The Kintyre Way

Start your walk from the information board at the harbour’s head, beside the junction of the A83 and A8015 roads. Walk north east along the right side of Harbour Street, passing the shops and restaurants to the steps signposted up to Tarbert Castle.
At the top of the steps, a path leads across open ground, giving access to the castle. The trail continues north-eastwards, providing good views of the castle and crossing moorland. At a junction, the route continues straight on.
A few hundred yards beyond a sharp right, there are good views north to Loch Fyne. Higher still, you pass the Tarbert Millennium Cairn and join a forest road where you turn left.
The road leads east, then south and climbing; you cross a stream in a clearing at an altitude of 250 yards. Follow the road as it rises and emerges from the forest to the edge of a broad plateau.
Look out for a turn; sharp left onto a narrow path, you can see the rugged skyline of Arran ahead. The trail descends, giving pleasant walking through a wide clearing; still descending, it soon crosses a couple of streams to meet a forest track.
Turn right at the junction; soon after, you pass a stone-walled sheep pen on the left. Further on, go through a gate. The ruined stone buildings on either side of the track are all that remains of Glenskible. Close to the tree-lined Skipness river, the path leads down the wooded glen. The final descent to the small village of Skipness on the coast is on a track.
To visit Skipness Castle, turn left from the Kintyre Way along the minor road beside the shore. Continue past St Brendan’s Church and across a bridge. After the information board at the car park, go through the gateway on the right, which leads to the castle.
To visit Kilbrannan Chapel, leave Skipness Castle grounds through a gate in its eastern fence. Go through the kissing gate and follow the track beside the shore that leads to the chapel.
To carry on to Claonaing from Skipnesss village, follow the B8001 road south west to the Lochranza ferry terminal for Arran, where there’s another bus stop and car park. The Kintyre Way continues through Clanaig, following the minor road uphill for another half-mile to a T-junction.

scotland’s great trails

tarbert to claonaig