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Our Day three journey to Tayinloan on the Kintyre Way continues in this Part 4 video plus the journey to Gigha and the hike to Creag Bhan the highest point on 'God's Island'.

Tayinloan (Scottish Gaelic: Taigh an Lòin ) is a village situated on the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The village has a sub post office and general store, a small hotel (currently closed), a village hall and a play park. The nearest towns are Campbeltown (19 miles south) and Tarbert (20 miles north). Our day 3 walk finished at the ferry terminal and tearoom at Tayinloan where the ferry service runs between the village and Ardminish on Gigha. The village is synonymous with the A83 (the road that runs through it) and nowadays of course the new long distance footpath - the Kintyre Way!

The route description of our Day 3 walk from Clachan To Tayinloan is given as 14km (9 Miles) along pavement, public highway, unsurfaced path and foreshore - and is described thus: - " Coastal walking has an attraction all of its own and the constant interaction of the land and sea provides a continual fascination. There is excellent bird life and some fine views out to the islands of the Inner Hebrides.
From Clachan the route follows a pavement south for just over a mile to reach Ronachan House. The route follows old Victorian paths through the grounds of Ronachan House which is a hospital. Please respect the privacy of the residents and pass through quickly and quietly. Beyond Ronachan House there is a small car park with the remains of an iron-age dun between it and the bay. This fort has very thick walls, but its shape is not easy to make out after so many millennia. The car park is also known as Seal Point and these lovely sea creatures are often seen hauled out on the rocks.
The route continues close to the road with the restless sea a few steps to your right. In strong winds it can be an exhilarating experience walking along here. Above the farm of Ballochroy (red pass) is a burial 'cist' and a group of standing stones which are believed to have an astronomical function. Shortly after this, the route leaves the road to follow the shore towards Rhunahaorine Point. It is just over 2 miles out to Rhunahaorine Point but the shingle beach can be hard going and progress slow. Best way to tackle this stretch is to take your time and keep an eye out for some of the wonderful wildlife.
Terns sometimes nest at the point and livestock graze in the fields so please keep dogs on leads and follow the waymarked route, especially in the spring.
There was a clan skirmish at the point in the 16th century. Rhunahaorine has the lowest OS triangulation pillar in Scotland, just 2 metres above sea level. On the south side of the Point is a caravan and camping park which has a shop selling refreshments (seasonal). South of here the route closely follows the shoreline to the ferry pier at Tayinloan where there is a teashop which welcomes walkers.
From Tayinloan you can catch the ferry to Gigha (God's Island) a low lying, fertile place, just 9km long but well worth spending a day on. There is a variety of accommodation including camping and opportunities to hire cycles and canoes-a pleasant change from walking!"

Not for us though as we decided ( as you can see in this video) to climb Creag Bhan (the mountain with that excellent animal rock sculpture effect on its slopes).and a rocky summit which represents the highest point on the Inner Hebridean island of Gigha, rising to 100m (328 feet) in the centre of the island. From the summit viewpoint the effort is rewarded as Jura, Islay, Kintyre, Knapdale, Mull and even Northern Ireland can all to be spotted as well as almost the whole of Gigha.

In the video an attractive white cottage can be clearly seen from Creag Bhan and also and old stone building that is an old mill. Its possible to visit the old stone building - simply turn right along the track and follow it past the house until it winds to the Mill.


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[all text and pictures roddymck 2011; copyright free music from the Jane Crawford charity cd].

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