Kintyre Way

Arrive in the pretty and bustling fishing port of Tarbert and spend the evening at your first night’s accommodation.

The Kintyre Way begins by climbing to the ruins of Tarbert Castle from where there are superb views across Kilbrannan Sound to the Island of Arran. From Skipness it follows the shore to the ferry pier at Claonaig; on the way it is a short but wonderful diversion to the ruins of Skipness Castle. You are quite likely to see seals and perhaps otters on this stretch and basking sharks are seasonal visitors.

There are no facilities in Claonaig so we will arrange for you to be collected and transferred to your accommodation in either Clachan or Tarbert.

From the ferry pier at Claonaig, the Kintyre Way route heads south & then steadily climbs through farm & moorland to provide more views across Kilbrannan Sound. You may see the small ferry plying back and forth between Claonaig and Lochranza on Arran.

The track then enters Achaglass Forest before skirting Loch Ciaran and descends to the village of Clachan where there are superb views over to the Islands of Islay and Jura.

From Clachan village the route follows the main road south to reach Ronachan Point with the Atlantic Ocean a few steps to your right. In strong winds it can be an exhilarating experience walking along here. This lovely stretch of coast is a birders delight and offers wonderful views across the Sound of Gigha to the Inner Hebrides.

From Tayinloan, catch the ferry to the Island of Gigha, just 9km long but well worth an additional day; its special atmosphere makes it a place to really savour.

The Kintyre Way makes a complete traverse of the peninsula, beginning on the west coast and finishing on the east. From Tayinloan jetty the route heads up into the hills but the effort is repaid by the impressive views across to Gigha, Islay and Jura. A long, winding descent eventually leads to the lovely village of Carradale which has wonderful views across Kilbrannan Sound to Arran.

From Carradale, the route takes you past Waterfoot and follows the old coastal path to picturesque Torrisdale Bay. Heading inland, you’ll pass Torrisdale Castle and the family-run Beinn an Tuirc Distillery. The trail then climbs, offering views of the Isle of Arran, before descending into Ifferdale.

As you head west toward the scenic Lussa Loch, enjoy the tranquillity as you walk through the trees. From here, continue south along an attractive minor road into Campbeltown, the largest town in Kintyre where the route runs down to the harbour.

The penultimate section starts out from Campbeltown and follows the shores of the loch taking you past the sentinel of Davaar Island. The Island is linked to the shore at low tide by a natural shingle causeway called the Doirlinn. In a cave on the island is an image of the Crucifixion painted by Archiebald MacKinnon in 1887.

The route then follows a single track road known locally as the Leerside, which offers a stunning seascape of Arran, Ireland and the Ayrshire coast. The road takes you to Polliwilline Farm where you will then head towards the shore and a beautiful piece of coast walking right along to Kilmashenachan.

From here you will follow a minor road to the hamlet of Mill Park and then join the B842 into Southend village.

Undoubtedly the toughest but most rewarding day, the final day of your walk passes through wild and challenging countryside.

From Southend you will head westwards towards the crescent beach of Dunaverty Bay, onto the road to Keil and onwards through productive farmland to Amod. From here you will start climbing towards the Scottish Wildlife Trust nature reserve at Largiebaan. Passing through wild and remote country there is little shelter on this section and no mobile phone signal, but offers amazing views out to sea and across to the Irish coast. Map and compass skills are often needed here as the waymarks may be hidden by mist or overgrowth and the path is not always clear on the ground.

You are then taken over open moorland to Innean Glen and inland towards Ballygroggan. From here, join the public road for a steep descent into the village of Machrihanish with the islands of Islay and Jura to your left providing a wonderful finale to your walk.

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on the Kintyre Way.