Go to the Main Scottish Cave and Mine Database Search Page

Campbeltown Mines [Overview]

Kintyre, Campbeltown, Argyllshire.

Generic reference to the coal mines associated with but not necessarily within Campbeltown. There are no known mines within the town or at the coordinates given (approximately the site of the original coal depot).

The coalfield is a basin stretching from the sea at Machrihanish eastwards to within a mile and a half of Campbeltown, being cut off to the north by the big fault which follows the road to Tayinloan. It is thought the field extends to nine square miles. There are six or more seams some over ten foot (about 3 metres) thick. There were a number of pits, some worked in the Kilkivan, Drumlembel area, but it was not until 1874 that the deeper mines were developed. [Mining in Kintyre]

The Campbeltown Coal Canal was surveyed in 1773 by James Watt and opened in 1794 running from Machrihanish to a coal depot near the Albyn Distillery in Campbeltown. The canal was abandooned in 1856.

In 1876 the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was laid down to connect Kilkvan pits with the depot on the west side of Campbeltown. In 1881 these pits were exhausted and the railway extended to Drumlemble half a mile to the west. Electricity was introduced to the pit in 1905-06 and in 1933 the Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was closed. [Mining in Kintyre]

Alternative Names: Campbeltown Coal Mines

Notes: See also mines at Ballygreggan, Drumlemble, Machrihanish, etc. The Campbeltown Coal Canal and the Argyll Coal and Canal Company (surveyed by James Watt).