Skip to content
Voykit
Set your trip — dates, party, bagsPlanner

Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · United Kingdom

CampbeltownCeann Loch Chille Chiarain

Go for 2 nights if you want whisky tours and the Mull of Kintyre; skip if you only have a week — it is 4 h by bus from Glasgow.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
GBP
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (short days, many tours reduced); midge season Jul–Aug on still evenings
Airports
CAL · GLA
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
  • Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
  • United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
  • United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
  • United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.

Campbeltown sits near the south tip of the Kintyre peninsula in Argyll and Bute, about 60 miles from Glasgow as the crow flies but roughly 135 miles by road around the lochs. It was once a whisky town with around 30 distilleries; three single malt distilleries and a gin distillery operate now, and the isolation that shaped the industry still shapes the trip. Two nights covers the town, a distillery tour and a run to the Mull of Kintyre. Three nights if you want Machrihanish golf or a day on the coast.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Campbeltown, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Sit-down mealPub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
  • BeerPint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across town£6–10 (≈ US$8–14)
  • Metro or bus rideLocal bus single in town£2–3 (≈ US$3–4)
  • Budget bedHostel or bunkhouse bed, a night, per person£28 (≈ US$40)
  • Mid-range bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£140 (≈ US$190)
  • High-end bedB&B or hotel double room, a night, per room£240 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget £55 (≈ US$75) · Mid £95 (≈ US$130) · High £170 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia distilleriesMull of Kintyre headlandCampbeltown Picture House (1913)Davaar Island and its tidal causeway
Airports
CAL Campbeltown Airport (4 miles west of town; Loganair from Glasgow GLA about 45 min, two flights Mon–Fri and one Sunday; no bus to the airport, pre-book car hire or a taxi) · GLA Glasgow Airport (One Citylink 926 bus a day runs via the airport; otherwise bus or train to Glasgow first)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Campbeltown: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

7°C

2°C

20 rd

Feb

7°C

2°C

16 rd

Mar

9°C

3°C

17 rd

Apr

11°C

4°C

14 rd

May

14°C

6°C

13 rd

Jun

16°C

9°C

13 rd

Jul

18°C

11°C

15 rd

Aug

18°C

11°C

16 rd

Sep

16°C

9°C

16 rd

Oct

13°C

7°C

19 rd

Nov

10°C

4°C

19 rd

Dec

8°C

2°C

20 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town itself is walkable: the bus terminus is about 200 yards north of the ferry pier. West Coast Motors run local buses Mon–Sat only — nothing on Sunday or late evening. Bus 100/440 loops the town every half hour; 200/442 goes west to Machrihanish; 300/445 runs up the east coast to Carradale; 400/444 goes to Southend, from where the Mull of Kintyre is a 5-mile (8 km) walk. Car hire from Kintyre Hire or Campbeltown Motor Company, pre-booked. Taxis serve the airport.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Mull of Kintyre and Southend

go

Door to door: About 1 h by bus plus the walk

Bus 400/444 to Southend, then a 5-mile (8 km) walk to the headland

Cliffs, lighthouse and the 1994 Chinook memorial; Northern Ireland is 12 miles away. Check bus times — the last return is early.

Davaar Island

caution

Door to door: About 30–40 min from the harbour

Walk east from town to the Dhorlin shingle causeway

Tidal island: cross only at low tide and come back before the water returns. Lighthouse and caves, one with a crucifixion painting from 1887.

Machrihanish and Machrihanish Dunes golf

go

Door to door: About 20–25 min

Bus 200/442 west on the B843, or taxi

Links golf among the dunes; the bus does not serve the airport further north.

Carradale and the east coast

go

Door to door: About 40–50 min

Bus 300/445 via Peninver, Saddell and Torrisdale

Saddell Abbey ruin is free and always open; Saddell Castle is self-catering and not open inside.

Ballycastle, Northern Ireland

caution

Door to door: About 2 h door to door

Kintyre Express foot passenger ferry, 90 min

April, May and September Mon/Fri–Mon, daily June–August; leaves 7:30am, returns 4:30pm. Foot passengers only.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Town centre and harbour

Walk to the ferry pier, bus terminus, cinema, museum and both town distilleries; the practical base without a car.

Kilkerran Road / north loch shore

Hotels and B&Bs a short walk from the ferry pier; quieter, still walkable to town.

Machrihanish and the west coast

Dunes, golf and the airport; 5 miles west on the B843, bus 200/442 every couple of hours Mon–Sat, nothing Sunday.

Carradale and the east coast

Village base 4–5 buses a day up the east coast; use it if you want coast walks rather than town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
£55–85 (≈ US$75–120) excl. bed
Mid
£85–140 (≈ US$120–190) excl. bed
High
£140 (≈ US$190)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
B&B or hotel double room1 × 2 nights × £140£280
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × £95£380
Springbank distillery tour2 × £12£24
Campbeltown Picture House adult ticket2 × £9£17
eSIM, about a week of data2 × £8£16
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge£72
Trip total≈ £197 per person per day, bed included£789≈ US$1,100

2026 estimate in pounds; travel to Campbeltown excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café£3–4.50 (≈ US$4–6)
Pub main course£12–18 (≈ US$16–25)
Seafood main at a harbour restaurant£16–26 (≈ US$25–35)
Pint of beer£4.50–6 (≈ US$6–8)
Distillery tourbook ahead in summer£12–20 (≈ US$16–30)
Cinema ticket£8.50 (≈ US$12)
Local bus single in town£2–3 (≈ US$3–4)
Taxi across town£6–10 (≈ US$8–14)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Campbeltown is a small, low-crime town and feels safe day and night. The real risks are weather, single-track roads with passing places, and the Davaar causeway tide: check the tide table before you cross and carry a waterproof.
  • No local buses on Sundays or late evening: plan Saturday arrivals or book a taxi.
  • The CalMac ferry from Ardrossan was axed in 2025; the only foot passenger link now is the Kintyre Express to Ballycastle, April–September only.
  • There is no car ferry between Kintyre and Ireland — with a vehicle you drive back via Tarbert, Inveraray, Loch Lomond and Glasgow to Cairnryan.
  • The Davaar Island causeway is passable only at low tide; check the tide before you cross.
  • Mobile signal is patchy along the A83 and there is no 5G; download maps and tickets before you travel.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
999
Police non-urgent
101
NHS non-urgent
111

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CampbeltownCeann Loch Chille Chiarain

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Chun an seòladh seo, mas e do thoil eTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance999
  • Police non-urgent101
  • NHS non-urgent111

Embassy

No foreign consulates in Campbeltown; the nearest are in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with embassies in London. US citizens: consulate general in Edinburgh.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Citylink 926 Glasgow → Campbeltown: about 4 h, 4–5 buses daily; book ahead
  • Kintyre Express Campbeltown → Ballycastle: 90 min, 7:30am out, 4:30pm back, April–September
  • Loganair Glasgow GLA → Campbeltown CAL: about 45 min, two flights Mon–Fri and one Sunday

Say or show

  • Tapadh leat — Thank you (TAH-pah let)
  • Madainn mhath — Good morning (MA-ting vah)
  • Slàinte mhath — Cheers (SLAHN-cheh vah)
  • Càite a bheil cidhe an aiseig? — Where is the ferry pier? (KAH-tcheh a vayl KEE-eh un ASH-ek)
  • Dè a' phrìs? — How much is it? (djeh a PREEsh)
  • Am faod mi pàigheadh le cairt? — Can I pay by card? (am fuut mee PIE-ugh leh karsht)

Gaelic is a heritage language here, not a working one — everyone speaks English. The phrases are for place names and goodwill.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Campbeltown. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (short days, many tours reduced); midge season Jul–Aug on still evenings · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for CAL: Loganair schedule field-checked, taxi fallback, no-bus note.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: harbour and ferry pier, Longrow and the distilleries, Big Kiln and the Heritage Centre, the cinema and museum.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Springbank, Glen Scotia, Campbeltown Picture House, Heritage Centre, Campbeltown Museum) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Tide and ferry fixtures for Davaar Island and Kintyre Express so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United Kingdom

Sources