Southend & Dunaverty Bay, Kintyre


		Steep and dangerous cliffs of Southend.
	St Columba's Chapel & Grave
Above the medieval chapel at Southend, on a rocky outcrop, two footprints are carved in the rock. One of them is known to have been carved by a local stonemason in 1856, but the other (nearest Ireland) is ancient and perhaps was used in the inauguration of kings, who would promise to follow in the footsteps of their ancestors. St Columba sailed to Iona in 563AD and landed in Kintyre at that time to pay his respects to the ruler of Dalriada. (extract from The Kintyre Trail Leaflet)
	Seals bask on the rocks around Southend on a regular basis, they are very close to the road and easily spotted. Various birds of prey, as well as seabirds can be spotted in the area. We spotted a curlew, but as the light was fading fast he didn't show up very well on the photographs against the rocks, obviously well camouflaged, we did manage to get a snap of one of the seals, a lighter coloured one. Keil Hotel has been bought and plans are going ahead to save it from decay and restore it to its former glory.
Dunaverty Castle was the scene of a dreadful massacre in 1647, when the remnants of the MacDonald's Army (after a long siege) were murdered, all 300 of them. On a happier note, the bay marks the end of the Kintyre Way. An interpretation panel at the end of the walk informs you about the history of the area. Southend has a village store with a restaurant and take away, also a bus stop for walkers wanting to get back to Campbeltown.