Featured Attracions | Must Things To Do In Kintyre
Skipness Castle
Roughly equidistant from Tarbert and Carradale at the north easterly most point of Kintyre sits the tiny village of Skipness.
Skipness has several interesting attractions but the most dominant and impressive is its 13th Century stone castle ruin.
Skipness Castle, dates back to the 13th Century and had been at the centre of struggles and fights for centuries between various Clans and dignitaries but today is uninhabited and open to the public.
The castle consists of thick outer walls around fifteen feet high with interior sections such as the latrine, and of course the large keep structure, seen above to the left.
The keep has several levels, and inside the perimeter walls you can access a staircase which ascends to the first floor where you can see the space inside and how it would have been all those centuries ago. From here you can ascend further onto the roof of the Castle, which presents simply stunning panoramic views of the Kintyre coastline, the Kilbrannan Sound and the Isle of Arran opposite.
The grounds of the castle fall away with lush green grass towards the shore and are commonly used by visitors to sit and have a picnic in the peace and tranquility offered. There is also a seafood cabin for people who would like to buy fresh food or forgot to pack a picnic!
Walk towards the shore via the single track roadway and you will be come across the 13th Century Chapel and impressive centuries old grave stones there (you can see the chapel south westerly from the castle) and also if you continue through the gate for several hundred yards you will find a fantastic section of beach to your right, and straight ahead a section of rocky coastline where dozens of oystercatchers feed and rest.
Parking
You can park at the entrance of the castle grounds and walk the 2km to the castle (advised if you have a low car), the flowers you will see are simply stunning in this part of the garden. Alternatively there is a small car park at the base of the castle at the end of the entrance road.
Walks
From the car park at the top of the entrance road there is a small walk through bluebell wood up to small waterfalls and a wooden bridge which is a worthwhile meander, or there is a small walk at the castle car park to the left just before you reach it.
How Long Will It Take
If you are planning a visit during the warmer summer months you may wish to spend a day here taking advantage of the great beach and getting a great Scottish tan (yes there is such a thing!), but for the remainder of the year half a day would be adequate including travel from local destinations.
Travel Advice
If you do not have a car there is a regular bus service that runs from Tarbert to Skipness, check the timetables for the arrival and departure times. The entrance to Skipness Castle is approximately 1km from Skipness village centre.
Golf At Machrihanish
If it wasn't enough having one great championship quality links golf course in Kintyre, hold on to your hat, there is another!
Machrihanish on the north east quarter of the Mull Of Kintyre is home to two great links golf courses (and arguably is joined by another incredibly good course at Dunaverty) making Kintyre one of the most attractive places to enjoy the challenge and peace of links golf.
The Machrihanish Golf Club is by far the best golf course and golfing challenge in mainland Argyll and has been the home of Amateur Championships for many years, not to mention attracting the names of great sportspeople and performers such as Ally McCoist and Robbie Williams over the years to play the course. The first hole has been described as the one of, if not the greatest opening hole in golf and the course is consistently ranked in the top 100 golf courses in the world.
The Machrihanish Golf Course is naturally born from the dunes which run alongside Machrihanish Bay, one of Kintyre's great sandy beaches. What better than to wander down the last hole with the sound of the sea and the sunset reflecting richly in the water? Followed by a wee dram in the clubhouse of course!
Joining Machrihanish Golf Club only recently is Machrihanish Dunes, a course that is built on a site of scientific special interest (SSI) , adds an additional golfing challenge establishing Machrihanish and Kintyre in leading the way in great links golf.
These are simply some of the greatest links golf courses in Scotland and join, if not supercede the legendary St Andrews Old Course in setting and challenge.
A must for golfers!
What About The Family?
Not everyone wants to, or understands the pleasure of 18 fine holes of golf, so there are several things here at Machrihanish that your family may want to do. They could try visiting the Machrihanish Bird Observatory at the end of the Machrihanish road, this is a really interesting place, particularly for people keen on feathered birds. Secondly a walk along the beach or spending a day on the beach (particularly in summer months) is a relaxing way to enjoy the few hours. If you have another driver (not the club, the car type) then perhaps heading off to Campbeltown for lunch or some retail therapy would be advised.
Travel Advice
It will take you around fifteen minutes to get to Machrihanish from Campbeltown. There is a local bus service that does this route regularly. Check timetables with West Coast Motors for more information.
More Attractions
More information and featured attractions will be available in due course. For an overview of other attractions please visit our attractions page.
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