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About Kilmartin

Kilmartin is situated about 8 miles north of Lochgilphead and 30 miles south of Oban, on the A816 in Mid-Argyll. It is a small village, set among gentle hills, with the sea (and great views to the islands) just over the hillside to the west.

The Kilmartin Valley is an area of enormous archaeological significance. There are more than 350 ancient monuments within a 6-mile radius of Kilmartin, and 150 of those are prehistoric, including standing stones, cairns and chambered tombs, some of the relics dating back 5000 years.

I am grateful to Marietta Langer for her photos of some of the historical sites in the valley. She is one of countless thousands who find an atmosphere and feeling in the Kilmartin Valley which seems rooted deep in the past.

Part of the beauty and appeal of the Kilmartin area is its integrity as a Highland community, as it has not attracted such an influx of tourists as many other areas. The whole area is a straightforward working community, with genuine people, who inherited this land from their ancestors.

In the summer months (particularly from May to September) it certainly does draw plenty of people (but not in overwhelming numbers). In contrast, over the late autumn and winter months, the community reverts to its normal life, rooted in the rhythm of the seasons and the community life.

The Kilmartin Valley, part of the ancient Kingdom of Dalriada, has a quiet and undisturbed beauty, and it is hard not to feel drawn into the history of this peaceful place, and the past which seems to constantly nudge up against the present.

The village has a hotel, a restaurant, a visitor centre, a church, and a well-stocked village shop and post office, which is open 7 days a week.

To get to Kilmartin

The journey from Glasgow is about 100 miles. Take the A82 from Glasgow to Tarbert on Loch Lomond. Then take the A83 via Inveraray to Lochgilphead. Then head north on the A816 towards Oban, and after eight miles you arrive at Kilmartin.

Around the Kilmartin area

Kilmartin is set in an idyllic rural location. To the north, the freshwater Loch Awe is only a few miles away. There is also the sea at Loch Craignish, and indeed Kilmartin is only separated from the sea by a small line of hills.

Heading south from Kilmartin, the valley is lined with ancient remains. This is Malcolm territory and the Chief of Clan Malcolm still lives at Duntrune Castle, to the south, on the shores of Loch Crinan.

At the entrance to the valley, with the sea and the western isles at its back, is the ancient fort of Dunadd - traditionally the crowning place of the rulers of Dalriada.

By Dunadd is the natural moorland estuary of the River Add, known as The Moine Mhor. Its 1200 acres are unusual and wild, and it became a National Nature Reserve in 1987. The "Great Moss" began to form over 5000 years ago and once covered a vast area. Moine Mhor has a living surface of peatland teeming with a variety of plants and animals all adapted to its waterlogged and acid state.

The nearest larger town (though its quite small and sleepy) is Lochgilphead, which lies 8 miles to the south of Kilmartin.