Machrihanish
Machrihanish (Scottish Gaelic: Machaire Shanais, pronounced [maxəɾʲə hanɪʃ]) is a village in Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. It is a short distance north of the tip of the Mull of Kintyre, which faces out towards Ireland and the Atlantic. Machrihanish has a classic links golf course designed by Old Tom Morris, with views towards the islands of Gigha, Islay and Jura. A second, newer course has been built nearby called Machrihanish Dunes. This course is part of a multimillion-pound development by an American company, which has renovated the previously-dilapidated Ugadale Hotel in the village and owns the Royal Hotel on the sea front in nearby Campbeltown.
The main sandy beach runs 3 miles north to Westport, providing opportunities for surfing. Basic accommodation is available for surfing groups in the Machrihanish village hall. There are static caravans, wooden wigwams and camping spaces at the Machrihanish Holiday Park. The Kintyre Way long distance footpath passes through the village from Campbeltown and carries on south towards the Scottish Wildlife Trust's Largiebaan Reserve.
Campbeltown Airport, formerly RAF Machrihanish, is located near the village. Although still available to the Royal Air Force, the former airfield has been taken over by the specially-formed Machrihanish Airbase Community Company.
Coal was mined near the village; the Machrihanish Coalfield was one of Britain's smallest coalfields.
The views and skies seen from the beach and Lossit Point to the west were a subject for the Scottish marine and landscape painter William McTaggart, who had a house in the village.
Reginald Aubrey Fessenden built a radio transmitting station with a 400-foot (120 m) high mast here in 1905 to transmit Wireless Telegraphy to a similar station at Brant Rock in Massachusetts, USA. An exchange of messages took place on 1 January 1906 but the mast blew down in a gale on 5 December 1906 and was never rebuilt.
Cadets from the Air Training Corps recreated this historic trans-atlantic transmission in Easter of 2006. Edinburgh and South Scotland Wing, who were on camp at the nearby airfield, contacted the Civil Air Patrol cadets in Brant Rock on 14 April 2006. Air Cadets website
Machrihanish railway station opened in 1906 and finally closed in 1932.
Weather data is collected from Machrihanish and broadcast in the Shipping Forecast.
See also
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Machrihanish. |
- Machrihanish website
- Map sources for Machrihanish
Coordinates: 55°25′23″N 5°44′14″W / 55.42301°N 5.73735°W