Rainbows Over the ‘Mull of Kintyre’

After a fairly stormy night, I awoke to an overcast,but dry day, and decided that I would continue my travels down the peninsula….all the way to the bottom – where I would have to turn around,and come back !

So, and early start was called for, and I was away before 9 a.m. firstly having a brief stop in Lochgilphead (toilets!) and then on the road south on the A83, driving along the side,initially of Loch Gilp, then switching to the opposite coast, at Tarbert and going down the Sound of Jura, with views out onto Jura, the waves were crashing onto the coast,alongside the road

I was by now, on the headland of Kintyre ,heading for the bottom, and soon arriving at Campbeltown http://campbeltown.org.uk/ ,where I stopped for a short look around, fortunately having just missed a heavy hail shower, the remains lying white on the footpaths..I popped into the Tourist Information, and then I was back on the road,for the rather aptly named village of ‘Southend’, although I did take the ‘adventurous’ route there, passing the large rock of Ailsa Craig,around the Ministry of Defence fuel terminals, and over the twisting and winding singletrack road over the tops, and eventually into Southend, a windy and desolate place, I didn’t stop, but continued South for my ultimate destination – that famous piece of sea, ‘The Mull of Kintyre’ http://campbeltown.org.uk/, made famous by Sir Paul McCartney’s song(go on, you can sing it if you want!), and his and late wife Linda’s farm,on the headland.

Initially I stopped at  High Keil, where  St Columba first set foot in Scotland (536 AD)http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/southend/footprintscaves/index.html , and there is a carving of St Columba’s footprints, where he reputedly  ‘looked back to Ireland’…before he continued to Iona…alongside Keil Caves,  where people have been known to inhabit since at least 2500 BC..  they certainly gave me shelter whilst a downpour travelled passed !

I then continued up,around and over the headland, along a desperate 8 miles of tortuous singletrack, and to the end of the road, where I parked above the Lighthouse at the Mull of Kintyre, and then walked down the steeply descending twisting road, to the lighthouse, with views across the water, towards Ireland – I could see the Antrim Coast and Rathlin Island (it said so in the book !), with,as usual a Rainbow to accompany me…

The views were very impressive,with,for once the skies clearing, and I didn’t get too wet..and then puffed my way back up the hill to Wally,just missing a heavy downpour for my return trip.

I returned to Campeltown by the ‘normal road, and then set off along the eastern coast of the peninsula, along another single track road, for Carradale,looking across water to the Isle of Arran, again being accompanied by several startling Rainbows,at one time seeing two different ones at the same time,although I couldn’t catch it on camera..

I then arrived at Skipness Castle http://www.skipness.info/,an old fortified house looking out onto the Sound of Bute ,and the end of my days sightseeing…phew ! 

So, where to sleep (raining again!), back to last nights stop,knowing where to go, and a quick meal and early night, with the wind rocking me and Wally to sleep , Goodnight !