Campbeltown Courier
‘THE LONGEST DAY OF MY LIFE’
Patient transport issues saw an 86-year-old heart attack survivor left stranded in a Glasgow hospital as there was no ambulance available to take her home. Enid Williams, right, from Muasdale, described her experience at the Queen Elizabeth University...
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‘PEOPLE DESERVE MORE’
Conflicting messages from CalMac and the Scottish Government over the seasonal Campbeltown ferry service have fuelled fresh frustration in Kintyre. While officials claim 2026 options remain “under consideration”, previous cancellation notices and...
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‘NHS IS ON ITS KNEES’
A disabled Campbeltown pensioner has hit out at the “appalling” state of the NHS in Argyll and Bute, claiming he’s been abandoned by the system. Keith Abendroth, 83, who has had a catalogue of problems with local health care, said: “The entire NHS is...
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SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON UNSUNG HEROES
Five years after its inaugural ceremony captured the heart of the Wee Toon, the Spirit of Campbeltown Awards are officially returning for 2026. Organiser Cheryl Lang, pictured right, has revealed the finalists following a massive public nomination...
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That Christmas feeling!
Arlo Oxborrow, aged 15 months, could hardly contain his excitement in the run-up to Christmas! This shot was taken by Kayleigh McLean, whose festive photo sessions raised an incredible £1,525 for Campbeltown children’s charity Youth Impact.
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SPREADING FESTIVE JOY ACROSS THE WORLD
The spirit of Christmas is warming hearts around the world, thanks to the generosity of Kintyre residents.
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‘I’M EMBARRASSED TO BE PART OF THIS’
A South Kintyre representative says she’s “never been more embarrassed” to be part of the council. Jennifer Kean hit out after a request for a special meeting to discuss budget savings was refused. She said: “I am really disappointed, but not...
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All bright and beautiful for annual walk
Campbeltown’s streets were filled with festive cheer on Saturday for the Mairi Semple Cancer Fund Christmas Lights Walk. The event, which encourages participants to dress up for the night, set off from Campbeltown Parish Church at 6.30pm. Folk were...
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SUPPORT UNIT FACES CLOSURE
A multi-million pound budget gap has put the future of Campbeltown’s Lorne Campbell Court in doubt. Councillors were this week presented with drastic savings options, one of which would see major changes at the sheltered housing facility.
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THANKS FOR SAVING GRACIE
A Campbeltown gran has raised £1,735 for the hospital that saved her granddaughter’s life. Noreen McCormick, who runs the Made In Kintyre shop on Main Street, began the fundraiser to mark little Gracie Ronald’s first birthday.
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CAREERS PLEDGE IS PLAIN SAILING
Campbeltown’s young people are to benefit from a “game-changing” commitment from aquaculture firm Mowi which could bring a wealth of career opportunities for future generations. The company is collaborating with Kintyre Seasports to launch an...
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KINTYRE LEADING THE WAY
Campbeltown Hospital has officially opened its newly-refurbished radiology department, bringing state-of-theart equipment to Kintyre. The unit includes machinery newer than that found in some of the country’s largest hospitals.
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CHINOOK PETITION GOES TO STARMER
Chinook justice campaigners delivered a petition with nearly 50,000 signatures to Downing Street on Tuesday, demanding Prime Minister Keir Starmer order a full investigation into the 1994 disaster. Twenty-nine people lost their lives in the tragedy...
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‘I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED’
A Campbeltown man says he could have been killed when a car smashed into his front garden. Stewart Grady has been campaigning for four years for better road safety measures near his home in Hillfoot, Auchaleek. He said: “This is not the first time a...
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Call for transparency
Two Kintyre councillors have thrown their weight behind a campaign for greater transparency and accountability from Argyll and Bute Council chiefs. South Kintyre’s Tommy Macpherson and Alastair Redman of the Kintyre and the Islands ward, both...
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WEATHER BEATEN
Torrential rain triggered a landslide and flash flooding across South Kintyre at the weekend. The downpours saw access blocked to the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse and many fields left swamped.
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‘HEARTBROKEN’
Campbeltown Nursery Centre’s children got a nasty shock after pumpkins they planted and lovingly tended were destroyed by vandals. But they got out their magnifiying glasses and honed their detective skills before taking their evidence to Campbeltown...
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CLUB STEPS UP FOR DANCE SCHOOL: See back page
Evidence obtained by the families of the Chinook crash victims has confirmed that the helicopter was not airworthy and should not have been allowed to fly before crashing and killing all 29 people on board. Lawyers have now submitted a formal...
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LEVY IS A£48M GAMBLE
Argyll and Bute Council is taking a “£48 million gamble” with the local economy if it pursues plans for a visitor levy, writes Hannah O’Hanlon. Kintyre business owners have blasted plans for the proposed five per cent tax, saying that “residents,...
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CARE WORK FIGHT GOES TO TRIBUNAL
Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership in Campbeltown is heading for an employment tribunal after nine staff raised complaints over pay. The workers claim they are on a lower salary structure than colleagues who were transferred from a...
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£250K GETS PROJECT ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Argyll is set for its first ever pump track as part of a £250,000 project. The investment will transform Tayinloan into a state-of-the-art outdoor facility for cyclists and skateboarders. The West Kintyre Pump Track will be built near the existing...
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COMMUNITY ANGELS RESCUE THEIR NAMESAKE
An amazing community effort saw a stranded fishing boat rescued after being washed ashore. The Blue Angel broke its moorings in high winds and landed north of Ferry Farm, Tayinloan. Skipper Mark Sheldrick “prayed to God” for the boat to be saved and...
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WELCOME BACK!
Dorothea Barron, pictured second left, is one of the last surviving WWII Wrens. She was thrilled to visit the town where she has fond memories of spending her 21st birthday in October 1945. The centenarian said she was “so touched” by the warm...
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Show Kintyre’s fun family agricultural
The sun made a welcome return at this year’s Kintyre Agricultural Show, held at Anderston Park last Friday. Robert and Fiona Semple of Southend are pictured enjoying the day with their daughter Karen Parkin, her husband Robert and their children Ross...
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‘FUN’-DRAISING AT REACT
Over 300 people turned out to attend the fourth fun-packed React Festival. Hosted by West Kintyre Promotions in association with Clachan Village Hall committee, the event was headlined by band The Democrats, who had the dancefloor full all...
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Visitor levy vote to take place in September
Argyll and Bute Council has confirmed that councillors will vote on the controversial visitor levy on September 1. But business owners are concerned that the local representatives will not have sufficient time to examine all the relevant documents -...
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Dad - we are still fighting for you
A heartbroken dad is demanding to know why his own father was killed in the Mull of Kintyre Chinook crash. Joel Hornby visited the memorial cairn with his 16-monthold son to reflect on the 1994 tragedy and its ongoing impact. He laid a wreath which...
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MILES BETTER
[email protected] Campbeltown brothers Peter and Craig McKerral smashed a £1,000 fundraising target after saddling up and raising an incredible £35k for a dementia charity. The duo covered 550 miles in just four days for the cause.
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LONG TO RAIN OVER US
Typical Scottish summer weather didn’t dampen the jubilant mood in Campbeltown yesterday as King Charles III paid a visit. It was the first time since 1958 that a reigning monarch had toured the town. Massive crowds gathered in the drizzle on...
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FULL STEAM AHEAD
History was made on the runway at Machrihanish Airbase Community Company (MACC) Business Park last weekend, when the Straightliners top speed crew returned to Kintyre. Graham Sykes, inventor of the Force of Nature steam-powered “rocket bike”, achieved...
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Impress Class of 2025 are dressed to
Campbeltown Grammar School’s graduating sixth year students celebrated in style at their formal dance last Saturday. Turn to page 12 for more photographs of the young adults in their formal finery.
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AWARDS JOY FOR PROUD DUO
Two men who have committed their own time to passing on their knowledge and skills are enjoying their moment in the limelight. Campbeltown Pupils Youth 2011s coach Lorne McArthur and Gigha stargazer Keith Wilson were recipients of honours at the fifth...
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Football festival fun
Fun as well as football was on the agenda at Campbeltown and District Juvenile Football Association’s annual festival last weekend. This photograph shows the 2019 age group enjoying some of the other entertainment. See pages 31 and 32 for more photos.
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CALL MADE TO TACKLE THE DRUGS ‘SCOURGE’ IN KINTYRE
Drug dealing is “destroying lives and neighbourhoods” across South Kintyre, a councillor claimed this week. Tommy Macpherson is calling for action to tackle the problem head-on, telling the Courier: “Drugs are prevalent and to the forefront throughout...
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PLANNING BREACH AT TORRISDALE BEACH CONFIRMED BY COUNCIL
It has been confirmed that a development which includes the installation of a parking meter at Torrisdale beach in East Kintyre has contravened the area’s planning regulations. Argyll and Bute Council launched an investigation after members of the...
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OUTRAGE AT ‘DESTRUCTION’ OF EAST KINTYRE BEAUTY SPOT
Investigations are under way to determine if changes to land at Torrisdale beach, including the installation of a parking meter and clearing of vegetation, have breached planning and environmental regulations. There has been widespread outrage at the...
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ENGAGEMENT CELEBRATIONS FOR FESTIVAL-LOVING PAIR
A couple who first met at Carradale Music Festival two years ago have celebrated their engagement at this year’s event. Lucy Campbell and Ali Sneddon partied with family and friends at the 2025 festival, held at the village hall last Friday and...
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THE PRIDE OF KINTYRE
Campbeltown was a centre of diversity and inclusion last Saturday as hundreds of people came together in solidarity with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community at the town’s first ever Pride parade. A...
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WEE TOON’S ‘WILLIE D’ IS CITIZEN OF THE YEAR
The man jointly responsible for Campbeltown Town Hall’s spectacular seasonal displays, which delight people of all ages year after year, has been named this year’s Rotary Club of Campbeltown Citizen of the Year. Willie Durnan, known to most as “Willie...
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Castlehill pupils prevail in Rotary quiz
Seven teams from four schools were put to the test in the Rotary Club of Campbeltown’s annual primary school quiz, with Castlehill pupils Findlay Wright, Calum Docherty, Kimberly Samuel and Sophie Millar taking home the trophy. The quiz champions are...
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NEW PHARMACY READY TO OPEN
The much-anticipated opening date for a new independent pharmacy in Campbeltown has been announced. The team behind Campbeltown Pharmacy has spent months transforming the former Kintyre Photography shop at 2 Mafeking Place into a “healthcare hub” that...
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STRANDED ISLANDERS TOUCHED BY CREEL FISHERS’ KINDNESS
When the Gigha ferry broke down this week, islanders feared they could be left stuck on the mainland until a group of kind-hearted fishermen stepped in to save the day. The MV Loch Ranza, the vessel which typically operates the Tayinloan-Gigha ferry...
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KINTYRE PROJECTS AWARDED £5.8M
Two Kintyre projects have been awarded a total of £5.8 million as part of a £70 million investment programme to deliver vital economic growth for Argyll and Bute. Signed on Monday, the 10-year Rural Growth Deal will see the Scottish and UK governments...
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KINTYRE COUNCILLOR TURNS DOWN 22% PAY RISE AMID 9.9% TAX HIKE
South Kintyre councillor Jennifer Kean is standing by her decision to turn down a 22 per cent pay rise, after councillors voted for a 9.9 per cent increase in council tax. Councillor Kean announced her intention to decline the “shameful” salary...
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KINTYRE DIALYSIS SERVICE TO RESUME
The wife of a patient currently having to travel from Southend to Glasgow three times a week for lifesaving treatment has spoken of her relief as the kidney dialysis service at Campbeltown Hospital looks set to resume next month. Moyra Paterson, whose...
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FISH FARMING GIANT BUYS SANDA ISLAND
Fishing farming giant Mowi has vowed to revitalise Sanda and transform its tourism potential through multi-million pound investment after buying the currently uninhabited island off Kintyre’s south coast. Once home to an award-winning pub, hotel and...
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ALARM AT PLAN TO REDUCE HOSPITAL BED NUMBERS
Fears that Campbeltown Hospital is heading towards being an A&E only unit are growing after staff were informed by email of a reduction of bed capacity in the acute ward by more than half. In an email dated January 29 2025, staff were informed by...
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COULD KINTYRE BE BETTER PREPARED FOR DISASTERS?
While there were many examples of altruism and acts of civic duty during Storm Eowyn to be celebrated, the event also highlighted that some Kintyre communities could be better prepared for such disasters. While some villages successfully implemented...
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KINTYRE RECOVERING FROM STORM EOWYN BATTERING
Trees were blown down, roofing was ripped from homes and caravans, and hundreds of properties were left without power for days as Kintyre was battered by a “once in a generation” storm. No part of the peninsula was left unscathed when Storm Eowyn hit...
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Meet Campbeltown Pupils’ ultra fans
Campbeltown Pupils AFC has long had a loyal band of supporters but among the loudest at the team’s most recent match were the “Campbeltown Pupils Ultras”. Brandishing banners, flags and drums, the “young team” cheered the Pupils players with passion...
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TRIBUTES PAID TO ‘ONE OF A KIND’ CAMPBELTOWN MAN
The heartbroken family and friends of a 25-year-old man who died in a car accident last week have described him as “one of a kind”. Tributes have been pouring in for Jamie Green who died following a crash on the B842 at Knocknaha, near Stewarton, on...
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HOSPITAL IN ‘CRISIS’ AMID STAFF SHORTAGES
With beds at capacity and some services currently suspended, Campbeltown Hospital has been described as being in a “crisis” due to staff shortages. But health chiefs say they remain dedicated to delivering the “highest standards of care and services”,...
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CAMPBELTOWN MAN NAMED ONE OF WORLD’S TOP YOUNG ADVENTURERS
A Campbeltown man aiming to visit every country on Earth has been named one of the world’s top adventurers. Conner McMurchy, aged 20, is one of the youngest people to make it onto OpenWorld magazine’s 2024 list of the ‘Top 30 Adventurers in the World...
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VISITOR LEVY CONSULTATION GO-AHEAD
After months of heated debate, campaigns, petitions and a demonstration, Argyll and Bute Council has voted to launch a three-month consultation on its proposed visitor levy, Writes Fiona Ross. The plans for a five per cent tax on overnight stays in...
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NEW TOWN PHARMACY RECEIVES GREEN LIGHT
An application to open a new independent Campbeltown pharmacy has received approval after overwhelming support from the community. A consultation, undertaken in conjunction with NHS Highland, about Zakpharma Ltd’s bid to open a community healthcare...
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Voice of an angel
Kintyre Young Voices youth choir delivered its take on the Christmas story during a glorious performance of Superstar at Campbeltown Parish Church on Friday December 6. A large audience battled the storms to watch the youngsters put their own special...
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Celebrating 50 fantastic years of Campbeltown Highland dancing school
The first photograph of the James McCorkindale School of Dancing to appear on the front page of the Courier was in May 1977, with many more in the years to follow. This week’s image is in honour of the school’s 50th anniversary. It shows James, back...
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KINTYRE FARMERS JOIN WESTMINSTER PROTESTS
Kintyre farmers fearing for the future of the agricultural industry travelled to Westminster last week to join one of the biggest rallies the UK capital has seen for years. Glenbarr beef and sheep farmer Duncan Macalister and Hannah Jones from High...
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CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY TO CAMPBELTOWN
Business bosses have brought some early festive cheer to Campbeltown after joining forces to fund new Christmas lights for the town. The Campbeltown Christmas Lights group was delighted earlier this week to take delivery of new lights to replace those...
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Campbeltown tots enjoy a happy Hallowe’en!
Freya Newlands, eight months, Lewis Nicholson, almost one, Lily MacSporran, nearly six months, and Oliver McNaughton, nearly nine months, were among the babies born in the last year who got into the Hallowe’en spirit at a town hall party last...
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Mòd finale for Campbeltown conductor Kenneth
After 41 years as conductor of the famous Ceòlraidh Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu (Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association), Campbeltown’s Kenneth Thomson BEM has led the choir for the final time at the Royal National Mòd. He was recognised for his outstanding...
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PARENTS PLEA OVER SAFE SPACE
Parents living on a Campbeltown street are pleading for an area of overgrown grass, weeds and briars behind their homes to be cut so their children can play there safely. Pet-owners in Calton Avenue have also joined the calls for the “neglected”...
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KINTYRE KINDNESS TO GAZA REFUGEES
Three women brought a taste of Kintyre kindness and compassion to Palestinian families who have sought refuge in Cairo after fleeing the war in Gaza. Ailsa Clark, founder and development manager of Campbeltownbased charity Inspiralba, her 16-year-old...
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KINTYRE COMMUNITY URGED TO PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED
“Expect the unexpected – and plan for it!” That’s what organisers of a planned Campbeltown “Resilience Day” are urging the community to do. Taking place at Campbeltown Town Hall tomorrow (Saturday) from 10am to 3pm, the event will bring together a...
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WE STAND BY UKRAINE ACHA DENIES ‘BULLYING’ CLAIM OVER TENANT FEEDING SEA BIRDS
A Campbeltown woman claims she has suffered “bullying, intimidation and discrimination” at the hands of Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) staff over allegations she was purposefully feeding gulls. But the housing association’s chief...
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UKRAINE DESERVES PEACE INSIDE: TARBERT MUSIC FESTIVAL – SEE PAGES 18-19 SHOPPER-AIDE AT BREAKING POINT
Shopper-Aide’s board of directors has organised a number of crisis meetings and is pleading with the community to help as the charity that supports hundreds of older people across Kintyre reaches breaking point. Founder and director Susan Paterson...
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Yachters rescued in 10-hour op
Campbeltown lifeboat’s volunteer crew battled for more than 10 hours in adverse weather conditions to rescue two yachters who were in difficulty off the Mull of Kintyre last week. The couple, who were with their two dogs, raised the alarm at 1.30am on...
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