Beyond this are caves with evidence of occupation going back to 2500 BC, and also St Columba's Well and footprints.

 He is supposed to have landed here in 563 AD. 

Further on is another beautiful almost deserted beach. 

We stopped in Campbeltown for an excellent Indian meal at the Taj Mahal, before driving back to Carradale.

To round off this rather lovely day we walked round Carradale harbour and up the back way in the evening light.