Essentially this is a route from Inveraray to Oban but why go direct when you can take in all of the magnificent beauty of the Kintyre Peninsula and ride the K66 in one trip. Often known as a 'mainland island' due to its remoteness, the Kintyre peninsula is a unique and incredible yet still relatively accessible place to explore and get away from it all. The place that inspired Sir Paul McCartney to write 'Mull of Kintyre' is still truly one of Scotland's best-kept secrets, and the newly-marketed Kintyre 66 route is undoubtedly one of the loveliest road-trips in Scotland.
The route starts from the Inveraray Inn making it easy for those that have travelled from afar to use this route and make an early start. What finer place is there to start a great road trip than on the banks of Loch Fyne, famous for it's world class seafood.
As well as the breathtakingly beautiful land and seascapes, this route visits many historic sites that only adds to the mystery and intrigue of this beautiful part of Scotland.
Most of this route travels alongside water, filling your lungs with ozone and your eyes with unforgettable vistas.
There's a chance to grab a coffee at the idyllic Scottish village of Tarbert, also known as the gateway to the beautiful peninsula of Kintyre. The village of Tarbert draws visitors from all over the world, renowned for Tarbert Castle, associated with Robert the Bruce, that overlooks the clear harbour waters. A short ride along the harbourside will offer views of it up on the hill.
The village at heart is a working fishing village landing catch almost daily and certainly every weekend, but is surrounded by areas of natural beauty and conservation making it an ideal place for a short break.
The route joins the Kintyre 66 just 5 miles from Tarbert as you leave the A83 and cut across the peninsular to Skipness where you can deviate a short way to visit Skipness Castle that dates to the early 1200s and was rebuilt several times over three different centuries, and as such it offers a snapshot of the variation in form of Scottish castle architecture between the 1200s and 1500s..
The B842 carries you south with views across the Kilbrannan Sound to the Isle of Arran (famous for sweaters).
Skipness beach offers you the chance to see Skipness Castle and a statue by Sir Antony Gormley entitled Grip. The cast iron, abstract human form gazes out across the Kilbrannan sound from its spot on the rocks below Saddell Castle. Antony Gormley is a world renowned artist, whose other works include Another Place in Liverpool and the Angel of the North near Newcastle.
And now onto Campbeltown.
Located on a deep bay sheltered by Davaar Island and the surrounding hills, Campbeltown was once proclaimed ‘the whisky capital of the world’ with 34 distilleries, today only three active distilleries remain in the town: Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour at all three distilleries and find out the secrets of whisky making in Kintyre. Springbank Distillery was founded in 1828 by the Mitchell family - and still in their hands today. It retains the old distilling methods to make Longrow whisky, and welcomes visitors by prior arrangement.
The museum at Campbeltown has a memorial garden for Lady Linda McCartney 'Linda's Garden'.
Even before her marriage to Paul McCartney in 1969, Linda had begun her long-standing love affair with Kintyre. Paul had purchased High Park Farm in 1966 as a retreat from the stresses of his musical lifestyle. When pressures surrounding the dissolution of "The Beatles" started to build, it was to Kintyre that they escaped and sought sanctuary.
It was also in this peaceful haven that Paul and Linda's new band "Wings" began to take shape. Ultimately, this led to the creation of a new anthem which put this hitherto unknown area in the international spotlight when the "Mull of Kintyre" record, with its striking cover image of Davaar Island, became one of the best-loved songs in the McCartney canon.
The K66 loop cuts back across the peninsula here to join the west coast, this route travels further south to the tip which is rich in history and of course more stunning land and seascapes.
The road to the south is not much more than a glorified farm track in places, but it is all surfaced and it will fill you with a sense of adventure as you travel along it.
Southend is the main settlement at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula, 8 miles south of Campbeltown.
Reputedly this is the location where Saint Columba first set his foot in Scotland at the start of his exile from Ireland.
There are a series of unusual visitor attractions closely grouped together here. Just to the west of St Columba's Chapel is a rocky outcrop on which you find St Columba's Footprints, while nearby is St Columba's Well. Two hundred yards to the west are the Keil Caves where human occupancy has been traced back to prehistoric and as recent as the late 1800s.
All 3 are worthy of a visit, as is the viewpoint out across the Mull of Kintyre and the walk down to the lighthouse for any aspiring mountain goats!
Heading north now, there's a cafe called The Tin Roof Cafe at Campbeltown airport where they serve a good selection of homemade food for lunch or just have a coffee and have lunch at the West Loch Hotel restaurant a further 45 minutes ride away up the west coast of Kintyre. Passing through the small hamlet of Whitehouse just before the West Loch Hotel signals the end of the K66 but not the end of spectacular scenery and historic sites.
Kilmartin Glen.
This area spans 5,000 years with a multitude of cairns, standing stones, carved rock, stone circles, forts and castles. Kilmartin Glen is considered to have one of the most important concentrations of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland.. There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a six mile radius of the village of Kilmartin, with 150 of them being prehistoric. This route passes several of these, clearly visible from the road.
The A816 will take you all the way to Oban now where you can either catch a ferry to one of the islands or continue your journey north to discover the Highlands.
I have included links below for the Inveraray Inn, some choices (there are many) for accommodation in Oban and a link telling you more about the Kintyre 66 (K66).
Enjoy