Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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exiled
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Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by exiled »

From the BBC,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-57170602

local businesses in the Kintyre peninsular are trying to promote a 66 mile route along the A83 and back up the B842. Or vice versa.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by B1040 »

It was a nice drive when we holidayed up there 26 years ago.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by Ruperts Trooper »

exiled wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 15:02 From the BBC,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-57170602

local businesses in the Kintyre peninsular are trying to promote a 66 mile route along the A83 and back up the B842. Or vice versa.
They should carefully examine the effect of NC500 which is altering the fundamental nature of the route around the far north Highlands by inundating it with self-drive hired motorhomes, many of which wild camp contributing nothing to the local economy and pootle along at 25-30 mph completely ignoring the many signs to use passing places to allow overtaking. Having recently done the Ullapool-Wick section as part of our holiday tour, I'm glad I did the route several times before the Tourist Board slapped a label on it.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by Was92now625 »

B1040 wrote: Sat May 29, 2021 18:09 It was a nice drive when we holidayed up there 26 years ago.
30 and 51 years ago in my case.

1970, spent a couple of weeks just a little further north, across the peninsula from Lochgilphead

1991, spent a few days based at Lochranza but sometimes would go over to Kintyre, down to Campbeltown and then to Southend but not all the way to the Mull or take another Ferry over to Gigha.

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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by PaulLothian »

The east coast road is lovely, but over-busy with motor homes last time we did it about 15 years ago. Wouldn't think the benefits of a named route are sufficient compared with the potential harm.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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It appears the proposal is due to the fact that the Kintyre peninsular is over looked in the tourism market and wanting a bit of that. The problem is it is de facto a huge cul-de-sac and loses to other parts of Argyll and Bute let alone the rest of the Highlands. There is a feel there is a drop traffic after the point the Islay ferries leave from at Kennacraig.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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exiled wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 18:23 It appears the proposal is due to the fact that the Kintyre peninsular is over looked in the tourism market and wanting a bit of that. The problem is it is de facto a huge cul-de-sac and loses to other parts of Argyll and Bute let alone the rest of the Highlands. There is a feel there is a drop traffic after the point the Islay ferries leave from at Kennacraig.
I've been down the peninsula twice, once as a child, then in 2018. Last time I had an afternoon to kill having got off the Islay ferry and being booked into a B&B at Tarbert that evening. I went all the way down to the end of the road above the lighthouse at the mull. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful. Campbeltown looked rather run down and not very attractive for tourists. If you want a bit of peace and quiet off the beaten track with unspoilt beaches without going to the bother of ferrying to the islands I can see the appeal, but it doesn't have the obvious charms of many other parts of Scotland. It's not really a hill bagging mecca area either.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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owen b wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 21:44
exiled wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 18:23 It appears the proposal is due to the fact that the Kintyre peninsular is over looked in the tourism market and wanting a bit of that. The problem is it is de facto a huge cul-de-sac and loses to other parts of Argyll and Bute let alone the rest of the Highlands. There is a feel there is a drop traffic after the point the Islay ferries leave from at Kennacraig.
I've been down the peninsula twice, once as a child, then in 2018. Last time I had an afternoon to kill having got off the Islay ferry and being booked into a B&B at Tarbert that evening. I went all the way down to the end of the road above the lighthouse at the mull. Unfortunately the weather was dreadful. Campbeltown looked rather run down and not very attractive for tourists. If you want a bit of peace and quiet off the beaten track with unspoilt beaches without going to the bother of ferrying to the islands I can see the appeal, but it doesn't have the obvious charms of many other parts of Scotland. It's not really a hill bagging mecca area either.
Yes. Campbeltown is not the best offering Scotland has to offer, not the worst, but you are not going to want to spend megabucks on a holiday in Campbeltown. It is also seriously out sceneried by the rest of Argyll. Kintyre has a tourist offer, but it is finding it that is the problem.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by Truvelo »

I've driven it once in 2001. Went down the A83 and came back via the B road. From what I can remember the B road was tedious and took forever. I did it primarily due to relatives who lived in Drumlemble several decades ago so this was one of only three photos I took along the peninsula.

I think it's pretty obvious judging by the number of Sabristi who have been there and how infrequently return visits are made that it doesn't really have the appeal of other areas in Scotland. I wonder if the ferry to Ardrossan could somehow be promoted as an alternative to backtracking via Lochgilphead?
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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Truvelo wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 22:44 I've driven it once in 2001. Went down the A83 and came back via the B road. From what I can remember the B road was tedious and took forever. I did it primarily due to relatives who lived in Drumlemble several decades ago so this was one of only three photos I took along the peninsula.

I think it's pretty obvious judging by the number of Sabristi who have been there and how infrequently return visits are made that it doesn't really have the appeal of other areas in Scotland. I wonder if the ferry to Ardrossan could somehow be promoted as an alternative to backtracking via Lochgilphead?
I disagree I love the area, went all the way down to the other Southend. I had a relatively short trip as I was staying at Crinan.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by Barkstar »

We are having a week on Kintyre this July so it will be interesting to try it out. Haven't yet decided if we will drive all the way round or take a ferry to Holy Loch and then the short one to Tarbert. Partner did the Ardrossan route last time she was up there two years ago.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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I went via Arran
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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It's on my bucket list, so maybe next year.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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When I went it was on my way back from a week in Skye. I drove via Oban , Fort William and Ballacullish to Crinan where I stayed at this cottage near the sea lock. How many cottages come with a functioning light house ?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.09115 ... 6656?hl=en


In Kilmartin Glen you have standing stones with no fences around you and Dál Riata the abcient Celtic capital of western Scotland. At the southern end of Kintyre is St Columba's Chapel, Footprints, and Holy Well.

Inverary Castle is well worth a visit too.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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Big L wrote: Mon May 31, 2021 14:21 I went via Arran
I've also come back from that area (on a different trip) using three ferries from Tarbert and via Bute.

I would recommend visits to Arran and especially Bute.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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exiled wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 22:37Campbeltown is not the best offering Scotland has to offer, not the worst, but you are not going to want to spend megabucks on a holiday in Campbeltown. It is also seriously out sceneried by the rest of Argyll. Kintyre has a tourist offer, but it is finding it that is the problem.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

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Owain wrote: Wed Jun 02, 2021 16:00
exiled wrote: Sun May 30, 2021 22:37Campbeltown is not the best offering Scotland has to offer, not the worst, but you are not going to want to spend megabucks on a holiday in Campbeltown. It is also seriously out sceneried by the rest of Argyll. Kintyre has a tourist offer, but it is finding it that is the problem.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by the cheesecake man »

:idea: It just needs to be branded "Wings Country" with a tacky "WingsLand" tourist attraction at the end.
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by fras »

A few years ago we had a holiday in Scotland and had a tour round Argyll and Bute for a day, and ended up at Tarbert. We had visited Inverary Castle on the way. We had an evening arranged with my cousin in Gourock for the evening. So it was ferry to Portavadie, and an hour wait as we watched the ferry coming across ! Then there is a really rural and narrow, twisty road which gets you to Tighnabruaich. Once there we took the A8003 all the way up the side of Loch Riddon to the junction with the A886, a short run south on this, took us to the rather twisty and narrow B836 to the Holy Loch. Anybody remember the US nuclear submarine base there ? A run down the A885/A815 took us to Hunters Key where we got the ferry to Gourock. These ferries are very frequent. Everything worked well, and we arrived at my cousins house in time too !
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Re: Kintyre's 'Route 66'

Post by belgarion »

I did the Kintyre peninsular in 1991/2, pleasant enough but nothing grabs me to want to go do it again.

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