Campbeltown

Campbeltown Europe > Britain and Ireland > United Kingdom > Scotland > Scottish Highlands > Argyll and Bute > Campbeltown Not to be confused with Campbelltown or Campbell Town . Campbeltown (Gaelic: Ceann Loch Chille Chiarain ) is a town near the south tip of Kintyre, the long narrow peninsula of Argyll in the west of Scotland. It's only 60 mi (97 km) from Glasgow as the crow flies, but 135 mi (217 km) by road winding around the many lochs and mountain ranges. In 2021 the population was 4490. Kintyre has inspired two famous songs: the one that isn't by Paul McCartney goes "Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky, I would drink you dry...." Wishful thinking but not for want of industry by the town's distilleries - there used to be 30 in this small place. As with Islay, the isolation was a factor. Barrels of whisky were loaded onto ships for export, duty free; but on dark nights many of them mysteriously found their way back to the mainland cities. By the 21st century only two distilleries remained in Campbeltown, but a change in the law in 2009 encouraged new production. Get in By road After all the twists and turns of the main road A83 to reach Tarbert on Loch Fyne, the last section to Campbeltown is a 37-mile straight run along the west coast. Most motorists and buses follow this route. A scenic route is the B-road along the east coast. This branches off just south of Kennacraig ferry terminal, runs over the moors to Claonaig (for Skipness Castle, and summer ferries to Lochranza on Arran) then south via Carradale, Saddell and Peninver to Campbeltown. By bus Scottish Citylink Bus 926 runs 4 or 5 times daily from Glasgow Buchanan Street to Campbeltown, taking 4 hours. The route is via Dumbarton , Tarbet on Loch Lomond, Inveraray , Lochgilphead , Tarbert on Loch Fyne, Kennacraig, Tayinloan and Muasdale. One bus a day runs via Glasgow Airport. Booking is recommended, as this is a busy route connecting with several ferries. On school days there are a couple of extra runs by West Coast Bus 449 from Lochgilphead via Tarbert and A83 to Campbeltown. The bus terminus is 200 yards north of the ferry pier. By plane 🌍 Campbeltown Airport ( CAL IATA ), PA28 6NU ( 4 miles west of town ). Two Loganair flights M-F and one on Sunday from Glasgow GLA take 45 min. The terminal is tiny, check-in here an hour before flight will be plenty. Car hire (pre-booking essential) is available from Kintyre Hire or Campbeltown Motor Company - see "Get around" for these and taxis. There's no bus service to the airport. ( updated May 2023 ) By boat The Calmac ferry from Ardrossan was axed in 2025. Kintyre Express is a foot-passenger ferry to Ballycastle in Northern Ireland, sailing April, May and Sep F-M, June-Aug daily. It leaves Campbeltown at 7:30AM, taking 90 min and returning at 4:30PM, so a day trip is possible. There's no car ferry between Kintyre and Ireland. With a vehicle you have to wind all the way back through Tarbert, Inveraray, Loch Lomond and Glasgow to sail from Cairnryan near Stranraer. 🌍 Campbeltown ferry terminal is at the head of the loch, 200 yards south of the bus terminus. See Tarbert for ferries: - from Portavadie on Cowal to Tarbert, which, combined with the Gourock - Dunoon or Isle of Bute ferries, create a short cut from Glasgow or circular itinerary; - from Kennacraig to Islay , thence to Jura and Colonsay; - from Claonaig to Lochranza on Arran . See Gigha for the ferry from 🌍 Tayinloan . Get around Bus: West Coast Motors run local buses around Campbeltown M-Sat; nothing on Sunday or late evening. Bus 100 / 440 loops around town every half hour, as far south as the hospital and Ralston Rd, and as far north as Calton Ave. Bus 200 / 442 runs every couple of hours west along B843 to Machrihanish. It doesn't serve the airport further north. Bus 300 / 445 runs 4 or 5 times up the east coast from Campbeltown via Peninver, Saddell and Torrisdale to Carradale. Bus 400 / 444 runs 5 or 6 times to Southend, from where it's a 5-mile walk (8-km) to the Mull of Kintyre. Car hire: Kintyre Hire +44 1586 554480 or [email protected]; Campbeltown Motor Company +44 1586 552 030 or [email protected]. Taxis (all serving the airport) are Fona Taxis +44 1586 554001 or free phone +44 800 666 666; Roy’s Taxis +44 1586 554 625; Tavi’s Taxis +44 1586 551122 and Kintyre Connect Minibus +44 7825 091 502 or +44 7984 634 824. See Campbeltown Museum , St John St PA28 6BY ( by harbour ). M–F 9AM-noon . Museum of local history in a fine late Victorian building designed by John James Burnet. The Linda McCartney (1941-1998) memorial garden is at the rear. Paul McCartney's song Mull of Kintyre featured the Campbeltown Pipe Band. Donation . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Heritage Centre , 3 Big Kiln St PA28 6JF , ☏ +44 1586 552775 . May-Sep: Tu-F 11AM-4PM . A small museum of local history in the former Gaelic Free Church. They also have family archives. Free . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Davaar Island is a tidal island in the bay east of town, reached by the Dhorlin shingle causeway at low tide. There's a Stevenson lighthouse, and several caves: a painting of the crucifixion appeared in one in 1887, causing consternation among locals who took it as a sign from God. But "a prophet is without honour in his own country" (Mark 6: 4) and when they learned it was by a local man, Archibald MacKinnon, they ran him out of town. The painting is occasionally vandalised but has been restored. You can see it without a torch, though it's a bit gloomy and damp in there. 🌍 Mull of Kintyre is the scenic headland at the tip of the peninsula, with cliffs, a lighthouse, and the coast of Northern Ireland only 12 miles away, not much further than is Campbeltown. The mist-wraithed cliffs and ridges have claimed several ships and aircraft; a memorial near the car park commemorates the Chinook helicopter crash of 1994. St Columba (521-597) first landed in Scotland at Southend 5 miles east, but it was too close to his enemies in Ulster and he continued north to Iona . Sanda is the uninhabited islet seen 3 miles south of the Mull. 🌍 Kilchousland Chapel is the ruin of a 12th century church eroding into the sea. It was abandoned in 1617 but the graveyard continued in use. 🌍 Kildonan Dun is a sturdy D-shaped hillfort from maybe 1st or 2nd century BC. It was occupied on and off to 1300 AD, then used as a stock pen. 🌍 Sadell Abbey is the ruin of a Cistercian monastery active 1207-1507. It's on B842 eight miles north of Campbeltown. Free, always open. A short walk south gives you a view of Sadell Castle, a 16th-century bastion: this is now self-catering property and you can't tour inside. 🌍 Carradale is a small village halfway along the east coast. It has accommodation and is an alternative base for touring Kintyre. Do 🌍 Campbeltown Picture House , 26 Hall St PA28 6BU ( 100 yards north of ferry pier ), ☏ +44 1586 552101 , [email protected] . Scotland's oldest active cinema, built 1913 in Art Nouveau style. Screen 1 the original has 193 seats, Screen 2 is modern with 52 seats. Adult £8.50 . ( updated May 2023 ) Visit a distillery. This town used to have 30 distilleries. It now has three producing single malt Scotch whisky, and further north there's a gin distillery. All can be toured. 🌍 Springbank , 85 Longrow PA28 6EX , ☏ +44 1586 552009 . M-Sa 10AM-6PM . Founded in 1828, it produces Springbank (double-distilled, medium peaty), Longrow (double-distilled, very peaty) and Hazelburn (triple-distilled, non peaty) Scotch whiskies. Tours are available four times M-Sa Apr-Oct, fewer Nov-Mar. Tour £12 . ( updated May 2023 ) Glengyle distillery next door re-opened in 2004, producing Kilkerran single malt. It's also run by Springbank, see above for tours. Glen Scotia distillery on Dalaruan St, founded 1832, is open M-Sa, contact them for tours. Beinn An Tuirc is a gin distillery opened in 2016. It's next to Torrisdale Castle, 10 miles (16 km) north of Campbeltown, see "Sleep". The shop is open M-Sa 11AM-4PM, Su noon-3PM, contact them for tours. Live Argyll Aqualibrium is the leisure centre, on Kinloch Rd just north of the harbour. It has a gym, swimming pool, fitness classes and sauna. Golf: Machrihanish GC is set among the dunes on the west coast beyond the airport. Dunaverty GC is on the south tip of the Mull. Southend Highland Games are held in that village on Sa 18 July 2026. Kintyre Agricultural Show is probably next held on 7 Aug 2026, tbc. MOKfest is the Mull of Kintyre music festival, with a mixture of traditional, classical and modern styles. The next is 19-23 Aug 2026. Buy Tesco Metro is just north of the bus station. It's open M-Sa 7AM-10PM and Su 10AM-6PM. Eat Number Forty Two , 42 Main St PA28 6AD ( one block back from harbour ), ☏ +44 1586 554642 . Daily 10AM-11PM . Great place for seafood. ( updated May 2023 ) Bangladesh Tandoori , 24 Bolgam St PA28 6HZ ( corner of Burnbank Place ), ☏ +44 1586 550433 . Daily 4:30-11PM . Amazing to find such good Bangladeshi food in this small town. ( updated May 2023 ) Taj Mahal on Hall St. Golden Ocean is a Chinese restaurant at 72 Longrow, open daily noon-2PM & 5-11PM. Drink Drink the local whisky from Springbank, Glengyle or Glen Scotia. You can try singing "Campbeltown Loch, I wish you were whisky...", but the barman's sick of hearing it. Black Sheep Pub is within Royal Hotel, see "Sleep"; Fiddlers Inn is on Lochend St, open daily. Sleep 🌍 Royal Hotel , Main St PA28 6AG ( by harbour ), ☏ +44 800 151 3701 . Traditional Victorian hotel with 23 rooms but well renovated, clean and comfortable. Free shuttle to the golf course. B&B double £240 . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Ardshiel Hotel , Kilkerran Rd PA28 6JL ( by ferry pier ), ☏ +44 1586 552133 . Comfy trad hotel, dog-friendly, and the bar has a huge selection of whisky. B&B double £150 . ( updated May 2023 ) B&Bs in town centre include Earadale , Gowanlea , Grammar Lodge and Argyll Arms. 🌍 Dellwood Hotel , Drumore PA28 6HD , ☏ +44 1586 552465 . Pleasant friendly hotel. B&B double £100 . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Craigard House Hotel , Low Askomil PA28 3EP ( on B842 ), ☏ +44 1586 554242 . Comfy hotel in Italianate villa on north loch shore with good dining. B&B double £130 . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Machrihanish Holiday Park is five miles west of town on B843. Clean, well-run site open Apr-Oct with caravan hook-ups, camping and wigwams. 🌍 Ugadale Hotel , Machrihanish Dunes PA28 6PT , ☏ +44 1586 810000 . Smart golf hotel amidst the dunes, same owners as Royal Hotel. Free shuttle to the golf course. B&B double £200 . ( updated May 2023 ) 🌍 Peninver Sands is a caravan park and campsite 5 miles north of town on B842, open mid-March to Oct. 🌍 Torrisdale Castle is a castellated mansion built in 1815. It's not open for tours but you can self-cater within or by the castle. Beinn An Tuirc gin distillery is within the castle grounds. Connect As of May 2023, Campbeltown has 4G from EE and Vodafone, with a patchy signal along the A83, but nothing from O2 or Three. 5G has not reached this area. Go next Claonaig near Skipness castle has summer ferries to Arran , an alternative route back to lowland Scotland. Tayinloan is the ferry pier for Gigha ; you'll have to return the same way. Tarbert (Loch Fyne) has ferries to Islay and to Cowal, and is the road north. Routes through Campbeltown END ← W E → Ardrossan END ← SW NE → Tarbert → Glasgow This article is issued from Wikivoyage . The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the me [... truncated ...]

By Plane

The nearest major international airports serve Scotland with connections from across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Regional airports in the area provide additional domestic and European services. Airport buses and taxis connect to the town centre.

By Train

The local railway station is served by regular services on the British rail network. Train services connect to major cities across Scotland and the wider UK. National Rail Enquiries provides schedule and fare information. Advance booking typically offers better rates.

By Car / Road

Campbeltown is accessible by road via the UK's motorway and A-road network. Major routes connect the town to nearby cities and regions. Bus services provide affordable connections. Parking is generally available in designated areas in and around the town centre.

Campbeltown is compact and easily explored on foot. The town centre, with its shops, restaurants, and historical buildings, is pedestrian-friendly. For exploring the surrounding countryside and nearby attractions, a car is recommended. Local bus services operate within the town and to neighbouring communities. Taxis are available for shorter journeys.

• The historic town or city centre with its traditional architecture

• Local landmarks, churches, and heritage buildings

• Scenic viewpoints and natural attractions in the surrounding area

• Nearby parks, gardens, and outdoor spaces

• Walking tours exploring the town's heritage and architecture

• Outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and watersports in the surrounding area

• Visiting local museums, galleries, and cultural centres

• Exploring nearby countryside, coastline, or parks

• Sampling local food and drink at pubs, restaurants, and cafes

Dining options in Campbeltown range from traditional gastropubs and cafés to fine-dining restaurants. Local specialities include fresh seafood, locally sourced meat and game, and seasonal produce. Many establishments pride themselves on using local ingredients and supporting regional producers.

Typical British pub fare (fish and chips, Sunday roasts, pies) is widely available, alongside international cuisines reflecting the area's diversity. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are increasingly common.

Traditional pubs serving local ales are found throughout the town. Craft beer has a growing presence, with local microbreweries supplying both pubs and bottle shops. Tea rooms and cafés offer a quintessentially British experience. The area is well-served by coffee shops and independent roasters.

Budget

• Budget hotels and hostel accommodation available, with dorm beds from £20/night.

Mid-range

• Bed & breakfasts and guesthouses offer doubles from £70–120 per night.
• Chain hotels (Premier Inn, Travelodge, Holiday Inn) provide consistent quality.

Upscale

• Boutique hotels, country house hotels, and historic inns offer doubles from £150.

Local shops offer a range of goods from well-known brands to local crafts and speciality foods. Markets and independent retailers provide character and authentic finds. Typical opening hours are Monday–Saturday 09:00–17:30, with some stores open on Sundays. Many towns have a weekly market day.

From Campbeltown, travellers can easily continue exploring other destinations within Scotland and the wider United Kingdom. The well-connected transport network makes it straightforward to reach neighbouring towns, cities, and attractions.