Mull of Kintyre

The Mull of Kintyre is the south-western tip of the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute. It is a low, rounded headland of bare rock that juts into the North Channel. The lighthouse here was Scotland’s second to be lit and still guides ships today. On clear days the coast of County Antrim in Northern Ireland appears across the water. The place gave its name to Paul McCartney’s 1977 hit song. The headland has long been a crossing point between Scotland and Ireland. Early travellers used it as a land bridge, and later the Scotti sailed from here to found the kingdom of Dál Riata. Treacherous currents and sudden mists have claimed ships and aircraft over the centuries. In 1858 the steamship SS New York was wrecked at the south end of the Mull. The cliffs and fog also brought down a Royal Air Force Chinook in 1994. Visitors reach the Mull by a single-track road from Southend village eight miles away. From the car park a short walk leads to the lighthouse and sweeping views. On the clearest days Malin Head in Donegal and the Ayrshire coast can be seen. The low Rathlin Island appears to sit below the horizon, yet its full length is visible from the headland. The North Channel’s swift tides and the historic beacon combine to make this a memorable place.