Muasdale, Kintyre, Scotland

numberplease · Muasdale, Kintyre, Scotland

We`ve just come back from 2 weeks on the beautiful Kintyre Peninsula, and what a perfect place!
We stayed in our own touring caravan at the Muasdale caravan and camping park, right by the sea, and I mean RIGHT by the sea. It was about 6 feet from the end of our van to the beach, which was lovely and natural, by which I mean there are rocks, seaweed and twigs along it, it isn`t very wide, and the sea is fairly shallow for quite a way out, great for children.
We had a couple of trips into Tarbert, a very small town at the top of the peninsula. There are 2 or 3 places to eat, plus several pubs serving food, and a great fish and chip shop/cafe. There`s a nice harbour, with car parking around it, no charge, and a few shops.
We also went into the main town in the area, Campbeltown, a few times. It`s the only town with supermarkets, a Tesco and a Co-op, both small by our standards. We found a good place to eat, The Corner House Coffee Shop, on Bolgam, just off Main Street. Great food, not bad prices. And again, no charges for parking, neither round the harbour nor on the sea front.
We went to an airshow at Campbeltown airport at Macrihanish, and that was the only time in the 2 weeks that we paid for car parking, £2.
We decided that it would be a sin to go to Kintyre and not go to the Mull of Kintyre. The drive there after leaving the main road was over several miles of tortorous single track road with passing places, climbing ever higher along the way. Then at the end of the road is a barrier where cars have to be left and you go the rest of the way on foot, steeply downhill, meaning very steeply uphill coming back. I chickened out after about 100 yards, and waited for hubby to go down and back. He was gone ages, and even then he didn`t make it to the bottom, to the lighthouse, but he got as far as the memorial to the service personnel killed when a Chinook helicopter crashed into the Mull in 1994. He was shattered when he got back!
We also went for a drive around the outer edges of Kintyre one day, and were surprised by the remoteness of the Eastern side, from Claonaig as far as Carradale, then civilisation steps in again. We had a lovely lunch at the Glen Bar and Restaurant just outside Carradale.
One day we decided we`d go to an old house not far from Muasdale, Glenbarr Abbey, the home of the McAlister clan. We were shown around by the owner who lives there with his wife. We were only shown the hallway and 2 rooms, and he was rather amusing, but nice, spoke very posh English with a very faint Scottish accent, and you get the impression that he`s learnt it all parrot fashion, but it was interesting all the same.
The caravan park was lovely, it was great being able to walk out of the van and straight onto the beach, and as the weather was so good it felt quite tropical. Muasdale village consists of a few houses and a small village store, but there are a couple of pubs within a 4 or 5 mile radius. We definitely would like to go back again. I`d put some of my photos on here, but don`t know how. The caravan site is at www.muasdaleholidays.com
and is just like the website says.

GoldenChippie

sounds a looks lovely Number

a friend of my fathers was killed in that Helicopter crash, very sad

i hope to get up to scotland next year

numberplease

Hi Gail, if you do go to Scotland and go to the Mull of Kintyre, I have it on good authority from my husband that it`s a HELL of a walk down to the memorial cairn, and even worse coming back, but then again he`s not young and fit like you. Kintyre is a bit remote, but well worth a visit, and the people are really lovely.

laws1

What a fab review.
Did some work in Campbeltown years ago, such a lovely area. If only we could guarantee the weather you got.

numberplease

numberplease

Sorry, I boobed in a BIG way! Didn`t mean it to come on QUITE so big! It is a view from just outside our caravan. Tried to put some more on, but image shack keeps putting the same one on over and over again. I`ll try again tomorrow. Sorry again about the big pic, hope it didn`t shock too much!

numberplease

Forgot to say, Helen, your dad was right, the island of Gigha is gorgeous, we went over one day on the ferry.

missy

sounds and looks lovely

GoldenChippie

wow that is a great piccy, looks so remote and peaceful.

numberplease

One of the beautiful sunsets we saw nearly every night, and another couple of views from outside the caravan. Wish I was back there!

numberplease

I AM going back, this year, in July, can`t wait!

Suzyq

Glad you had a lovely time Lois..it really does look a beautiful place,and to be lucky with the weather that was a bonus...