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Tarbert

At Tarbert an isthmus just one mile long links the Kintyre peninsula to the mainland. A venerable but true story recounts that in 1093 the wily Viking King Magnus Barelegs made a surprise attack on the west coast while the Scottish king, Malcolm Canmore, was away fighting the English. Malcom was forced to cede the Hebrides but, seeking to keep Magnus off the mainland, he stipulated that the 20-year-old invader might only retain any island he could navigate his ship around. Magnus coveted Kintyre, at that time much more fertile than the Hebridean islands, so he mounted his galley on wooden rollers and “sailed” his ship across the isthmus near Tarbert thus claiming the whole of the peninsula.

More than three centuries later, Robert the Bruce performed an identical manoeuvre while establishing his supremacy over the region. The Bruce was also responsible for building a castle at this strategic point but today only the ivy-covered ruins of the Keep remain, standing atop a 100 feet mound. This appealing little town was once a busy fishing port but nowadays it is pleasure craft that throng the harbour, particularly during the last week in May when the yacht races in the Rover series take place. They are followed the next week by the power boat Grand Prix.

Seven miles south of Tarbert is Skipness Castle (Historic Scotland), which dates originally from the 13th century. The first historical mention of it is in 1261 when the McSweens owned it, though it later came into the possession of Walter Stewart, Earl of Menteith. It finally came into the possession of the Campbells, and was abandoned in the late 17th century when a newer, more comfortable house was built close by. The ruins of Kilbrannan Chapel, near the foreshore, date from the 13th century, and were dedicated to St Brendan. Five medieval grave slabs are to be found inside the chapel walls and in the kirkyard. The church replaced an earlier building dedicated to St Columba.

An Tairbeart, to the south of Tarbert, is a heritage centre that tells of the place’s history and people. North of the village is Stonefield Castle, built in 1837 and now a hotel. Attached is Stonefield Castle Garden, which is open to the public. As with so many gardens in the area, it is famous for its rhododendrons. There are also plants from Chile and New Zealand, and conifers such as the sierra redwood.