The weather forecast was right - for once! The next morning the warm and sunny weather was gone - replaced by clouds. We were shocked, because we had seen Scotland from its most beautiful side, and now we were thrown back into cold and ugly weather. Hmmm. Anyway, we proceeded on our way to Kintyre. This photo shows the Glen Kinglas (on the A83) between Ardgartan and Cairndow. Wonderful - even on a cloudy day.

Inveraray Castle is a beautiful building with its very own, very special, very dark story: One of the Dukes of Argyll tore down the building and the whole village of Inveraray in 1744, because he didn't like its look any longer. He rebuilt castle and gardens, and decided to build up the village as well - about 1 km away from its previous location.

Today, Inveraray Castle is still home to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, and headquarters of the Clan Campbell. The castle can be visited for a hefty fee (£ 5.90 per adult in 2005).

Inveraray is situated directly at Loch Fyne. It's a nice little town that could preserve its natural feeling despite the boom of tourism. "The Bell Tower" (to the right) provides excellent views over Loch Fyne and Inveraray - if the weather permits. To the left you see the triple-masted Schooner Arctic Penguin (from 1911) moored at the town pier. It contains the Maritime Museum today.

The main street of Inveraray has a good mix of touristic and traditional shops. To the left you'll find the "Paymaster's House" from 1773 and the "George Hotel" from 1777. The ground floor was used as a church until the parish church at the end of the road was completed (in 1802). Funny fact: the street divides at its end, surrounding the church to the left and to the right.

The "Inveraray Jail" flyer promises to bring you "back almost two centuries" - the former county courthouse and prison for Argyll tells the story of men, women and children who were tried in the courtroom and served their sentences in the prison. We are not into that, so we skipped this "visitor attraction".

Repainting the Arctic Penguin during ebb. The Maritime Museum also allows you to take a trip back in time, by exploring the nooks and crannies of this old ship. They also offer a 15 minute film and interactive displays. Open all year.

We proceeded to Kintyre and discovered Skipness Castle, at the end of the B8001. It was built in the 13th century by the MacSweens and was used as a stronghold against the vikings. In 1499 it was turned over to The Campbell Earl of Argyll and finally abandoned in the 17th century. There is a chapel dedicated to Saint Brendan close to the castle. You'll have to walk over the sheep's green to get there. Oh, and by the way, the castle is admission free!

The view from Skipness Castle is beautiful. On your way back to the car park, please consider a rest at the "Seafood Cabin" - it is located in front of the house on the photo, sitting directly on the Skipness Castle Estate. Their fresh crab rolls are fantastic (yummy!).

Davaar Island is located at the mouth of Campbeltown Loch off the east coast of Kintyre. It is a tidal island, linked to the mainland by a natural shingle causeway that is only accessible at low tide. The lighthouse was built in 1854 by the engineers David and Thomas Stevenson. It was automated in 1983, and since then, Davaar is only inhabited by sheep.

Campbeltown is a historic "Royal Burgh", occupied continuously for over 8,000 years. Once it was home to a big fishing fleet, but this business declined after the 1920s, and today the town mainly caters for tourists. As Campbeltown is the shopping center for the whole area, it is the perfect spot to explore the Kintyre peninsula.

We drove all the way down to the Mull of Kintyre, the origin of the famous Paul McCartney song. However, the weather was not too good, preventing any decent shots of the lighthouse and the North Channel. But on our way back we encountered this perfect view across Sanda Sound.