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Argyll

The Gauldrons, Machrihanish
A view toward the Gauldrons, a ferocious but beautiful bay near Machrihanish about eight miles north of the Mull of Kintyre

I think I can safely say I’ve found my favourite bit of Scotland. Argyll is the sprawling, ancient and breathtakingly scenic south-west of the country, featuring two wild parts of the mainland, most of the islands of the Inner Hebrides, and, of course, my home for the past six months: the peninsula of Kintyre. I thought I’d share some of the photos I’ve taken over the past few months with you all. For a closer look at any, right-click on them and hit ‘Open image in new tab’. I definitely recommend it with the panoramas!

There’s so much to see and to explore in Argyll. The whole region is a treasure trove of gorgeous white, sandy beaches, forests and hills, stunning coastlines, lochs and inlets with quiet yacht havens, old harbour towns and miles of farmland. It’s the second-largest council area in Scotland and arguably the part of the country with the most history, including having once been the ancient kingdom of Dalriada, and the domain of the Lord of the Isles. Kilmartin Glen, along the road between Lochgilphead and Oban, is one of the most archaeologically rich places in Great Britain.

A view from the top of Carnasserie Castle near Kilmartin village

Kintyre itself is unique in that despite being part of the mainland, it feels like an island, with tight-knit communities and a sense of remoteness brought by the very long, winding (and often closed) road that leads to the nearest city. My views may be a bit skewed as a result of the pandemic but it certainly gives the impression of a quite untouched, unspoilt part of the world. For my Year 3 longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) placement, I’ve been based in Campbeltown. Although we’re fairly far down the peninsula, there’s a ferry terminal here for getting across to Ayrshire or Northern Ireland (during the warmer months). There’s even an airport, operating out of the vast former military airbase at Machrihanish, with twice daily flights to Glasgow during the week. I’ve been up there fairly often, when my LIC GP tutor has been handing over a patient from the care of our local community hospital to the larger centres in Glasgow.

Posing on a chilly airfield at Campbeltown Airport with the Coastguard preparing to take-off

I’ve felt quite at home here, despite seeing the town in the context of the ongoing restrictions on daily life. I definitely plan to return when things can be a bit more social! Meanwhile, with the absence of pubs, restaurants, cafes, ceilidhs, barbeques and so on, I’ve taken the opportunity to explore as much of the area as I can, restrictions-dependent, including the nearby islands of Gigha and Arran. When the present lockdown is eased, I hope to get a chance to make more trips to Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Cara before my time here is over.

As part of the LIC, Year 3 ScotGEM students are also encouraged to involve ourselves in a community engagement project, to integrate ourselves into our surroundings, as far as can reasonably done while keeping up with the workload of the penultimate year medical student studying during a pandemic. I decided to engage with the local independent radio station for the region, Argyll FM, volunteering to assist with technical and administrative matters, building and running their website, and, to top it off, presenting my own show on a Saturday night. Just another example of something interesting about being a ScotGEM student that you can safely assume isn’t part of the standard medical student experience!

One of the masts broadcasting Argyll FM at Ballygroggan, a hilltop near Machrihanish
The view from Ballygroggan Mast down toward the coast

The Mull of Kintyre, the rather remote southwestern-most tip of the peninsula, was somewhere I made sure to visit as soon as I arrived. It is quite some trek to get there even from Campbeltown, along a tortuous single track road for a further ten miles beyond the southernmost village on the peninsula, a place called Southend. Paul McCartney sang about it way back in 1977 when he lived at a farm up the road from Campbeltown. I couldn’t help but wonder, as I climbed down the steep access road to the lighthouse at the headland, whether he ever thinks about the place still from his apartment in Manhattan.

End of the road… at the Mull of Kintyre
Looking down toward Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse with Northern Ireland and Rathlin Island in the distance

Southend itself is home to one of Kintyre’s several excellent golf courses. This one covers a stretch of coastline, bordered on the south with yet another stunning beach, and was once the site of an ancient castle at what is now called the Rock of Dunaverty.

The Rock of Dunaverty, looking out towards Sanda Island

Just beyond the other end of Kintyre, right at the top of the peninsula, are two sparsely populated, fairly wild areas separated from the peninsula on either side by water. Across West Loch Tarbert is Knapdale, and on the other side, across the magnificent Loch Fyne, is Cowal and the Argyll Forest. I’ve made a couple of trips to both of these places but there’s so much more still to see. Tarbert is the nearest ScotGEM LIC base to Campbeltown, and as part of my placement I’ve made a trip to Dunoon on the far side of Cowal to visit the community hospital there, alongside other short ‘away’ placements in Lochgilphead, Oban and Inverness.

The sculptured stones near Kilberry Castle, Knapdale

Looking out toward Islay and Jura from Knapdale

Visiting family back home in Ayrshire outside the lockdown is best done by ferry… cutting the corner out of the long drive up and over the many lochs and hills in the east of Argyll to reach Glasgow. From Campbeltown, driving to Tarbert, ferrying over to Portavadie in Cowal and heading through the Argyll Forest to Dunoon before catching a second crossing over to Gourock in Inverclyde is the best route.

Lochranza on the Isle of Arran, viewed from Claonaig, Kintyre
The jagged silhouette of the Isle of Arran, taken from the ferry to Ardrossan
The ferry slip at Claonaig in Kintyre, looking out toward Arran

There’s plenty more I could show you, and plenty more I haven’t even reached yet during my time in Argyll. I’m looking forward to getting the most out of the time I have left here, and can guarantee I’ll be back next year, making trips down from Inverness. Here’s a few more assorted photos below!

Looking up toward McCaig’s Tower in Oban
Stacked timber at Ben Gullion, near Campbeltown
Me, wandering around the woods at Ben Gullion, near Campbeltown
A view from the shore of Campbeltown Loch toward Island Davaar
Westport Beach, near Campbeltown