Hotels full as Kintyre enjoys tourism boom

Visitors arriving on spec are finding it impossible to secure a room

As music lovers roll into Campbeltown for MOK Fest this week hotels are not having to drum up trade.

And due to the closure of some premises tourists arriving on spec are finding it impossible to find a room.

Earlier this year, MOK Fest committee member Iain Johnston, said that originally the music festival was planned to happen in a ‘shoulder’ period when the schools had gone back.

Now in its 25th year, the event has become one of the busiest weekends on the Kintyre touris t calendar.

As visitors struggle to find a place to stay some hotels have reported strong bookings for months ahead and Visit-Scotland released a report outlining the vital role tourism plays in supporting rural jobs.

A spokesperson from the Dellwood hotel said: ‘We’re busy. This has been a very good year for us. It’s summer and Campbeltown is a busy wee town.

‘The fact that a large hotel has closed down could be part of the problem for people trying to find accommodation.’

Grammar Lodge guesthouse agreed, with a spokesperson saying: ‘We are very busy. I think it’s because there are not so many doing it now, such as the White Hart, Redknowe and the Old Rectory.

‘There’s maybe a shortage because they are closed.

‘The next few weeks are very busy for us, up until the middle of September. I don’t know whether it’s busier because there are more people, or if it’s because these other places have closed.’

A spokesperson from the Royal Hotel said: ‘Fully booked means every bed in every room is full and I don’t think anyone can say that.

‘We’re certainly very busy, both at the Ugadale and the Royal, much fuller in general at the weekend than on weekdays. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway, you’re going to struggle.’

A spokesperson from

the Argyll hotel at Bellochantuy said: ‘It’s a popular place. I think some people come down and expect to find somewhere when they get here, and they’re the ones who struggle.’

Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland said: ‘It’s great to hear that business is booming in Cambeltown this summer with many accommodation providers reporting they are fully booked.

Wide variety

‘The staff at our VisitScotland Centre have secured rooms where they can for visitors and advise on the wide variety of activities and attractions in the region to enjoy.

‘With 17 per cent of the population in Argyll and Bute working in tourism, almost double the national average of nine per cent, this sector is integral to the economy, generating income, creating jobs and stimulating social change.’

A Campbeltown bunkhouse spokesperson added: ‘The demographic of our customers tends to be people who book last minute.

‘We won’t be open for the music festival because we’ve had too much trouble in the past.’