Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Springbank distillery
55 Longrow • Mon-Sat 10am & 2pm • £6.50; sign-up at Cadenhead's whisky shop at 30-32 Union Street •
T
01586 551710,
W
springbankwhisky.com
If you're interested in whisky, pop into
Cadenhead's
whisky shop on Bolgam St, which
runs parallel with Longrow, where you can sign up for a guided tour of the nearby
Springbank distillery
, a deeply traditional, family-owned business (founded in 1828)
that does absolutely everything from malting to bottling, on its own premises, and
produces three different single malts.
6
Burnet Building
St John Street • Mon-Fri 9am-5pm • Free
Built as the town library in 1897, the
Burnett Building
is crowned by a distinctive
lantern and decorated with four relief panels depicting the town's main industries at the
time. he building harbours a very old-fashioned one-room local museum, and also
includes the
Linda McCartney Memorial Garden
, which you should approach from
Shore Street. Here, you'll find a slightly ludicrous bronze statue of Linda holding a
lamb, a piece commissioned by Paul McCartney, who spent many happy times with
Linda and the kids on the farm he owns near Campbeltown.
Campbeltown Heritage Centre
Lorne Street • April-Sept Mon-Sat 9am-5pm • £2 •
T
07733 485387,
W
campbeltownheritagecentre.co.uk
he former Lorne Street Church, with its stripy bell-cote and pinnacles, has been
cleverly converted into the intermittently interesting
Campbeltown Heritage Centre
.
Due prominence is given to the town's once glittering industrial heritage, in particular
the local fishing and whisky industries; going hand in hand with local malt production
was a significant coopering industry, and at one stage there were more than sixty
coopers in Campbeltown. By far the most prominent exhibit here, however, and
occupying the spot where the main altar once stood, is a beautiful wooden skiff called
“Yerda”, dating from 1906. Look out, too, for the model of the Victorian harbour front
with the light railway running along Hall Street.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
CAMPBELTOWN
By plane
Campbeltown Airport (
T
01586 553797,
W
hial.co.uk) lies three miles west, towards Machrihanish.
Destinations
Glasgow (Mon-Fri 2 daily; 40min).
By bus
The town's main bus terminal is in front of the
swimming pool on the Esplanade.
Destinations
Carradale (Mon-Fri 5 daily, 4 on Sat; 45min);
Glasgow (5 daily; 4hr 15min); Machrihanish (Mon-Sat 9
daily; 20min); Southend (Mon-Sat 6 daily; 25min); Tarbert
(5 daily; 1hr 10min).
By ferry
The ferry terminal is on the south side of the
harbour, from where it's a five-minute walk into the centre.
Destinations
Ardrossan (Fri & Sun 1 daily; 2hr 40min).
INFORMATION
Tourist o
ce
Old Quay (April-June & Sept Mon-Sat
10am-5pm, Sun noon-4pm; July & Aug Mon-Sat
9am-6pm,
Sun
11am-5pm;
Oct-March
Mon-Fri
10am-4pm;
T
01586 552056).
ACCOMMODATION
Ardshiel Hotel
Kilkerran Road
T
01586 552133,
W
ardshiel.co.uk.
A former whisky distiller's Victorian
mansion situated on a lovely leafy square just a block or so
back from the harbour front. The rooms are functional more
than anything else, but adequately comfortable and they
are reasonably priced. More impressive is the hotel's
glamo
rous
, grown-up whisky bar, stocking in excess of 500
malts.
£70
Campbeltown Backpackers
Big Kiln
T
01586 551188,
W
campbeltownbackpackers.co.uk.
Occupying the old
school house in the courtyard across from the heritage centre,
this new, community-trust-run bunkhouse has sixteen firm,
pine beds in two dormitories, a self-catering kitchen and small
lounge. There's no reception as such, so if there's no one there,
pop into the heritage cent
re;
if that's closed just call the
number on the door. Dorms
£18
Oatfield House
Three miles down the B842
T
01586
551551,
W
oatfield.org.
A beautifully renovated
whitewashed laird's house set in its own grounds on the
road to Southend, retaining three rooms of some character
