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For other uses, see Kintyre (disambiguation).
Kintyre shown within Argyll

Kintyre (Scottish Gaelic: Cinn Tìre pronounced [kʲiɲˈtʲiːɾʲə]) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the south-west of Argyll and Bute. The region stretches approximately 30 miles (48 km), from the Mull of Kintyre (immortalised in the song of the same name by Paul McCartney) in the south, to East Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately north of the peninsula is known as Knapdale.

Geographically, the Kintyre peninsula is long and narrow, at no point more than 11 miles (18 km) from west coast to east coast. The central spine of the peninsula is mostly hilly moorland. The coastal areas and hinterland, however, are rich and fertile. As such, Kintyre has long been a prized area for settlers, from the early Scots who migrated from Ulster to western Scotland and the Vikings or Norsemen who conquered and settled the area just before the start of the second millennium.

The principal town of the area is Campbeltown (about 9 km by road from the Mull), which has been a royal burgh since the mid-18th century. The area's economy has long relied on fishing and farming, although Campbeltown has a reputation as a producer of some of the world's finest single malt whisky including the multi-award winning 'Springbank'.

Kintyre Pursuivant of Arms in Ordinary, one of the officers of arms at the Court of the Lord Lyon is named after this peninsula.

Contents

Towns and villages in Kintyre

The north-eastern coast of the Kintyre peninsula looking northward to Skipness and the Sound of Bute
Skipness Castle

Bellochantuy, Campbeltown, Carradale, Clachan, Claonaig, Drumlemble, Glenbarr, Grogport, Kilchenzie, Machrihanish, Muasdale, Peninver, Saddell, Skipness, Southend, Stewarton, Tayinloan, Tarbert, and Whitehouse.

Transport

Information on all forms of public transport is available from Traveline Scotland

Bus & coach services

Flights

Ferry services

Railways

No railways remain in use but there was a light railway from Campbeltown to Machrihanish from 1876 until 1931, initially built to transport coal. (see Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway)

Places of historic interest

Ruins of the old church at Kilchenzie with beehives below.
  • Clachan Church - carved medieval grave slabs
  • Kilchenzie church
  • Kilchousland Chapel, near Peninver
  • Kilcomkill, Southend - St Columba's Chapel, carved grave slabs, "St. Columba's footprints" nearby
  • Killean - St. John's Church - "most important medieval parish church in Kintyre"1 - carved grave slabs
  • 18th century Killean and Kilchenzie Church (united parish) at A'Chleit
  • Saddell Abbey
  • Saddell Castle
  • Skipness Castle
  • Tarbert Castle

Prehistoric sites

  • Ballochroy standing stones
  • Beacharr standing stone, near Tayinloan
  • Corriechrevie cairn - intact
  • Dun Skeig - Iron Age forts near Clachan
  • Kildonan galleried dun
  • A crag near the chapel of Keil and St. Columba's Well, between Dunaverty Bay and Carskey in Kintyre, has two footprints carved at a place where St. Columba is reputed to have first set foot in Dál Riata, Scotland. One is recent and the other genuinely old. Kingship rituals may have been connected with this petrosomatoglyph.

Associated Peerage Titles

Trivia

The Mull of Kintyre test is an unofficial guideline of the British Board of Film Classification for the censorship of adult films and images.2

References

  1. ^ Newton, Norman S (1999). Kintyre. 
  2. ^ Hoyles, John (2000-08-29). "The Realm Of The Senses - Ai No Corrida". Movie Mail. Retrieved on 2007-04-09.

External links

Coordinates: 55°30′N 5°35′W / 55.5, -5.583
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