Argyll - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 97

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Kintyre
But for the mile-long isthmus between West Loch Tarbert and the much smaller East
Loch Tarbert, the little-visited, sparsely populated peninsula of KINTYRE - from the
Gaelic ceann tire , “land's end” - would be an island. Indeed, in the eleventh century,
when the Scottish king, Malcolm Canmore, allowed Magnus Barefoot, King of
Norway, to lay claim to any island he could circumnavigate by boat, Magnus dragged
his boat across the Tarbert isthmus and added the peninsula to his Hebridean
kingdom. During the Wars of the Covenant, the majority of the population and
property was wiped out by a combination of the 1646 potato blight and the destructive
attentions of the Earl of Argyll. Kintyre remained a virtual desert until the earl began
his policy of transplanting Gaelic-speaking Lowlanders to the region. They probably
felt quite at home here, as the southern third of the peninsula lies on the Lowland side
of the Highland Boundary Fault. Despite its relative proximity to Scotland's Central
Belt, Kintyre remains quiet and unfashionable; its main towns of Tarbert and
Campbeltown have few obvious attractions, but that's part of their appeal.
Kintyre's bleak but often beautiful west coast ranks among the most exposed stretches
of coastline in Argyll. Atlantic breakers pound the rocky shoreline, while the persistent
westerly wind forces the trees against the hillside. However, when the weather's fine and
the wind not too fierce, there are numerous deserted sandy beaches to enjoy, with great
views over to Gigha, Islay, Jura and even Ireland. By way of contrast, the east coast of
Kintyre is gentler than the west, sheltered from the Atlantic winds and in parts
strikingly beautiful, with stunning views across to Arran.

ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND KINTYRE

By plane Campbeltown has an airport, with flights to
and from Glasgow, which is only 40 miles away by air,
compared to over 120 miles by road.
By bus There are regular daily buses from Glasgow to
Campbeltown, via Tarbert and the west coast. On the east
coast, buses from Campbeltown only go as far as the
fishing village of Carradale, some thirteen miles distant.

By ferry Kintyre is well served with ferries: the main
port is at Kennacraig, five miles south of Tarbert on
the west coast, with ferries serving Port Askaig and
Port Ellen on Islay. There are also ferries from Tarbert
to Portavadie on the Cowal peninsula, from Claonaig
to Lochranza on Arran, and a summer-only one from
Campbeltown to Ardrossan.

Tarbert
A distinctive rocket-like church steeple heralds the fishing village of TARBERT (in Gaelic
an tairbeart , meaning “isthmus”), sheltering an attractive little bay backed by rugged
hills. Tarbert's herring industry was mentioned in the Annals of Ulster as far back as
836 AD, though now the local fishing industry is down to its lowest level ever.
Ironically, it was local Tarbert fishermen, who, in the 1830s, pioneered the method of
herring-fishing known as trawling, seining or ring-netting, which eventually wiped out
the Loch Fyne herring stocks.
Tourism is now an increasingly important source of income, and though there's little
of substance to see in Tarbert itself, it's a good hub, with excellent transport links, a
decent stock of accommodation, and some even better seafood restaurants. Moreover,
it stages two prestigious annual events: the Scottish Series yacht races in late May, and
the Tarbert Seafood Festival in early July, when traditional boats also hit town. Tarbert
is also the starting point of the Kintyre Way , an 89-mile walk that zigzags its way down
the peninsula to Southend.

Tarbert Castle
South of town, steps lead up from Tarbert's pretty harbourfront to Robert the Bruce's
fourteenth-century castle . The oldest part of the ivy-strewn ruins date from around the
seventh century, though the most substantial remains (albeit now with some rather ugly