Was Paul McCartney being upfront about the Mull of Kintyre?
We know the song, but do we know the place? Was Paul McCartney being entirely upfront about its precise location, or did he apply a touch of artistic licence?
If you know Kintyre then you’ll know that it’s famous mull, or headland, is a remote location at the southern tip of this westerly peninsular situated only twelve miles from the Antrim coast. In fact, it is nearer to Ireland than mainland Scotland. It has a lighthouse and a couple of holiday cottages and can be reached by a single tracked lane snaking its way down the sea cliffs. It is a beautiful spot, and worth the trip if you are in the area, but don’t expect to find any of the locations featured in the pop video by Wings. For those you’ll have to head to the other side of Kintyre to the tiny hamlet of Saddell situated on the shore of Kilbrannan sound.
Even if you’re not a fan of Paul McCartney and Wings, Saddell is still worthy of a visit and you won’t be the first to appreciate its special qualities. Norse longboats landed in this sheltered sandy bay a thousand summers ago. Saddell, or sandy dale, is rooted in the Norse language of the Vikings who first laid claim to these western fringes of Scotland.
Just up the path from the car park, close by the Allt nam Manach spring waters, are the fragmentary ruins of a Cistercian abbey said to have been founded in 1148 by the Hebridean warrior Somerled who defeated the Norsemen in battle and first established the Lordship of the Isles.
The grave slabs of medieval knights have been salvaged from the abbey cemetery and placed on display in a new glass-sided exhibition building. Two of these near life-size carved effigies depict Neil McNair and his son Donald dressed as knights in tunics and wearing gauntlets. They have a firm grip on their scabbards as if preparing to draw the swords sheathed within.
Another slab depicts a bìrlinn, or long ship, its oars and sails at the ready, emphasizing the control these sons of Somerled held over the Hebridean seas. The fearsome warriors are long gone now but their descendants still farm the land in nearby Saddell Glen.
Take a stroll down a tree-lined avenue which makes a beeline for Saddell Castle built near the beach on the orders of King James IV in the early sixteenth century. You might recognise it.
Look out for ‘GRIP’, a metallic sculpture in human form, standing sentinel and exposed to the full force of the waves. GRIP was created by Antony Gormley and positioned near the castle at the southern end of Saddell Bay in 2015 to gaze out across Kilbrannan Sound towards Arran.
But what about the location for the famous number one hit I hear you ask? Fear not, music fans will recognise the castle and also the tiny cottage at the other end of the beach which featured in the iconic video for the song ‘Mull of Kintyre’ by Paul McCartney and Wings filmed here in 1977.
However, you won’t find the image from the record sleeve. That was taken at Davaar Island near Campbeltown from where the piped band, who featured in the video and the sound track, also hail. Davaar is nowhere near the actual Mull of Kintyre but it looks the part don’t you think?
All photos © Robin Redfern 2023
