Kintyre Way

Kintyre Way

A self-guided walking holiday around the Kintyre Peninsula from Tarbert to Machrihanish.

3 to 9 nights
48-102 miles
Moderate / Demanding to Strenuous

From £355 per person

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About the trail

The remote Kintyre Peninsula has all the usual Highland ingredients – magnificent scenery, abundant wildlife, and a wealth of history and famous whisky distilleries – with the added attraction of being one of the least-explored corners of Scotland.

The Kintyre Way winds through heather moorland, tranquil glens, deserted beaches and sparkling lochs, and the views from the trail are breath-taking. From the west coast you’ll spot the islands of Jura, Islay, Cara, Gigha and Ireland itself, while the east coast showcases the superb heights of Arran’s craggy mountains. Grey seals bask on inshore rocks, and over 400 species of birds have been recorded on the peninsula, including cormorants and golden eagles.

We offer multiple holiday options along this trail. If you wish to experience the entire trail, simply select the first option from the list below.

Choose your route

  • Kintyre Way
  • Kintyre Way - South Section
  • Kintyre Way - North Section

About this route

6 to 9 nights
102 miles
Moderate / Demanding to Strenuous
1st April to 31st October

From £705 per person

Kintyre Way

The full Kintyre Way trail traverses 100 miles of the peninsula's finest landscapes. Setting off from Tarbert in the north, the walk meanders south, weaving from coast to coast and exploring a vast range of terrain in the process.

Although the Kintyre Peninsula is small and less well-known than the mainland, it has a host of attractions on offer to those keen to discover them. Whether you wish you spot rare wildlife off the shoreline, uncover the region's fascinating history, sample authentic Scottish whisky from its famous distilleries or simply marvel at the incredible views, the Kintyre Way showcases everything this incredible location has to offer.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
KINT1 From Tarbert to Machrihanish(L) 6 nights, 5 days walking Strenuous £705
KINT2 From Tarbert to Machrihanish(L) 7 nights, 6 days walking Demanding / Strenuous £820
KINT3 From Tarbert to Machrihanish(L) 8 nights, 7 days walking Demanding £935
KINT4 From Tarbert to Machrihanish(L) 9 nights, 8 days walking Moderate / Demanding £1040

Kintyre Way 6 nights, 5 days walking

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights
Start

Travel to Tarbert where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Tarbert to Clachan(L). 21.5 miles (34.5km)

Day 2

Clachan(L) to Carradale. 26 miles (41.5km)

Day 3

Carradale to Campbeltown. 22 miles (35km)

Day 4

Campbeltown to Southend(L). 16 miles (25.5km)

Day 5

Southend(L) to Machrihanish(L). 16.5 miles (26.5km)

Finish

Depart from Machrihanish(L) after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.

Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£65.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£50.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Kintyre Way map
Tarbert to Machrihanish
102 miles (163 km)
1st April to 31st October

Holiday highlights

Admiring the wonderful views towards Gigha, Jura, Islay and Ireland on a clear day.

Watching the wide variety of wildlife on the peninsula, including otters, basking sharks and eagles.

Walking along the white sands of Machrihanish Beach and breathing in the fresh sea air.

What's included?

  • 6 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

An extra night is a wonderful way to extend your holiday, whether you spend it exploring, relaxing or simply soaking up the atmosphere.

Carradale has a pretty harbour and wonderful surroundings. Consider an extra night here if you wish to soak up the highland atmosphere and countryside air.

Campbeltown has a range of shops and is home to three distilleries. If you would like to take a tour of one of the distilleries, consider booking in advance and spending an extra night in Campbeltown.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 102 miles (163 km)
Duration: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Minimum daily distance: 16 miles (25.5 km)
Maximum daily distance: 26 miles (41.5 km)
Code: KINT1 Grade: Strenuous
Season: 1st April - 31st October
Start of holiday: Tarbert
End of holiday: Machrihanish(L)

Route Profile

Kintyre Way Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Glasgow and Glasgow Prestwick.

By Rail - There are no mainline rail stations in the Kintyre area. The nearest rail stations to Tarbert and Machrihanish are Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central station.

By Bus - Scottish Citylink Buses run from Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station to Tarbert. A bus runs very infrequently from Machrihanish to Campbeltown (Monday to Saturday only, so a taxi would be required on a Sunday or in between buses), from where you can take a Scottish Citylink Bus to Glasgow.

From London - Trains run from London Euston station to Glasgow Central.

Return To The Start - To return to the start of the trail, the easiest way is to take a taxi from Machrihanish to Tarbert, as public transport options are rather lengthy.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.
"Descending to Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023) "Descending to Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023)
"Waterfoot near Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023) "Waterfoot near Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023)
"Dunaverty Rock" by Niall Hyndman (2023) "Dunaverty Rock" by Niall Hyndman (2023)
"Near Ronachan Point" by Niall Hyndman (2023) "Near Ronachan Point" by Niall Hyndman (2023)
"Waterfoot near Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023) "Waterfoot near Carradale" by Niall Hyndman (2023)
"Mixture of Sun and Cloud" by Joshua Dayan (2022) "Mixture of Sun and Cloud" by Joshua Dayan (2022)
"Stoic Post" by Joshua Dayan (2022) "Stoic Post" by Joshua Dayan (2022)
"Sunshine on a Coastal Scene" by Joshua Dayan (2022) "Sunshine on a Coastal Scene" by Joshua Dayan (2022)
"Looking North from a Bridge" by Joshua Dayan (2022) "Looking North from a Bridge" by Joshua Dayan (2022)
"Campeltown Harbour" by Mary Brown (2017) "Campeltown Harbour" by Mary Brown (2017)
"Campeltown Mile Marker" by Mary Brown (2017) "Campeltown Mile Marker" by Mary Brown (2017)
"Looking East from Amod Hill" by Arthur Brown (2017) "Looking East from Amod Hill" by Arthur Brown (2017)
"Kintyre West Coast" by Arthur Brown (2017) "Kintyre West Coast" by Arthur Brown (2017)
"The Road to Southend" by Arthur Brown (2017) "The Road to Southend" by Arthur Brown (2017)
Rainbow over Campeltown Harbour
Rainbow over Campeltown Harbour" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017) Rainbow over Campeltown Harbour" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017)
"Largiebann Nature Reserve" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017) "Largiebann Nature Reserve" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017)
"South of Macrihanish" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017) "South of Macrihanish" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017)
"Moorland North of Skipness" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017) "Moorland North of Skipness" by Alexandria Zerbe (2017)

Customer reviews from the Kintyre Way

“What a magnificent first experience...scary at first as we are not spring chickens. However, we rose to the challenge and with Benjamin's help we able to slightly amend the lengths of a few legs on the hike. Overall, we fared through it all in excellent shape and fortunately we were well prepared with equipment.”
Ms Smith, Italy
“Beautiful walk, nice accommodations, lovely people, everything was well organised. We loved it!”
Ms Dubois, Switzerland
“We enjoyed the trip. All of it was excellent.”
Mrs Carnall, UK
“Petra and I enjoyed our walking holiday on Kintyre and Cowal very much. The tropical face of the Scottish weather also helped a lot! Great holiday, thank you!”
Mrs Laurijsen, Holland
“Great walk, if a little on the tough side. We saw hardly any other walkers so a real escape from it all. Accommodation was top notch. The taxi pick-ups worked like clockwork, even when we were unable to meet at the rendezvous because of a diversion due to forestry work.”
Mr Honeysett, UK
“Took a risk walking in October. A bit wet at times but still enjoyed it. Lovely scenery. Spectacular on final day.”
Dr Hyndman, UK
“Enjoyable challenge. Weather in September good for the most part.”
Dr Hyndman, UK
“Just what we had hoped for”
Mr Brown, USA
Find your holiday