Details
Day One – To Kintyre
From May to September you can travel direct to Campbeltown on the ferry service from Ayrshire. Departures are mostly in the late afternoon, with an evening arrival in Kintyre.
Your destination is towards the southern end of the peninsula, around five miles’ drive from the ferry port.
Your Hotel
Machrihanish is a sleepy yet beautiful spot. The imposing Victorian hotel has recently undergone a major renovation to restore it to past glories. Rooms are spacious and many have sea views so you can gaze out at the Atlantic rollers rhythmically breaking along mile after mile of golden sandy beach with the island shapes of Islay and Jura providing a sceninc backdrop. The famous links golf course is just steps from the front door, or the newer and wilder course of Machrihanish Dunes is a short drive away. Alternatively, stroll to the far end of the small village to spot seals and birdlife or watch the waves crashing even more dramatically over the boulders of the Gauldrons. Then when it’s time to kick back, pop into The Pub next door for simple bar meals or sample the delights of the hotel’s world-class malt whisky bar, steak house and state-of-the-art Spa.
Days Two & Three
Kintyre is our favourite Scottish peninsula and we’ll share our local knowledge so that you get the best out of it. You’ll find spectacular beaches in all directions, though some are hidden at the end of farm tracks or across fields. Pre-history abounds, with standing stones and burial cairns galore, if you know where to look. It may feel remote now, but centuries ago this was a densely populated area, when the sea was the main travel thoroughfare. Seals are easy to spot – you’ll often find them basking around Machrihanish or Southend at the tip of the peninsula. Look out for the white flashes of gannets diving into the sea. Otters and golden eagles are much trickier to find, but you may strike lucky. Of course, weather and driver’s courage permitting, you must make the journey to the Mull of Kintyre itself, via the seven miles of twists and turns of the single track road. It’s a wild and desolate place, even when the sun is shining, but, you never know, the mist might just roll in from the sea! Campbeltown, the main settlement, was once the richest town per capita of population in Scotland – look out for the impressive lochside villas. It’s not quite so grand these days but is home to Springbank whisky, famous for its traditional production methods and still run by members of the family that founded it in 1828.
Included within this holiday is a day return trip to the ‘wee’ island of Gigha. We recommend leaving the car behind at the ferry port and simply walking or cycling, enabling you to soak up the island atmosphere. The community-run hotel is the perfect spot for lunch and refreshing drinks. There is much more to see and do, depending on your interests, and we will tailor recommendations for you. Walkers can take in stunning panoramic views from wildflower-strewn hillsides and cyclists will discover perfect picnic spots on tiny beaches of pure white sand. The island’s history makes fascinating reading – especially the community buy-out, ensuring Gigha’s future for islanders and visitors alike.
Day Four – To Islay
A short drive north this morning will take you to the ferry port for the crossing to Islay, where your hotel awaits on the shores of Loch Indaal.
Your Guest House
Your accommodation on Islay is a recently refurbished gem of a property, set just back from the waterfront of Loch Indaal. With only three sumptuous rooms, two with fabulous loch views, and comfortable guest lounge and garden, you’ll feel an immediate sense of calm, while receiving the warmest of welcomes from your charming host. The distillery at Bruichladdich, with its terrific visitor centre, is just ten minutes’ walk along the shore – perfect if you fancy sampling a few whiskies!
Days Four to Six: Islay
Once the ancestral seat of the Lords of the Isles, Islay is a fertile island of low heather-clad hills. Learn more about its early history with a visit to Finlaggan, home of the Macdonald chiefs or to Kildalton Chapel with its early Christian cross. The Museum of Island Life in Port Charlotte provides a fascinating insight into the social history of the area. In the island capital of Bowmore, you can visit the unusual Round Church – so designed to ensure there were no corners for the devil to hide in!
Like neighbouring Kintyre, attractive beaches and wildlife abound. The island’s main claim to fame is the abundance of whisky distilleries – eight or nine in operation at the last count! The combination of pure water, Hebridean air and smoky peat gives the Islay distillations a particular acquired taste, although they vary greatly from distillery to distillery. Ardbeg and Laphroaig vie with one another to produce the peatiest ever, while young upstarts such as the farm distillery at Kilchoman jostle to establish their own niche. Let us know your favourites and we can pre-arrange tours for you to ensure you don’t miss out. We can help with local taxis, too, if required.
If you fancy bagging another island to add to your collection, it’s perfectly possible to jump on another ferry for the short crossing to Jura, to the north. The contrast is dramatic. The island’s single ribbon of road hugs the eastern shoreline, with the distinctive peaks of the Paps looming in the west beyond acres of wild moorland. You’ll soon understand how George Orwell found the necessary solitude here to write of the Big Brother nightmare in his famous future-gazing novel, 1984.
Day Seven – return home
By ferry back to the mainland, then onwards to Glasgow. Your route will bring you through the picture postcard village of Inveraray, where you might choose to stop off and visit the castle – still home to the Duke of Argyll – or stretch your legs at Crarae Gardens, featuring wonderful species of rhododendron and azalea. A final drive over the aptly named “Rest and Be Thankful” pass then along the shores of Loch Lomond leaves Argyll behind as you approach the outskirts of Glasgow and head for home.
Pricing
£690 per person for April & October, £780 per person for May to September.
Prices are based on 2 people sharing a room for 6 nights on a bed & breakfast basis in 4 star small hotels, and include ferry travel for car and passengers in one direction to Campbeltown from Ardrossan, and return to Islay, as well as a day return trip to Gigha.
For holidays in April & October the boat trip will be replaced with a distillery tour and tasting, and travel to Kintyre will be by road rather than ferry.
Before your departure, you will receive personalised holiday information including full directions, recommended routes, and suggestions on places to visit depending on your interests and our local knowledge to help you get the most from your holiday.
All itineraries and room types are presented subject to availability at specific hotels.
