6. Saddell Bay

Due to the pandemic, almost two years have passed since my trip to Wester Ross, so my beach count is stuck at just four. I manage a short trip to Loch Lomond in 2020 but I’m eager to get the Project back on track. I start planning my first island trip, to Islay.

I make my way down to Campbeltown at the foot of Kintyre for an overnight stay prior to catching the ferry to Islay the next morning. I’ve been driving for eight hours, but it’s such a magnificent balmy late-summer evening, I decide to take the scenic east coast route through Kintyre and stop off at Saddell Bay to see the Antony Gormley sculpture which looks proudly over the bay from the rocks. It’s a short walk from the village car park, past Saddell House and onto the beach. This was the setting for Paul McCartney’s Mull of Kintyre music video back in the seventies, and it still draws devotees to this day. On this fine evening, it’s just me, Antony’s statue and a family staying at one of the Landmark Trust properties at the rear of the bay enjoying a peaceful glass of wine to the setting sun. Jealous.

I revisit Saddell Bay a year later on my tour of Kintyre in August 2022. This time it’s peak summer and a few families are enjoying the beach. I venture further this time, past the castle and along the path at the back of the wide sandy beach. This is deservedly a very popular spot. The photos below are a selection from both visits.