Local Interest
We’ve put together a page of what we consider to be some of the highlights of our local area. Browse down for a taste of sites of local interest to enjoy when you stay at Dunaverty Rock.
Dunaverty Rock
The site of Dunaverty Castle is on the rocky headland adjacent to Kintyre Self Catering. The headland upon which it stood formed a natural stronghold with the sea on three sides and is approachable from the north. The castle was demolished in the late seventeenth century and today there are no visible remains.
Dunaverty Bay
We are located on the east end of this beautiful crescent shaped bay.
Sandy and inviting, it is a peaceful spot, and a wildlife paradise throughout the year. Otters, gannets, dolphins and seals are common sights.
A small caravan park stands on the low cliffs overlooking the west end of the bay.
Sandy and inviting, it is a peaceful spot, and a wildlife paradise throughout the year. Otters, gannets, dolphins and seals are common sights.
A small caravan park stands on the low cliffs overlooking the west end of the bay.
Dunaverty Golf Club
Dunaverty golf course is regularly referred to as a 'hidden gem' and it is easy to see why when you take into account the glorious Kintyre coastal setting, fantastic condition and testing layout. Located yards away from our self catering accommodation, it is a beautiful 18-hole links golf course, founded in 1889. Enjoy spectacular views to Sanda Island to the south, Ailsa Craig and Ayrshire to the east and Northern Ireland to the south west as you play a challenging round of golf. Visitors are welcome.
Brunerican standing stone
There are at least 34 of these mysterious standing stones in Kintyre, reach back as far as 2500BC into Neolithic times. The ancient Brunerican standing stone is located in hole 13 of Dunaverty golf course, a short walk from Dunaverty Rock.
Kintyre Way
Dunaverty Rock is conveniently located on the Kintyre Way just yards from our door. We are situated between the 6th and final 7th stage is particularly memorable as it meanders round an extremely remote and otherwise inaccessible part of Kintyre, characterised by ominous cliffs, an abundance of wildlife, and breath-taking views of the Atlantic Ocean and world-famous Mull of Kintyre.
Starting from Tarbert, the trail zigzags down the Kintyre peninsula, Scotland’s ‘mainland island’. Its outstanding feature is the stunning and varied coastal views. The trail is not only fully way marked, it also has distance markers at 1-mile (1.6-km) intervals. Most sections can also be cycled. It also hosts the annual Kintyre Way Ultra (first Saturday in May).
Starting from Tarbert, the trail zigzags down the Kintyre peninsula, Scotland’s ‘mainland island’. Its outstanding feature is the stunning and varied coastal views. The trail is not only fully way marked, it also has distance markers at 1-mile (1.6-km) intervals. Most sections can also be cycled. It also hosts the annual Kintyre Way Ultra (first Saturday in May).
Kintyre 66
The Kintyre 66 follows a 66 mile loop around Kintyre on the A83 and B842 public roads, with 6 spurs allowing you to venture even further. Take the Atlantic road south with stunning views to Islay and Jura, and then up the edge of the Kilbrannan Sound overlooking Arran. The K66 helps to highlight 6 areas in Kintyre with information on Southend & Machrihanish, Campbeltown, East Kintyre, West Kintyre, Gigha and Tarbert.
Cnoc Araich Iron Age Hill Fort
On the hill of Cnoc Araich are the remains of the largest iron hill fort in Kintyre. Access is from behind Southend Primary School. Follow the track leading to High Machrimore Farm.
OS Grid NR688087
OS Grid NR688087
Muneroy Tearoom
The award winning Muneroy Tearoom is located in a lovely art deco style building nearby in Southend The cakes here are legendary. You can also get delicious lunches and dinners, all freshly prepared. The portions are always generous, and the cake is available to takeaway!
Keil Hotel
This grand art deco style five storey building is the biggest landmark in the area, often used by boats at sea. Built as a hotel just before the outbreak of World War II, but used as a Navy hospital before opening as a hotel in 1947, it lay derelict for many years. In recent years it has undergoing extensive restoration and is set to start a new chapter in it's existence.
Keil Hall (remains)
Nearby Keil Hotel are a series of stone walls that suggest another grand building. These are all that remain of Keil House. Completed in 1875, this enormous Tudor mansion later became the Kintyre Technical College. A serious fire in February 1924 left only the ruins you see today.
Keil Caves
St Columba is reputed to have stayed here, but he certainly wasn’t the caves’ only inhabitant. Excavations suggest that people lived here from prehistory right into the age of Dalriada. Roman pottery was found here too, which is rare in Scotland. And there were some more recent residents. The 1881 Census reports that Keil Caves was home to a family of seven! There are a number of caves at Keil, including the Great Cave, the Hermit's Retreat and the Piper's Cave. Legend has it that in the latter you can hear the ghost of a piper playing the pipes.
St Columba's Holy Well
50 yards / 45 metres or so beyond the footprints, beside a grassy path that up beyond the back of the churchyard and chapel is St Columba's Well. Here a rocky bowl has been carved into the slope, where water collects from a spring. A crude Latin cross has been carved on the rock face that overhangs the basin.
St Columba's Chapel
St Columba's Chapel lies within Keil Cemetery. The present building is said to date from the 13th century. It stands on the site where it is believed St. Columba first set foot in Scotland on his way to Iona, where he settled in AD 563.
The chapel is almost totally engulfed by ivy, but you can enter it via a partly buried doorway or window. You’ll find some fascinating medieval slabs within the chapel, including two that are believed to have been carved at Saddell Abbey in the 1300s or 1400s.
The chapel is almost totally engulfed by ivy, but you can enter it via a partly buried doorway or window. You’ll find some fascinating medieval slabs within the chapel, including two that are believed to have been carved at Saddell Abbey in the 1300s or 1400s.
St Columba's Footprints
Between Kiel Caves and St Columba's Chapel you'll find stone steps leading to the top of a rocky outcrop to imprints in stone known as St Columba's Footprints. One of them was carved by a local stonemason in 1856, but the other, the nearest to the sea, is thought to be ancient, possibly used in the coronation of kings in the ancient kingdom of Dalriada.
Sanda Island
Sanda Island lies two miles south-east of Dunaverty, and is Surrounded by dangerous skerries. To the north lie two island outliers, Glunimore Island, which is little more than a rock, and Sheep Island. Sanda was once owned by Jack Bruce, the bass guitarist for Cream and is currently privately owned. It can be viewed on wildlife boat trips from Campbeltown harbour in summer.
Campbeltown Heritage Centre
Open from April to September, the Heritage Centre gives visitors a fascinating insight into the social history of Campbeltown and southern Kintyre. Once one of the richest towns per capita in all of Scotland - Campbeltown’s sheltered port played a key role in growing the whisky, fishing and tourism industries. In all, some 34 distilleries were established in Campbeltown, or Whiskyopolis as it was sometimes called, with as many as 25 operating at any one time in the mid 1800s. It also has a cafe.
Campbeltown Heritage Trail
The Campbeltown Heritage Trail starts outside the Aqualibrium on Kinloch Road. The tours last about an hour and cover the history of this charming town. Self guided tours leaflet are available as a series of leaflets, which contain a map of the town, and enable you to carry out your own walking tour when you like. Copies are available from Campbeltown shops and the Tourist Information Centre. Alternatively you can download the leaflets by following the link.
Campbeltown Picture House
Campbeltown Picture House, known locally as The Wee Pictures, is one of the first purpose built cinemas in Scotland, built in 1913. This Grade-A listed building is unique, with a Glasgow school art nouveau exterior and an equally impressive and unusual ‘atmospheric style’ interior. Recently restored to include a modern cinema, café, and spaces for exhibitions, displays, education and community activities.
Whisky Tours Campbeltown
There are a whole host of Whisky tasting and distillery tours to choose from at Mitchell's Glengyle Distillery and Springbank Whisky Distillery, where you can learn more about the whisky industry in Campbeltown. Each tour includes at least one dram!
Mull of Kintyre Music Festival
The Mull of Kintyre Music Festival is an annual event for all the family which celebrates the traditional and contemporary Scottish and Irish music. Based in Campbeltown, Kintyre the Festival has a great mix of free outdoor events, concerts, ceilidh’s and music sessions workshops, children's entertainment and more.
Davaar Island
A popular day trip from Campbeltown is to Davaar Island, accessible from the mainland only at low tide by means of a peculiar dog-leg stretch of shingle. The island is uninhabited, save for sheep, and its main attraction is a cave painting of the Crucifixion secretly produced by a local artist in the late 1800s.
Mull of Kintyre Sea Adventures
Experience the natural beauty of Campbeltown Loch, Sanda Island, the Ailsa Craig and the Kilbrannan Sound.
Take in the stunning scenery and encounter amazing wildlife on an open boat trip, with a unique view of the stunning South Kintyre coastline. Haydn, the owner and skipper, has 10 years’ experience skippering commercial ribs and 30 years skippering fast boats and offers 1 hour fast blasts, 3 or 4 hour sea safaris or private hires. All trips subject to weather and minimum booking numbers.
Take in the stunning scenery and encounter amazing wildlife on an open boat trip, with a unique view of the stunning South Kintyre coastline. Haydn, the owner and skipper, has 10 years’ experience skippering commercial ribs and 30 years skippering fast boats and offers 1 hour fast blasts, 3 or 4 hour sea safaris or private hires. All trips subject to weather and minimum booking numbers.
+44 7775 910780
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Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse
From Southend you might want to follow the ‘long and winding’ road to the Mull of Kintyre, the southwestern-most tip of the Kintyre peninsula immortalised in the hit by Paul McCartney and Wings. Visit the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse, a beautiful and remote place, and you’ll appreciate where the lyrics came from. Even if the mist isn’t rolling in, you’ll be treated to incredible views.
Largiebaan Scottish Wildlife Trust Reserve
Largiebaan covers some 1,600 hectares on the west coast of south Kintyre. It's a large and diverse reserve, with plenty of interesting features and diverse wildlife. Mainly made up of bog, heath and native woodland, it's home to a wide variety of wildlife and unusual wildflowers associated with maritime headlands, as well as breeding moorland birds and seabirds. The four-mile coastal strip provides spectacular views of the Atlantic from the top of steep cliffs. Ferral goats and golden eagles may also be seen along the coastal cliffs.
Machrihanish Seabird and Wildlife Observatory
A purpose-built sea watching hide provides shelter for sea watchers so that observation can take place during the worst weather, yet best sea watching conditions. Visitors can obtain assistance with identification, information about recent sightings and details of studies. The range recorded in this well-watched area now stands at just over 200 species including regular rarities such as Leachs Petrel, Balearic Shearwater, Grey Phalarope and Sabines Gull.
Machrihanish Golf Club
Machrihanish Golf Club is 18 hole golf course is well known throughout the world, voted to have "the best opening hole in golf" by golf architects and players and listed in the top 100 golf courses outside the USA by the Golfer's Digest.
Little has been changed to disturb the natural scenic beauty and inspiring challenge of the delightful 18 hole links golf course. The outward nine follow the hills and hollows among the sand dunes, with the stunning clear waters lapping on the sandy beach by the opening hole.
Little has been changed to disturb the natural scenic beauty and inspiring challenge of the delightful 18 hole links golf course. The outward nine follow the hills and hollows among the sand dunes, with the stunning clear waters lapping on the sandy beach by the opening hole.
Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club
Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club is the first golf club to have been built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSi) since the days of “Old Tom” and it is the first 18-hole links course to be built on the west coast of Scotland in 100 years. It has six greens and five tees at the ocean’s edge and shares breathtaking views with the adjacent Machrihanish Golf Club links.
Day trip to Gigha
Pronounced 'geeya', with a hard 'g' meaning either "good island" or "God island". Although small, Gigha is also home to several archeological wonders such as cairns and standing stones; the Druid’s Stone stands over seven metres high. and the Ogham Stone which is believed to date from Pictish times. Attractions on the island include the 50 acres Achamore Gardens known for its rhododendrons and azaleas. To get there Drive to Tayinloan — a small village about 30 minutes from Campbeltown — where you can park for free and get the CalMac ferry to Gigha.
Here are the kinds of activities our guests enjoyed during their stay:
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