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A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience

A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience


Postby Jo Larkin » Mon Sep 06, 2021 4:45 pm

Route description: Kintyre Way

Date walked: 02/09/2021

Time taken: 8 days

Distance: 161 km

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On Thursday, September 2nd at 7pm I plodded wearily into Machrihanish after completing the Kintyre way in 8 days of walking. Although not the longest long distance walk I have done, it felt like a significant challenge as I had been forced, due to lack of alternatives, to wild camp for the entire trip with the exception of two nights in Campbeltown on either side of a rest day.
I had planned the trip in a hurry. It was a late decision to do it and I was not even aware of the existence of the Kintyre Way until I Googled "long distance footpaths in Scotland" and was taken to the wonderful Walkhighlands website. I had two weeks of annual leave and my husband was not going to be able to take holiday with me. I have previously done several long walks alone and it was my husband that suggested that I use my time this way again.
I arrived in Tarbert by bus from Glasgow and checked in to a B&B "The Moorings" where proprietor Andrew Macdiarmid gave me a warm and friendly welcome and showed me to a very comfortable room.. This was the only booking I made in advance. I enjoyed a wander along the front in Tarbert which has a range of shops, post office and pub and great buskers on the harbour front. I had a tasty evening meal in the Cafe Ca'Dora too.
I started walking next day using the guide recommended on Walkhighlands, the Rucksack Reader (3rd edition) by Sandra Bardwell and Jacquetta Megarry. It was last updated in 2018...and particularly in terms of facilities and accomodation proved to be quite out of date, as were the information boards on the way. Many of the local shops had closed. The only shops were in Tarbert, on the island of Gigha a 20 minute ferry crossing from Tayinloan and in Campbeltown. There is a shop in Carradale but it is closed on Sunday. The shop/post office in Skipness looked long closed, though the Smoke house has some tourist produce and ice cream (!) and I did enjoy a meal at the Seafood Cabin at Skipness Castle. The campsites at Tayinloan and Southend no longer take tents and the one at Carradale was full though Sharon and John Bell at The Ashbank Hotel were very hospitable and helpful in directing me to a suitable camping spot.
I found the way itself quite well waymarked for the most part though some markers had fallen and the most remote areas where route finding was hardest, particularly over the high ground between Claonaig and Clachan before reaching Lochan Fraoich, could have done with more posts. There was rather more walking on forest tracks and roads than I would have liked. Most of the route from Tayinloan to Carradale was on forest track and Lussa Loch all the way to Polliwilline Farm on minor roads-a total of 18.5 continuous road walking! Campbeltown to Southend also involved a high proportion of road walking.
I liked the mile markers and the scenery was varied and often lovely with views to east and west over the adjacent islands of Arran, Gigha, Jura and Islay. There was a lot of conifer plantation and a lot of that had been felled leaving rather a desert. I had some lovely beach and riverside spots to wild camp and the local people were friendly and helpful without exception.
I walked the sections as published except for the Carradale to Campbeltown section. I felt 20 miles with my 48lb pack was too far and camped at Lussa Loch. Had a thoroughly enjoyable (and planned) day on Gigha, by ferry from Tayinloan, hiring a bike and exploring the length of the island and visiting Achamore Gardens (in a state of rather lovely and romantic semi-neglect). Lunched at the Gigha Hotel. After 7 nights of wild camping I spent two nights and a day in Campbeltown re-provisioning, doing some laundry at the excellent Davaar Launderette, enjoying a hot bath and a couple of good night's sleep and a tour of Springbank Distillery which was excellent.
I only met one other person doing the whole way and he was running it in 4 days with support. A couple on mountain bikes did the north section as far as Campbeltown over a weekend. They had managed the moorland stretch with some difficulty. The peace and solitude were partly what I went for so I was not unhappy with the emptiness, but it did mean that the way was a bit overgrown and indistinct in places.
If the Kintyre way appeals to you I would recommend it, but do be aware of the reduced facilities and take enough food and a water filter-mine was indispensable or go for the supported option and plan well in advance unlike me!
Jo Larkin
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Re: A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience

Postby Gordie12 » Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:12 am

Thanks for posting this, it's a route i've looked at but still to do so the info will come in handy nearer the time.

There's nothing worse than a shop you expect to be open being closed. This happened to me a couple of weeks ago (Formartine & Buchan Way) near the end of a long day. Thoughts of a nice cold orange Fanta or a Coke to lift my spirits for the last few miles were crushed by a man outside the shop telling me it closed down the week before and he was waiting for a lorry to turn up to take the units away.

Prior to reading this I thought the only sketchy day would be the last leg from beyond Southend to Machrihanish.
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Re: A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience

Postby nigheandonn » Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:03 pm

The shop in the petrol station at Clachan is still open as far as I know - it's just outside the village, up the main road to the north. They're talking about trying to open the Skipness shop again - it was still going a few years back, summer 2018 if not 2019.
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Re: A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience

Postby AndyATSmith » Tue Sep 07, 2021 3:46 pm

That's annoying that two of the campsites are no longer taking in tents. I've had my eye on this walk for a while and although I don't mind the odd night of wild camping, I prefer knowing that I can get proper washing / toilet facilities at the end of each day and hopefully a nearby pub for a proper meal and drink.
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Re: A Slow but Wild Kintyre Way Experience

Postby lettyf » Sat Apr 02, 2022 9:13 pm

Annoying re campsites but think Machrihanish and Carradale still have tent pitches… crossing fingers for Skipness and Tayinloan shops opening again with new owners..
lettyf
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