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Machrihanish is a village in Argyll /
Scotland, on the Kintyre Peninsula, 5
miles west of Campbeltown, 145 miles
southwest of Glasgow by road, 39 miles
by Ferry and
road from Ardrossan.
The Kintyre Express
small fast boat is based at Campbeltown
for Golf and Whisky Tours around
Ayrshire, Campbeltown, Machrihanish and
the north coast of Ireland.
Machrihanish is popular for its 2 top
class Links Golf Courses, long sandy
Beach, and Holiday Park with Touring and
Camping pitches.
For Images on Mobile swipe right
Click on Map for Area
Attractions
The image top right is looking down
Machrihanish main street towards the Golf
Club and Beach.
The second image is of the Machrihanish Golf
Club left and Ugadale
Hotel to the right.
The Golf Club was founded in 1876,
with the Hotel built in 1898, and new
Golf Club building in 2021, standard
price about £160 per round summer of
2026, 30% discount available for members
of Clubs.
Machrihanish
Dunes Golf Club is next to the
Machrihanish Golf Club, but is an 8 mile
drive round to it passing Campbeltown
Airport, price about £125 round in
summer 2025, founded in 2009 with the two
clubs here ran by the same
organisation.
The Old
Clubhouse is next to the Ugadale
Hotel in Machrihanish, now used as a Bar
and Restaurant.
The vast Beach runs from Machrihanish
north past Machrihanish Dunes, then onto
Westport Beach where surfing is
real popular, about 4 miles long.
There is no land between Machrihanish
and Canada.
Machrihanish
Holiday Park is just under 1 mile
east of Machrihanish for Caravan
Holidays, also with Touring and Camping
Pitches.
Campbeltown Airport is 5 miles
northeast of Machrihanish by road, mainly
for small aircraft, with a regular
service by Loganair to Glasgow.
Campbeltown
Airport was built from 1918 as a
military base under the name RAF
Machrihanish, with the longest runway in
Scotland at 3,049m, later being a joint
air base with the US. Concorde flew in
and out of here a few times, either
during tests or due to diversions.
The Airport was used to protect the
area as this is where the Nuclear
Submarines would travel in and out of for
the Submarine bases by Dunoon, with the Polaris Subs
entering service from 1969, then Trident
Subs from 1994.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in
1991, the US forces departed Machrihanish
in 1995, UK forces followed in 1996, then
the abandoned Airport became the
Campbeltown Airport in 2012.
Machrihanish History
1500s - Machrihanish evolved around a
small coal mine, also by using the coal
to produce salt from seawater.
1785 - a Canal was built between
Machrihanish and Campbeltown to transport
the Coal.
1875 - a Narrow Gauge Railway was
built between Machrihanish and
Campbeltown to transport the coal to
steamers at Campbeltown Harbour.
1876 - Machrihanish Golf Club was
founded.
1900 - Campbeltown had become a
popular holiday destination with many
Passenger Steamers visiting, with the
many Whisky Distilleries in Campbeltown a
top attraction.
1906 - Passenger Trains also began
running between Machrihanish and
Campbeltown for the Golf and Beach.
1932 - the Machrihanish to Campbeltown
Railway closed.
1967 - Coal production in the area
stopped.
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