I'd planned a little loop from Campbeltown today, rather than go straight back towards Oban. My initial loop excluded a diversion to the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse, and then I saw a piece online about the trip and thought I'd have a piece of that! Clearly the guy that wrote it didn't have an exhausting slog into a strong headwind the day previous, as when I delved into the elevation stats and saw the amount of extra climbing involved I immediately reverted to Plan A!
However, even Plan A felt like a challenge after the previous day, so I opted to go for a walk in town after breakfast and see how my legs felt. It started out as a whisky tour, as I walked past Springbank, Kilkerran and Glen Scotia distilleries in addition to visiting the Co-op for some supplies. I also found some other points of Campbeltown Heritage interest such as the Celtic Cross, the Linda McCartney Memorial Garden, War Memorial and some sculptures at the start of the Caledonia Way, including one representing the copper straps of a baraille (Gaelic for cask) which invited cyclists to take a selfie before starting the Caledonia Way. Not a chance, I thought.
I walked back to the B&B and had a short nap (well I am old!), then decided it would be good to get up and go for a ride. I set off out of Campbeltown feeling ok, with the wind, which was still breezy albeit not at yesterday's levels, at my back. At Stewarton I turned south on the B842 for Southend (very literal the Scots!) and followed this for a few rolling miles among farmland. The traffic was busy, but as ever I was always given plenty of room when being passed, and always gave the drivers a cheery wave of thanks if I held anyone up on a hill. I soon came to the turn off for the Mull of Kintyre, and my computer chirped at me to take a right.
Nope, I thought, I'm not going there today, and continued straight ahead. I soon came to Southend and passed through, seeing a ship out to sea and a hazy Ireland across the water. The road started veering west, which bothered me a little as I was expecting to go east. I stopped to look at my phone and realised that I actually should have taken the right turn for Mull of Kintyre after all! Now that I knew the situation I decided to carry on anyway as I would be able to circle round and pick up the route again. Shortly after at Keil I passed a strange looking building among the farm fields, looking for all the world like a very dated four floor art deco hotel, with some other odd looking outbuildings close by. A little further, I passed the beautifully sited Keil cemetery which had, like many others I'd seen in Scotland, a Commonwealth War Graves plaque. Just past this, I noticed a sign for St Columba's Chapel, Well and Footprints, and stopped for a closer view. I did indeed find the footprints, which were similar size to my own, but whether they were made by St Columba or not who knows. For more interesting background see here : St Columba's Footprints. What was certainly not in doubt was the superb view from here over the Keil Cemetery toward Sanda Island, Sheep Island and Ailsa Craig.
Remounting, I continued west until the road turned north again at Carskey Bay with a lovely sandy beach. I soon came upon the actual turnoff for Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse which I safely ignored this time, and rejoined the road to Southend, turning off just before reaching the village onto a single track road. This threw in some challenging climbs from the off, although the resplendent gorse bushes either side of the road were giving out a very nice scent.
As ever, when you get to the top of a climb here, you are then presented with a stunning view, and I turned back at the top of one climb for a good view towards Sanda Island, and another provided me with a closer look at Ailsa Craig. After cresting yet another summit I was presented with views to the north including looking over to Galloway on the mainland, and to the Isle of Arran. I rested at the top of one climb and ate a protein bar, enjoying sitting on the soft grass and listening to the sounds of nature. After another photo stop, I'd clipped back in when I was joined by a buzzard (I assume) gliding by on my right and landing on a telegraph pole ahead of me. Further on, I was descending carefully (due to gravel on the road) and was eyeing up the next climb, when my attention was drawn by some cows on the lochside by a river. Stopping for a photo, I noticed they were eight Highland Cattle calves.
After cresting the final climb of the day my final visual treat was the sight of Davaar Island, which has a causeway like Lindisfarne that allows you to walk over for a visit at certain times.
From here it was all downhill into Campbeltown, with a very enjoyable flat final few miles along the loch. Before reaching my B&B, on a whim I gave in to temptation and decided that yes, I would be that cyclist who would take a selfie before starting the Caledonia Way, so here is a cheesy self conscious snap of a pillock;
Well, I suppose it had to be done!
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