Mull of Kintyre

Southern Highlands & Islands


A narrow winding road, 15 miles long, leads south from Campbeltown to the Mull of Kintyre, passing good sandy beaches near Southend. This remote headland was immortalised in the famous song by Paul McCartney and Wings; the former Beatle owns a farmhouse in the area. From the road's end, a 30-minute steep downhill walk leads to a clifftop lighthouse, with Northern Ireland, only 12 miles away, visible across the channel. Don't leave the road when the frequent mists roll in; it's easy to become disoriented.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southern Highlands & Islands attractions

1. Campbeltown Heritage Centre

10.95 MILES

Situated in a former church, this heritage centre explores local social history through photographs, documents and artefacts covering whisky, mining and…

2. Springbank

11.01 MILES

There were once no fewer than 32 distilleries around Campbeltown, but most closed in the 1920s. Today this is one of only three still in operation. It is…

3. Campbeltown Museum & Memorial Garden

11.14 MILES

This museum in the noble library building has a few interesting archaeological artefacts from various periods of history, and canvases by William…

4. Davaar Cave

12.78 MILES

A very unusual sight awaits in this cave on the southern side of Davaar island, at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch. On the wall of the cave is an eerie…

5. Boathouse Visitor Centre

15.43 MILES

South of the harbour, this combined visitor centre/museum details the fascinating history, culture and ecology of Rathlin Island, and can give advice on…

6. Layd Old Church

17.99 MILES

From the car park beside the beach (follow the golf-club signs), a coastal path leads 1km north to the picturesque ruins of Layd Old Church, with views…

7. Marconi Memorial

18.68 MILES

In the harbour car park, a plaque at the foot of a rock pinnacle commemorates the day in 1898 when Guglielmo Marconi's assistants contacted Rathlin Island…

8. Rathlin West Light Seabird Centre

18.82 MILES

This Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) centre offers spectacular views of a thriving seabird colony, where every summer thousands of…