Kintyre History

Kintyre:

A fantastic glimpse of Kintyre circa 1955. Includes one of the simplest and best descriptions of Kintyre;
“It is 40 miles long and every mile is beautiful”

The film takes a trip along the Kintyre Peninsula, Argyll, Scotland and includes footage at Machrihanish, Carradale, Campbeltown, The Argyll Colliery, The Harbour at Campbeltown, Campbeltown Creamery, Tarbert, Bellochantuy and the Mull of Kintyre to name a few.

Some stills from the film:

Wonderful to see the beach at Machrihanish as I remember it, busy with families enjoying themselves.

Film by Iain Dunnachie, narration by Hugh McPhee.
The film was originally entered in the ‘On Scotland’ category at the Scottish Amateur Film Festival in 1956.

Historic Events Affecting Kintyre…
253 – 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 – Dunaverty Castle Massacre
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.

Old images of Machrihanish:

 Well worth a read, local author Angus Martin’s book; Kintyre, The Hidden Past.