Machrihanish Online

Historic Events Affecting Kintyre...

253AD - Traditional arrival of Cairbre Ruadh from Antrim

498 - Arrival of the Sons of Ere from Irish Dalriada

536 - Arrival of St. Ciaran

563 - Arrival of St. Columba

750 - Commencement of Viking raids

836 - Earliest mention of Loch Fyne herring industry

1098 - King Magnus Barefoot claims Kintyre at Treaty of Tarbert

1155 - Somerled defeats Godfrey, Viking king of Man

1160 - Founding of Saddell Abbey

1266 - Norway cedes Kintyre and the Isles to Scots crown

1297 - Beginning of Scottish War of Independence

1306 - King Robert Bruce a fugitive in Kintyre

1314 - Bruce defeats Edward II at Bannockburn

1325 - Tarbert Castle built by King Robert Bruce

1354 - John MacDonald of Isla assumes title, "Lord of the Isles"

1493 - Fall of MacDonald Lordship of the Isles

1498 - King James IV builds castle of Kilkerran

1505 - Campbell adherents begin infiltrating into Kintyre

1603 - Union of the Crowns under James VI

1607 - Earl of Argyll granted lands of forfeited Lordship

1609 - Founding of Burgh of Lochead (later Campbeltown)

1639 - Beginning of the Wars of the Covenant (Charles I)

1644 - The "Colkitto Raids" begin (1644-1647)

1646 - Sir Alexander MacColla Ciotach ravages Kintyre

1647 - The Great Plague of Kintyre

1650 - The Earl of Argyll begins Lowland re-settlement

1685 - Earl of Argyll's Rebellion and execution

1700 - King William III creates Royal Burgh of Campbeltown

1745 - Jocobite Rising under Prince Charles Edward Stuart

1788 - First lighthouse erected on Mull of Kintyre

1815 - Building of distillery at Campbeltown

1820 - Robert Stevenson re-models the Mull Lighthouse

1827 - Earliest references to Kintyre as a tourist area

1871 - "Campbeltown Courier" newspaper established