The Kintyre Way is a long-distance hike along the Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland's west coast that explores a landscape of rugged hills, vast forests, deserted beaches, and remote fishing communities where catch-of-the-day and drams of Scotch whisky go hand-in-hand.

Starting from Tarbert, in the north, the Way zigzags down Kintyre along empty tracks, footpaths, and lanes, to finish in Machrihanish, on the southwest corner of the peninsula. The official route is 100 miles (161 km). However, with a few short detours to some worthy sites, this Collection is 104 miles (167 km) in total.

Perhaps the most spectacular feature of the hike is epic and endless coastal views that are yours alone to enjoy. As Kintyre is a narrow peninsula, the sea is never far away. To the east, you see the Firth of Clyde, Arran, Ailsa Craig, and the Ayrshire coast. To the west, you see Islay, Jura, Gigha, and even to Rathlin Island and the coastline of Northern Ireland.

Highlights along the way include: Tarbert, an attractive village with ancient castle ruins; Skipness Castle, a striking 13th-century fort; Kilbrannan Chapel, a haunting medieval ruin; numerous pretty lochs; Ballochroy Standing Stones, a spectacular megalithic monument; Rhunahaorine Point, a headland with fine views and the lowest trig point in Scotland; the summit of Cnoc nan Gabhar, which affords a spellbinding panorama; Campbeltown, once the ‘whisky capital of the world’; Kildalloig Bay; Keil Caves; and the summit of Binnein Fithich.

There’s no getting around the fact that this is a challenging walk. As accommodation — and indeed civilisation — is often sparse, some long hikes are required. You can, of course, wild camp in Scotland due to the Land Reform Act (see below for information), which is the only way to avoid lengthy stages.

You also cross some very empty moorland. The final stage in particular involves challenging hillwalking over wild terrain with steep ascents and descents and boggy conditions. As such, you need to be an experienced hiker with good technical ability and a high level of fitness and endurance.

Another thing to note is that roughly 25% of the hike is on tarmac. However, this is typically quiet lanes through pretty countryside and along spectacular coastline, with only a fraction of that on main roads. There is not much traffic on Kintyre.

In this Collection, I split the route into seven stages: 11.5 miles (18.5 km), 12.7 miles (20.4 km), 9.77 miles (15.7 km), 16.3 miles (26.2 km), 21.2 miles (34.1 km), 15.7 miles (25.3 km), and 16.4 miles (26.4 km), respectively. Tailoring the itinerary is tricky, unless you are happy to wild camp. Walking individual sections is possible but will require some forward planning.

As mentioned accommodation is patchy. However, there are places to stay at the end of each stage. Pre-booking is essential, though.

To get to the start of the route, your best bet is to catch a train to Glasgow. From there, you can catch the 926 bus service to Tarbert, which takes roughly three hours. At the end of the route, you can catch the 200 / 442 bus service from Machrihanish to Campbeltown and then the 926 bus back to Glasgow.

For the 926 bus service, visit: bustimes.org/services/926-glasgow-campbeltown.
For the 200 / 442 bus service, visit: westcoastmotors.co.uk/services/WCM/200.
For more information about wild camping in Scotland, visit: visitscotland.com/accommodation/caravan-camping/wild-camping.