The Kintyre Forum

I often wonder why, as a community, we haven't made more of Paul McCartney's hit single to promote our beautiful part of the world?

At one point the biggest selling single in the world yet we've never made a big thing about it. Any thoughts?

At the time it was a big thing and I bet it attracted a lot of people to the area and for several years afterwards, BUT it was 33 years ago, how long can you milk something. Anyone younger than 35 or so won't even remember it first time round. Time has moved on. Maybe we need something else now to bring in the tourists.............like a big offshore windfarm

I find when i tell people down here i am going to the Mull of Kintyre ,they know the name (due to the song) but a lot of the time think it means the Isle of Mull!
I think the song has promoted the name as a marketing tool, would the music festival have a different name without it? would the creamery have a Mull of Kintyre cheese without it?
How much was the Mull of Kintyre 'brand ' used before the song came out?

Hi guys, topically (see the 'Back To Kintyre' - New song thread - I'm about to release something that may be of interest!

The 'Fyne' people of Mid-Argyll seem to use 'Fyne' a lot.

I was coming back from Inveraray the other day and I thought it was a shame that the huge brown tourist direction sign at Lochgilphead that points left to Ardrishaig only says ' Kintyre Trail'. Should it not also say ' Kintyre Way', 'Saddell Abbey', 'St Columba's Footsteps' and 'Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse'? I didn't know the Mull of Kintyre was here until I moved here. I always thought it was on Mull...and I was not alone.

Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

DRUMLEMEN1 wrote:Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

Why should argyll & bute council pay for a sign to give free advertising to a buisness? All the attrations D.H mentions are free to the public. If you want to play Machrihanish golf club you have to pay for the privilege.

howlsatthemoon wrote:

DRUMLEMEN1 wrote:Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

Why should argyll & bute council pay for a sign to give free advertising to a buisness? All the attrations D.H mentions are free to the public. If you want to play Machrihanish golf club you have to pay for the privilege.

Why not? They (Argyll and Bute Council) were happy to waste what I assume was a significant amount of money changing all the road signs to include Gaelic for all the towns/villages on the A83.....what purpose has that served?? Sorry Ship......way off topic here!!

DRUMLEMEN1 wrote:Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

Weel weel ma sowel is it yersell thats right sure o that ? It used tae be ' Big Lizzie ' frae ------------------

Bitter End wrote:

DRUMLEMEN1 wrote:Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

Weel weel ma sowel is it yersell thats right sure o that ? It used tae be ' Big Lizzie ' frae ------------------

Think I may have met her!

Ags wrote:Why not? They (Argyll and Bute Council) were happy to waste what I assume was a significant amount of money changing all the road signs to include Gaelic for all the towns/villages on the A83.....what purpose has that served?? Sorry Ship......way off topic here!!

Ags I don't quite believe what you are saying! Do you honestly think that the council should spend our hard earned cash on advertising local buisnesses? Or is it only one buisness in particular

But back to the topic, we have a habit of not promoting(if that is the right word) things that have happened in our neck of the woods for example the massacre at Dunaverty castle, there were more people killed there (300+) than there were at Glencoe (38) but you have to look very hard to find any reference to it around the Southend area.

I would certainly agree that the Massacre of Dunaverty is very much underplayed in Kintyre. This must have been a major event at the time (1647), and when you consider the number of tourists who visit Glencoe, which was a much smaller affair, there could have been a potential there for historical tourism. Added to this is the St Columba connection with Southend. Granted, his stay at Southend was not as significant as his residence on Iona, but it was where he first landed in Scotland. Living in Oban, one sees the number of tourists who pass through the town on their way to Iona. There are many thousands every year. The Glencoe Centre must be one of the prime sites of the National Trust for Scotland.

There is indeed much potential in Kintyre for heritage tourism, which appears to be underexploited when compared to other areas. Kintyre was historically an important area in the context of Scottish history.

EMDEE, if you don't mind me asking, did you play on the Mull of Kintyre record in 1977? I think the pipers went up to Ranachan to record their part, if I'm not mistaken.

howlsatthemoon wrote:

DRUMLEMEN1 wrote:Sign should also have said "THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB" as it is the most famous tourist attraction in Kintyre

Why should argyll & bute council pay for a sign to give free advertising to a buisness? All the attrations D.H mentions are free to the public. If you want to play Machrihanish golf club you have to pay for the privilege.[/quote

Howlsatthemoon- Machrihanish Golf club is registered as a charity , one has also to remember that visiting players who use the golf course may or may not spend money on accommodation, dining, shopping for souvenir's etc which benefits the Kintyre community.