CRAIGARD HOUSE HOTEL
and Lochside Restaurant
ANNUAL EVENTS IN CAMPBELTOWN
Whisky is a tourism phenomenon! Guests come from all over the world to taste and try the ‘uisge beatha’ - water of life - at its ancient source. The Campbeltown Malts Festival has grown by leaps and bounds and now promises a week long extravaganza. This year's Malts Festival runs from 24 - 26 May.
Even the new Gin kids have joined the party, with Beinn an Tuirc Distillery, local producers of Kintyre Gin, hosting an open day and tasting. The Festival encompasses all three Malt Distilleries in the town: Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia, all of whom have their own separate open day, with tastings, classes, and special bottlings. At each open day stalls selling local produce, textiles, crafts, food and baking offer an enjoyable and colourful sideline. There is music and a ceilidh in the evening, along with the special dinners.
Craigard participates by offering a special whisky-themed menu from Wednesday to Saturday, with the Wednesday including a representative from Springbank who provides a tasting of the special bottlings, with a draw to win one of the bottles. Throughout the year we offer around 33 local expressions of Springbank, Hazelburn, Longrow, Kilkerran and Glen Scotia, mostly limited editions!
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We look forward to seeing you!
The inaugural Festival of Scottish Gin was held in 2018, and continued in 2019. Gin is huge at the moment, even a small hotel like ours has 15 gins on offer!
Beinn an Tuirc, local sustainable distillers of Kintyre Gin, invited a number of Scottish gin producers to participate and a merry couple of days of tasting was had by all, along with a special dinner!
At this stage it is not certain about Gintyre 2023 - watch this space!
taste of kintyre street food festival
An opportunity to taste some of the wonderful foods available in Kintyre. Fish, Shellfish, Cheese, Lamb, Beef, Pork, Preserves, Chutneys, Bread, Cakes, Vegetables and Fruit. Undoubtedly to be washed down with some of the liquid gold the town is famous for!
The whole of Campbeltown is enthusiastic about the Music Festival, this year the date changes to 9-13 August, so as not to clash with the World Pipe Band Championships.
In recent years, headliners have included the The Fratellis, The Stranglers, The Bootleg Beatles, The View, The Karen Matheson Band and The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, The Time Frequency and Ali McBain and Phil Cunningham.
The weekend has something for everyone – including a Young Folk Night; Friday Night Festival Concert and Ceilidh; and two Saturday night Concerts. On Sunday there are also two concerts, The Dalriada Connections Concert and the Survivors Night do! There are also Music Workshops for those who aspire to improve; afternoon concerts of traditional Scottish and Irish Music, Open Mic sessions for all comers; a parade and face painting on the Saturday and much more.
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the kintyre songwriters festival
This Festival has grown exponentially, and held its tenth anniversary in May 2018 . Embracing some of the local hostelries in Campbeltown, with main concerts in the Town Hall, there is ample opportunity to enjoy the music. Focusing on local musicians and songwriters, but welcoming guests from far afield, the Festival embraces a diversity of genre from punk, through traditional, to opera!
Other music extravaganzas include Carradale (April) and Gigha Music Festivals (June), and Midfest also in June. The 14th annual festival will be held in Campbeltown on the second weekend in June, from June 9 to 11.
mull of kintyre run -
mok run half marathon and 10k
Runners World publishes their Ultimate Race Guide and the Mull of Kintyre Half Marathon has been voted #1 in the UK, several times!
MOKRun 10K and Half Marathon is usually held annually in May during the Spring Bank Holiday Weekend. The races are on the Sunday with the Children’s race on the Saturday. For info please visit www.mokrun.com. The 10K race is mainly very flat and is held around Campbeltown Loch, while the half marathon goes farther afield, taking in part of Machrihanish Dunes Golf Course and a kilometre of the sandy Westport Beach – home to the rolling Atlantic surf. In 2006, around 300 people from all over the UK participated, in 2007 the field increased to 500, in 2008 - due to public demand – numbers grew again. In 2009 it was 550, 2010 it was 600, 2011 it was 650 places, 2012 it was 750, in 2013 it was 800, and in 2014 it was open to 900 places, which were fully booked within a couple of weeks!!
Those runners who have stayed here at Craigard have nothing but compliments for the organisation and stewarding of the race, and the beauty of the course. They also like the porridge and pasta here at Craigard!! But I would counsel you to book your accommodation well in
advance, as rooms go like – Usain Bolt!
There are opportunities to run for charity, and other convivial events take place over the weekend, such as a pasta party, a Ceilidh, and a Carnival atmosphere at the finish line, with face painting and all manner of goodies, including beautifully hand-crafted medals, made by Campbeltown Pottery.
One runner's favoured memory was the lone piper at the head of the beach!
kintyre way ultra
For hardcore athletes, there is the Kintyre Way Ultra event, which can be run or cycled, as an individual or part of a team relay.
There is also the Carradale Canter, and the Gigha Challenge.
mach 1 stages car rally at machrihanish airbase
This annual event, now in its fifth year, now firmly established as part of the Scottish Tarmack Rally Championship. It was a sell-out last year and looks to be the same again. It is held in mid July and is run by Dunfermline Car Club.
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Dates now confirmed, the weekend of 8/9 July 2023
Air Show - sadly not annual!!
The last Air Show was held in July 2006 and included the RAF Falcons, the Red Bull Matadors, a number of WWII aircraft, an aerobatics team - The Utterly Butterlies (yes they really are ladies strapped to the top of those bi-planes!!!) - paintballing and an extreme motorcyclist! Both Campbeltown Brass Band and the Pipe Band participated in the event. This varied show draws enthusiasts from all over Britain and farther afield...see
www.mullofkintyreairshow.co.uk
