Machrihanish
village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK
Machrihanish (Scottish Gaelic: Machaire Shanais, pronounced [ˈmaxɪɾʲə ˈhanɪʃ]) is a village in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It is a short distance north of the tip of the Mull of Kintyre, which faces out towards Northern Ireland and the Atlantic.
Machrihanish bay
The main sandy beach of Machrihanish Bay runs 3 miles (5 km) 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 village is one of the start/finish points of the Kintyre Way, one of Scotland's Great Trails. The Scottish Wildlife Trust's Largiebaan nature reserve lies to the south, about 11 km (7 mi) along the Kintyre Way.
Features
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 public source identifies “Machrihanish” as village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Machrihanish, village and Argyll.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Machrihanish”, the useful work is to connect “village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3778018. VIAF identifies the subject as 147048734. The Library of Congress control number is nr2004017585. Authority coordinates are 55.423, -5.737. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Machrihanish” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.