Campbeltown Loch

Campbeltown Loch lies on Scotland’s Kintyre Peninsula, a small sea inlet facing the Firth of Clyde. The town of Campbeltown sits at its head, while Davaar Island sits in the middle. A shingle causeway links the island to the shore at low tide. The loch’s Gaelic name, Loch Chille Chiarain, means ‘loch of the church of St Ciaran’. In English the loch takes its name from Campbeltown, but in Gaelic the town takes its name from the loch. The loch has a long history of raids and shipbuilding. In 1558 an English fleet sailed from Dublin to burn farms and castles around the loch. The Campbeltown Shipbuilding Company began in 1877 and built 115 ships before closing in 1922. A later yard built 101 fishing boats until 1997. Remains of slipways and jetties still mark the site. Visitors find a quiet waterfront with views across the loch to Davaar Island. The causeway offers a short walk to the island at low tide. The loch is famous for a folk song wishing it were filled with whisky. The tune, played on bagpipes, tells of a dream where the loch becomes a giant barrel. Nearby, traces of old shipyards recall the loch’s industrial past.