DOCSLIB.ORG

Stimulating Social Enterprise in Argyll and Bute

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Stimulating Social Enterprise in Argyll and Bute W Stimulating social enterprise in Argyll and Bute In 2014, Firstport delivered Beyond the Vital Spark was delivered in partnership Finish Line, supporting young people with InspirAlba, funded by Highlands and Start-up from the East End of Glasgow to develop Islands Enterprise, supported by Calmac their social enterprise ideas, regenerate Ferries, Scottish Government and the local high streets and create a social and Kilfinan Trust, with grant funding provided social enterprises economic legacy from the Glasgow 2014 to participants by UnLtd. Commonwealth Games. help our towns, villages Evaluation of the programme found that enterprises developed in a local community, This publication with a supportive structure, had more and cities to be great places potential for sustained growth and impact. celebrates the This informed Firstport’s decision to deliver achievements of the to work, live, learn Vital Spark in Argyll & Bute, an area with outstanding natural and cultural assets and Vital Spark participants vibrant community spirit, but also facing and provides learning and create. tough challenges, including social and geographical isolation, youth migration and FIRSTPORT STRATEGIC AIM 2 points to inform future an ageing population. initiatives within Argyll & Bute and throughout Scotland. Gordon Allen set up Wee Toon Environmental Solutions after being Being involved in Vital Spark has been A programme that encourages made redundant from Argyll and Bute Council’s Employability team challenging and exciting. I have been businesses to grow and be self-sufficient to fill the gap in local service provision. He soon secured a council able to take the business idea forward, I am is massively important for Argyll & Bute. I am contract to provide garden maintenance, landscaping, joinery work, much further on than I thought I would be and proud Calmac has supported Vital Spark from customised shed design and build. His enterprise has provided have learned loads. the outset, its success has been astounding. employment and training for people facing barriers to work: improving BRIAN FULTON, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND their confidence, communication, social and life skills. Vital Spark Cover: Gordon Allen, Wee Toon Environmental STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, CALMAC FERRIES LTD provided support in business planning, bookkeeping and fundraising. Solutions Funding from UnLtd and Firstport has enabled Gordon to secure premises and buy a van. He now plans to grow his social enterprise and provide more jobs and services to his local community. The Highlands and Islands is recognised as a region where communities take responsibility for shaping their future, where social enterprise as a sector is innovative, strong and growing. HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENTERPRISE Vital Spark is an initiative based in Argyll and Vital Spark allowed us to deliver support Bute, delivered by Firstport in partnership in a rural setting, stimulating greater with InspirAlba. Vital Spark supported local awareness of social enterprise, encouraging ideas people in and around Dunoon, Rothesay and supporting individuals to take them forward and Campbeltown to develop ideas into and creating social and environmental benefits for enterprises and provide practical solutions to the communities involved. Working with Firstport social and economic issues unique to each area. and Unltd also brought a wider perspective and a broader scope of support. In 2015 we engaged with local people from the AILSA CLARK, INSPIRALBA Vital Spark areas, captured their views on the challenges their communities face and invited them to come up with enterprising solutions to Vital Spark was a new and novel way to those challenges. Over the past three years we stimulate entrepreneurship and innovation have stimulated and supported the best ideas in our rural communities, creating employment with 18 viable early stage social enterprises now opportunities by using business models to creating change and making a tangible difference address social issues. to their local communities. Many participants ANNE MACDONALD, HEAD OF POLICY AND were at a pre-start stage initially – they didn’t STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES, HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS ENTERPRISE know they had a business idea and wouldn’t have taken steps to access support on their own. InspirAlba played a key role in the development and delivery of Vital Spark. Their local research and needs analysis identified a lack of awareness Vital Spark did of potential opportunities through social enterprise. They provided tailored business what it said on the tin, support to participants across the three areas as well as their unique understanding and it sparked me to knowledge that informed ongoing programme evaluation and development. move forward. DAVID FEE, HOMESONG Lighting the Spark Vital Spark set up incubator spaces in each community which were used for drop in, learning, meeting, making and experimentation. These hubs enabled participants OUR LEARNING: to test their ideas, showcase their • Place-based programmes require • Incubator spaces are an important Keeping It Local Campbeltown products and services, and build rigorous ‘intelligence gathering’ and resource. Having a physical space Jason McCallum has first hand experience Jason received an UnLtd Start Up award collaborative relationships. They planning in partnership with local visible to the local community can of the difficulties traders face when trying and has now progressed further through provided a physical location where providers and local people help participants to see themselves to promote and grow their businesses. He is Firstport funding to offer additional spaces they could go to work on their • Programme objectives must align as social entrepreneurs and also aware that local people struggle to find including a workshop area for product testing enterprise, engage with Vital Spark with each partner’s vision and legitimise their ideas reliable quality trade services. This spurred and delivery. Jason’s service will extend to staff and unlock their potential as purpose and contribute to local and • These benefits could be delivered him on to open Keep It Local Campbeltown, a negotiation of fair leases for local start-ups social entrepreneurs. national priorities more cost effectively by sharing one stop shop for businesses and customers, when they are ready to commit to their own • We found a ‘multi-layered delivery with other complementary local enabling local start-ups to test the market premises. Over the next five years Jason Complementing this model and approach’ captured both national initiatives to maximise usage and without the financial and logistical would like to replicate his enterprise in other Firstport and InspirAlba’s support, and local resources, perspectives, connect developing enterprises with constraints of finding their own premises. His rural towns. funding from Unltd provided the knowledge and experience the wider community enterprise offers people from around Kintyre Without the Vital Spark programme final crucial component, enabling • This resulted in new resources being • Seed funding needs to be support to hot-desk and advertise their Keeping It Local would never be in the the Vital Spark participants to set leveraged to meet local needs in sympathetic to the early stage business on screens and on line. position it is in today - hopefully it will be a great sail on their journey. Argyll and Bute nature of participants’ ideas and community asset. • This approach reaches people flexible enough to respond to who may not see themselves as inevitable changes in funding having a business idea, stimulates requirements social enterprise activity in local Takeaway Creative communities and helps build local Takeway Creative is a portable hobby Vital Spark helped me with networks and national connections service offering innovative activities in and ideas to bring my idea to market in a • InspirAlba’s local knowledge was private homes and care homes. The idea good way, supported by a team of approachable invaluable in the development, came from founder Fiona Page’s personal and friendly folk. design and delivery of the experience as a carer unable to find quality programme while UnLtd provided home-based activities for her housebound grant funding to test very early mum. Takeaway Creative fills this gap and stage ideas reduces isolation and loneliness. Fiona • This partnership approach employs expert practitioners with strong developed early stage ideas into social skills to communicate with a diverse social enterprises, creating a pipeline customer base including carers, busy of previously untapped talent, which parents, people with long-term health in turn informed UnLtd’s decision conditions and the elderly. to deliver Resilient Communities in Argyll & Bute The Journey Vital Spark stimulated interest in In response to these challenges, InspirAlba coordinated three Firstport provided opportunities for participants to go on ‘learning social enterprise to address local Argyll wide social enterprise events, giving Vital Spark participants journeys’ using our Scotland wide network of social enterprises. issues and allowed participants the opportunity to build connections with a broad, well established This enabled them to connect with, meet and learn from other social to fulfil ambitions they previously network of social enterprises across the area. They also entrepreneurs and jointly share knowledge and experiences. A 34 ideas considered unachievable. Developing provided links to
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Big Kipper Presenter
    THE BIG KIPPER THE BIG KIPPER HE BIG The ripper of kippers. Scottish herring, heartily smoked for T a powerful Kintyre flavor. THE RIPPER OF KIPPERS, The ‘ripper of all kippers’, it’s conventionally called, SCOTTISH HERRING, HEARTILY SMOKED FOR A POWERFUL KINTYRE FLAVOUR The walrus and the carpenter, they were far from appalled, Smoked to perfection in the blazing kilns of The Kintyre Smokehouse ‘What’s all this fuss about?’, said the walrus merrily K R ‘This ain’t no little oyster’, said the carpenter with glee. IPP E The walrus smiled and answered ‘No, it’s really quite the herring!’ The carpenter exclaimed ‘On the contrary my friend…it’s the perfect food for sharing!’ Direct from the Mull of Kintyre – The Big Kipper is produced with pride in our Campbeltown smokehouse. Why not relax, loosen your belt buckles, and indulge in some of the finest smoked seafood known to man. Perfect with a dram, glass of wine or a nice little craft beer. Check out our website, www.kintyresmokehouse.com for some inspirational suggestions on food and drink pairings. BACKGROUND TO THE BRAND & COMPANY The Kintyre Smokehouse was born from one man’s absolute passion for producing fine smoked Scottish seafood and cheese. Founder, Archie Macmillan of Macmillan Foods, magically turned what was once an old dilapidated kipper house, into something really quite extraordinary. Archie’s uncanny flair for dreaming up beautiful unique recipes and turning them into wonderful creations could be mistaken by many as some form of gastronomic alchemy. Married with his high degree of technical and engineering expertise, the quality and succulent taste of the product range are a clear result of Archie’s 50 plus years of experience and absolute dedication to the Scottish seafood industry.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Scotch Whisky
    ©2019 scotch whisky association DISCOVER THE WORLD OF SCOTCH WHISKY Many countries produce whisky, but Scotch Whisky can only be made in Scotland and by definition must be distilled and matured in Scotland for a minimum of 3 years. Scotch Whisky has been made for more than 500 years and uses just a few natural raw materials - water, cereals and yeast. Scotland is home to over 130 malt and grain distilleries, making it the greatest MAP OF concentration of whisky producers in the world. Many of the Scotch Whisky distilleries featured on this map bottle some of their production for sale as Single Malt (i.e. the product of one distillery) or Single Grain Whisky. HIGHLAND MALT The Highland region is geographically the largest Scotch Whisky SCOTCH producing region. The rugged landscape, changeable climate and, in The majority of Scotch Whisky is consumed as Blended Scotch Whisky. This means as some cases, coastal locations are reflected in the character of its many as 60 of the different Single Malt and Single Grain Whiskies are blended whiskies, which embrace wide variations. As a group, Highland whiskies are rounded, robust and dry in character together, ensuring that the individual Scotch Whiskies harmonise with one another with a hint of smokiness/peatiness. Those near the sea carry a salty WHISKY and the quality and flavour of each individual blend remains consistent down the tang; in the far north the whiskies are notably heathery and slightly spicy in character; while in the more sheltered east and middle of the DISTILLERIES years. region, the whiskies have a more fruity character.
    [Show full text]
  • Emigrants on the Edinburgh, 1771
    GENEALOGY Record Office Archivist, Hugh Hagan. Hagan recognized that "St. Johns" was Emigrants on the Edinburgh, 1771 actually Prince Edward Island, and that a passenger list from Kintyre for A New Passenger List for Prince Edward Island 1771 was of great potential signifi- cance. Indeed, the passenger list pro- vides important evidence of a well known, but poorly documented, emi- ur knowledge of our history in for good, old-fashioned hard work, on gration to Malpeque, Prince Edward O Prince Edward Island is due to occasion, good fortune plays an impor- Island from Scotland. Moreover, it the collective and cumulative efforts of tant role in the process. Last summer, sheds some very useful light on our a great may people over a great many just such a stroke of good luck sup- early settlement history. years. Disparate sources — family tra- plied us with another piece of our his- ditions, oral history, archival docu- torical puzzle: important new evidence ments, community histories — are on the story of the early Argyll settlers The Emigration of 1771 woven together to form a cohesive pat- in Malpeque. tern from which we attempt to better The new evidence came to light The story of the Stewart-sponsored understand our past, and, ultimately, when a gentleman carrying out settlement of Kintyre families at ourselves. While there is no substitute research in the Scottish Record Office Malpeque has been told in many in Edinburgh stumbled across two pre- places, most recently in the last issue viously unknown passenger lists: one of this magazine.* It remains here only for North Carolina and the other for to see what the passenger list can add By Michael Kennedy "St.
    [Show full text]
  • Scotch Whisky Connoisseur an EPIC JOURNEY to DISCOVER the BEST WHISKY in SCOTLAND
    Scotch Whisky Connoisseur AN EPIC JOURNEY TO DISCOVER THE BEST WHISKY IN SCOTLAND AN EPICUREAN SOJOURN ENJOY THE MOST RARE AND UNIQUE SINGLE MALTS TRAVEL FROM EDINBURGH TO SPEYSIDE, THE HIGHLANDS, THE ISLANDS, AND CAMPBELTOWN ON THIS EXPEDITION TO DISCOVER SOME OF THE MOST RARE AND UNIQUE EXPRESSIONS OF SINGLE MALT AVAILABLE TODAY TOUR DETAILS AT A GLANCE 2017 DEPARTURES March 21—29, 2017 October 31—November 8, 2017 PRICE $6,999/person (double occupancy) $7,799/person (single occupancy) TOUR BEGINS Edinburgh, Scotland Experience insider access and warehouse tastings © Hector Tamez Photography TOUR CONCLUDES Edinburgh, Scotland Scotch Whisky Connoisseur OPTIONAL AIR PACKAGE AN EPIC JOURNEY TO DISCOVER THE BEST WHISKY IN SCOTLAND From $1,095/person* *See back page for details Most Scotch Whisky lovers agree that just a sip can evoke an entire sen- TO REGISTER sory experience: visions of craggy moors and rolling hills interrupted only Call us at 1-800-419-3443 or by an endless sky; the smell of peat bogs and handcrafted casks; a cool, Use the online registration form crisp, windswept landscape. Indeed, many people admit to beginning a life- long romance with Scotch from their very first taste. And that’s exactly what sets this prized spirit apart from others and often stirs such passion in CLICK HERE TO those who partake. REGISTER ONLINE But true whisky aficionados also know that some of the very best whis- kies—those rare, single-cask, and well-aged expressions—can only be found close to their source. In fact, many distilleries frequently offer hand- fill opportunities from some of their most prized casks, but one must visit in order to take them up on the offer.
    [Show full text]
  • Big Welcome at Campbeltown for New Ardrossan Ferry | for Argyll
    Home News In Depth Arts & Culture Business Community Environment & Wildlife Events Politics Sports Big welcome at Campbeltown for new Ardrossan ferry Posted on May 24, 2013 by newsroom Trips to Dublin Ireland www.ExploringIreland.net Explore Dublin - Your Way! Custom Built Itineraries For Search You. Events Calendar May 2013 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 There she was, driving past Davaar Island, guardian to the lovely Campbeltown Loch – looking brightly 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 spick, as she forging purposefully on for the ‘wee toon’. 27 28 29 30 31 «Apr Jun» Submit Your News The ForArgyll Archive If you cannot find what you are looking for on this site, please go to our archive here. Most Commented Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again (55) Radically new council group changes all the dynamics: party politics dead in Argyll (53) New SNP group leader unable to keep the sheep in the pen (31) Party politics on the way back as more confusion reigns in Argyll and Bute Council (30) Minutes of today’s meeting of ‘Concerned Councillors’ Group (26) Update on SNP meeting (25) On her inaugural run last night, she gave Campbeltown a whole series of hoots on her way in – and the Argyll and Bute Council: Where pipes of the Kintyre Schools Pipe Band responded across the water. are we now? (19) SNP tightens party grip on local Berthed in the busy harbour, Davaar kept a watchful eye on her antics – from a safe distance.
    [Show full text]
  • Campbeltown to Ardrossan Pilot Ferry Service March 2016 Campbeltown to Ardrossan Ferry Pilot TRANSPORT SCOTLAND
    transport.gov.scot Monitoring & Evaluation Report Campbeltown to Ardrossan Pilot Ferry Service March 2016 Campbeltown to Ardrossan ferry pilot TRANSPORT SCOTLAND Table of Contents Table of Contents.. ......................................................................................................................2 1 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................5 1.1. Background.................................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Key findings ................................................................................................................... 5 1.2.1. Patronage ............................................................................................................... 5 1.2.2. Objective: Boosting the Campbeltown economy ..................................................... 6 1.2.3. Objective: Transport choices and links .................................................................... 6 1.2.4. Objective: Tourism .................................................................................................. 7 1.3. STAG assessment criteria ............................................................................................. 7 1.3.1. Economy ................................................................................................................. 7 1.3.2. Environment ..........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Campbeltown Conservation Area Appraisal Final Draft a 12 January
    Campbeltown Conservation Area Appraisal 4.00 ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Introduction Campbeltown is a relatively small town but is well known within Scotland both through popular culture and because of its unique, remote setting at the end of the very long Kintyre peninsula. However, its history is not well known but, when understood, helps explain the unique historical and natural setting of the town and underpins its significance at local, regional and national levels. Setting – natural landscape Campbeltown is located at the head of a sheltered natural harbour close to the major headland of the Mull of Kintyre. From the earliest days of seafaring the harbour has provided a secure haven for ships travelling up and down the west coast of Scotland and for those making a rounding of the Mull of Kintyre either outbound from or inbound to the various Firth of Clyde Ports. It is of note that, in heading out from the Firth of Clyde, Campbeltown provides the last safe anchorage before a relatively long passage to the next nearest haven at Gigha or beyond. While less important for modern shipping this factor is important for the many leisure and fishing craft that make the passage. The Kintyre peninsula comprises a long range of moderately low hills, generally sparsely populated upland landscape and extensive forest, with cultivated agricultural land along some of the coastal strips or in sheltered glens. It terminates with the higher ground of the Mull of Kintyre itself which, around the south west end of the peninsula forms some dramatic sea cliffs and crags. Between these two elements the landform (and Geology) accentuates the difference because between them the ground is relatively flat right across the peninsula from Macrihanish to Campbeltown – Campbeltown loch itself representing an element of this feature.
    [Show full text]
  • Calmac Ferries Ltd Timetable Feedback Summer 2017
    CalMac Ferries Ltd Timetable Feedback Summer 2017 First Name: Graeme Surname: Forrester Organisation: Campbeltown Ferry Committee E-Mail Address: [email protected] Designation: Clerk Telephone No: 01546 604197 Feedback on Timetable Q1. Route Ardrossan - Campbeltown Q2. Are you satisfied with the content of last year’s timetable? ☐ Yes, please proceed on this basis ☒ No, I’d like you to consider some changes Changes to be considered This section is only to be completed if you answered “No” to Q2. 1. Inclusion of Saturday afternoon or evening sailing from Ardrossan to Campbeltown then returning to Ardrossan; 2. Saturday morning sailing from Campbeltown to Ardrossan to be direct; 3. Guaranteed space for vehicles from Campbeltown on sailings calling at Brodick; 4. Additional sailings on specific dates outside of existing standard timetable; 5. Extension of season to include Easter and October holiday periods. Q3. Please outline your request in more detail with specific and include clear justification Examples: Amend 1300 sailing every Monday and Friday to 1500 to enable better connectivity with train to Glasgow which departs Oban at 1530; 1. A sailing from Ardrossan to Campbeltown then returning to Ardrossan on Saturday afternoons is proposed for consideration. Such a sailing could usefully mirror the Sunday afternoon sailing from Ardrossan to Campbeltown returning to Ardrossan. Such a sailing would benefit the timetable by enabling passengers to reach Campbeltown on a Saturday and enabling residents or visitors to Campbeltown and Kintyre to leave Campbeltown on a Saturday at a time during the afternoon or evening. The current Saturday sailing from Campbeltown allows those wishing to use the ferry to leave Kintyre to leave only at 7am.
    [Show full text]
  • Campbeltown Heritage Trail Group Trail Heritage Campbeltown The
    general maritime commerce. maritime general steam packet services, naval stratagem and the advancement of of advancement the and stratagem naval services, packet steam initiative also responsible for the development of the Clyde Clyde the of development the for responsible also initiative fishing port was entirely due to the building of the quays, an an quays, the of building the to due entirely was port fishing completed in 1765. Campbeltown’s rise to become a leading leading a become to rise Campbeltown’s 1765. in completed second stage of the project achieved when the ‘New Quay’ was was Quay’ ‘New the when achieved project the of stage second to complete the quaintly named ‘Old Quay’ in 1712, with the the with 1712, in Quay’ ‘Old named quaintly the complete to The foresight of this feisty lady encouraged the Town Council Council Town the encouraged lady feisty this of foresight The Argyll. of Duchess 1 Tollemache, Elizabeth st of insistence the at existence into came only structures important most town’s the became what Nevertheless, quays. important important - all the constructing for catalyst the being isolation town’s the business, local of development the in essential Kintyre. It was obvious from earlier times that a maritime approach was was approach maritime a that times earlier from obvious was It died in London in 1893 and is buried at Clachan in north north in Clachan at buried is and 1893 in London in died still used today by the renewable energy and timber industries. industries. timber and energy renewable the by today used still Campbeltown via Mombasa and Keil School.
    [Show full text]
  • Spice Briefing (72KB Pdf)
    Briefing for the Public Petitions Committee Petition Number: PE1853 Main Petitioner: Councillor Donald Kelly & Councillor Douglas Philand Subject: Introduce a lifeline ferry service from Campbeltown to Ardrossan Calls on the Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to provide an all year-round freight and passenger ferry service from Campbeltown and Ardrossan. Background The A83 trunk road at the Rest and be Thankful has been subject to a series of lengthy closures during 2020 and early 2021 due to land slips and concerns about further ground movement during periods of heavy rain. The “Old Military Road”, previously upgraded by Transport Scotland to provide a diversionary route in such situations has itself been subject to closures and limited operational hours for the same reasons. The alternative diversionary route via Tarbet and Inveraray along the A82, A85 and A819 adds 58.8 miles to any trip. Scottish Ministers have committed to delivering a permanent engineering solution to the issue of land slips on the A83 at the Rest and be Thankful through the Access to Argyll (A83) project. Given the challenging ground conditions and scale of the project, this will take several years to deliver. Work is currently ongoing to strengthen existing land slip mitigation measures and to improve the reliability and availability of the Old Military Road. The petitioners have called for the introduction of a year-round ferry service between Campbeltown and Ardrossan, to increase resilience in travel to and from Argyll and provide an alternative to the lengthy diversionary road route when the A83 is closed. CalMac Ferries, operating under contract to Scottish Ministers, already provide a limited, summer-only service on the Campbeltown-Ardrossan route.
    [Show full text]
  • Campbeltown Information Pack PDF 503Kb Download
    Aerial photo of Campbeltown. Photo credit to Raymond Hosie. Campbeltown One of the largest towns in Argyll, Campbeltown is located on the Kintyre Peninsula and sits some 38 miles south of the port of Tarbet. The town looks out over Campbeltown Loch which is protected at its mouth by Davaar Island and so enjoys a protected position in the landscape. Campbeltown Airport has one of the longest runways in Europe (dating from its days as an RAF base) and served as a diversion site during the testing of Concorde. Once the home to 34 distilleries only 3 are now in operation, Glen Scotia, Glengyle and Springbank. Driving to Glasgow, and therefore access to the motorway network, involves traveling up and around Lock Fyne and takes approximately 4 hours, while in the summer a ferry operates from Campbeltown to Ardrosson on selected days. Flights take less than an hour to reach Glasgow and operate daily through the year. CAMPBELTOWN – links to further information • Campbeltown Airport • Campbeltown Courier newspaper • Argyll and Bute Council • Campbeltown tourist website • Average annual weather information • Sold house prices for Campbeltown, plus links to property searches and estate agent details. Enter postal code PA28 to search. • Next 7 days weather forecast plus tide predictions • Local business and community directory • Find out more about what is currently happening in Campbeltown on Twitter: • Campbeltown Airport Campbeltown Courier Watch the following video for a closer look at what makes Campbeltown a great place to live and work. Campbeltown | Strengthening Communities by Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
    [Show full text]
  • Campbeltown, Oban & the Isle of Mull
    Campbeltown, Oban & the Isle of Mull To the South of Fort William down Loch Linnhe is Oban. This small town is situated in a beautiful crescent shaped bay and is known as the ‘Gateway to the Isles’ and the ‘Seafood capital of Scotland’. Ferry services run from here to Coll, Port Askaig, Castlebay, Colonsay, Lismore, Tiree, Mull, Barra and South Uist in the outer islands. Oban makes a brilliant touring base for wanting to explore these further destinations but there are also lots to see in the town itself. Spend your days exploring castles, gardens, beaches and forests around Oban and make sure to try some of the top-quality seafood. From Oban travel South and take in the coastal scenery as you approach Tarbert which has impressive wildlife, including birds of prey and deer. Continue on the only road around the Kintyre Peninsula and you will arrive in Campbeltown, home to a few distilleries including Glen Scotia and Springbank. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour around and find out the secrets of whisky making in Kintyre. Places to visit Tobermory This is the main town on the island of Mull. The port with its colourful harbor-front buildings was setting of a children’s television show. Take the ferry across from Oban to reach this town. New Picture Tobermory PA75 6QF www.tobermory.co.uk Oban Chocolate Company Relax and indulge on your visit to the factory where you can shop and watch mouth watering chocolates being hand-made alongside a delicious hot chocolate or coffee. 34 Corran, Esplanade, Oban PA34 5PS www.obanchocolate.co.uk Tel: 01631 566099 Springbank Distillery Experience tales and tastes as you journey through the distillery and its hometown.
    [Show full text]