Travel to Kintyre
Scotlands hidden gem
Road & Ferry
The A83 is the main route to Kintyre and passes through some amazing scenery. Make the most out of this touring opportunity and use the Wild About Argyll website to build up a route or follow the exciting and very new Kintyre 66, which we’re on!
Where to get fuelled up ⛽
Petrol Map do a good job of highlighting fuel pumping stations along the way, Inveraray, Lochgilphead, Tarbert, Clachan and Campbeltown are all en route via A83 (Ardrossan if using the ferry) and there are plenty of stations on the nearby islands. In case that site is down (as it has been a couple of times recently) there’s also Petrol Prices.
If you have an Electric Vehicle (EV) there’s a good amount of charging points on the route supplied by ChargePlace Scotland. ChargePlace Scotland is Scotland’s national Electric Vehicle (EV) charging network owned and developed by the Scottish Government
You can also use Zap Map and Plug Share to see other charge points. There are plenty around making touring with an EV surprisingly convenient, even on the islands!
Easy for EV's
We've had guests who've travelled from Bedfordshire in their Tesla, and others from Leicestershire in an EV with a 180-mile range, so you can be confident of driving here comfortably. We have a Type 2 7kW charge point at Gowanlea Heights, free for guests!
What if the Rest And Be Thankful is closed? ℹ
No need to panic, there's more than one way to Campbeltown! This map shows you some alternatives. 👍
By road, the standard route to Campbeltown is generally the A82 (out of Glasgow), take the A83 and follow it all the way to Campbeltown. It takes you through some of the most stunning scenery in Western Scotland and there are plenty of things to see and do on the way.
Recently, the Rest And Be Thankful (RABT) part of the A83 has been subject to landslides attributed to climate change. This closes the A83 at the RABT. Normally this just means you’re diverted to the Old Military Road (OMR) for a short while which runs parallel.
- PURPLE PINS: Standard A82 then A83 route
- LIGHT GREEN PIN: OMR Diversion. BEAR use a convoy system and you might be delayed by around ten minutes. It’s a harmless and almost unnoticeable diversion parallel to the normal route.
- ORANGE PIN: Sometimes the OMR is also closed. When this happens the “standard diversion” is signposted. This is via A82, A85 & A816. You can take time out to visit Oban on the way!
- RED PINS: Alternatively (and if you had enough time to plan ahead), you could drive and take two vehicle ferries to add to the adventure. First, the Western Ferries McInroy’s Point (Gourock) to Hunter’s Quay (Dunoon) then drive to Portavadie and take the Calmac ferry to Tarbert and continue the journey on the A83.
- DARK GREEN PINS: If your trip aligned with the ferry timetable, it would be much easier to take the Ardrossan – Campbeltown ferry!
- LIGHT BLUE PINS: Other alternatives would be the Ardrossan to Brodick and Lochranza to Claonaig ferries so you can fit a visit to Arran in, there’s plenty to see and do there too!
We’ve included relevant links below too, and as you can see there are quite a few alternative routes to consider.
Also, when you do get here, invariably you will come across single track roads. They can be daunting if you’re not used to them but the videos below should help you with the rules about passing places.
Help with driving on single-track roads 🚘
- Don’t panic.
- Always keep to the left in passing places.
- Keep your eyes open for them and try to remember where you are in relation to the nearest one ahead or back.
- Be prepared to reverse to a passing place. Don’t try to force your way forward…
- Drivers coming uphill have right of way, so if you’re travelling downhill it is you who needs to give way in a passing place.
- Allow others to overtake you at passing places. Don’t be the one that holds everyone up causing convoys, or worse!
- Personal tip: Avoid verges, they can be very, very soft!
- And now, the videos…
By Bus
West Coast Motors operate an excellent bus service from Glasgow. You can relax and enjoy the scenery while the driver copes with any diversions!
During off-season, there’s usually four buses a day from Glasgow to Campbeltown, increasing to five or six in peak season… going both ways of course!
The 926 is the bus you are looking for and you can also get it from Campbeltown to Kennacraig to get the ferries to Islay, or to Tayinloan to get the ferry to Gigha.
By Air
Campbeltown Airport
Campbeltown boasts it’s own airport with one of the longest runways in Europe! It’s run by the Highlands and Islands Airport company and twice daily flights to and from Glasgow Airport are operated by Loganair. You can book online or call 0344 800 2855.
