As has been mentioned on this blog many a time before, Scotland is an inspirational, magical place. From being the World’s Best Small Country to a stunning photo backdrop, it is a traveller’s paradise. But there’s one special place I found that’s even more inspirational than the rest of Scotland. It’s difficult to get to, and if it were not for a tiny strip of land connecting it to the mainland, it would be another island. But Campbeltown feels like an island anyway – it’s a world of its own.
You can see Campbeltown here on this map — it is on the Mull of Kintyre:
Down here in the corner – where it says “A”. Yeah, way over there!
When you hear Mull of Kintyre, your memories might be triggered to a cheesy Paul McCartney video of the same name. You’d be right – and indeed the video was filmed here in this part of the world, where Paul McCartney maintains a residence. Here’s the video to refresh your memory – check out the Scottish pipers that come marching across towards the end – not as inspirational as the real place, but a good laugh indeed!
Now, just for the record, this video is not actually filmed at the real Mull of Kintyre. You can go to the Mull of Kintyre, a path that plunges down to the shoreline. But the video was filmed about 20km away in Saddell Bay. Here’s the actual Mull of Kintyre, a beautiful walk although the day we were there the winds were lethal:
Yes that’s Northern Ireland in the distance!
Campbeltown and the area surrounding is full of beautiful bed & breakfasts and self-catering accommodation for you to enjoy your stay. You’ll notice a couple of things while here:
- You will sleep will be amazing. Really – the fresh sea air and the tranquil setting will seep into your pillow and you’ll wake up about an hour later than you normally would, feeling like you’ve slept for days.
- Despite losing that extra hour to sleep, you’ll feel like time has slowed down. You have all the time in the world! It’s a strange phenomenon the locals just call ‘Campbeltown time’.
There are a few really strange and interesting sights to see. During low tide, you can walk across the tidal causeway to Davaar Island and check out this stunning cave painting of the crucifixion- it is said to have been made by a local artist in the late 1800s.
The hills are also full of great walks along breathtaking vistas. Several of them run along the grounds of Paul McCartney’s farm, but the real sight there is the blues and greens that nature put there. See for yourself:
This lake is right behind Paul McCartney’s farm. Hi Paul!
So next time you’re thinking about a retreat or some downtime, consider Campbeltown. You can drive there, or take the gruelling 4.5 hour bus from Glasgow. (As you can see from the map above, the roads have to go pretty far out of the way to get there!) The long journey is worth it for such an inspirational destination that obviously inspired McCartney over the years. Maybe your muse will also find something there?
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