‘Mull of Kintyre’ by Wings.  It’s one of those songs everybody knows the tune to, probably some recognise the video, but does anybody really know where Kintyre even is?
Using the bagpipe accompaniment as a hefty clue, myself and writer Malcolm Jack ventured to the west coast of Scotland for The Big Issue, to garner clues as to why 40 years ago Paul McCartney penned one of the biggest Christmas hits about a little known peninsula, stamping it forever on the music map of history. Our intrepid trip took us to some of the locations featured in the video including Saddell Bay, where we met three of the original members of the local pipe band who featured on the record, the site of the cottage from where Linda walks down to meet the singing Paul sat strumming his guitar on a fence. We visited the Linda McCartney memorial garden in Campbeltown, trekked over fields (stupidly in city brogues in my case) and roamed down winding roads until finally we were able to look out over the Mull of Kintyre.
It was one of those brilliantly random jobs which will stick forever in my mind (much like the song after having heard it a fair few times). Memories of hunting for Paul McCartney anecdotes from local shop owners who remember him and hold him dear, scenic Scottish drives, seal spotting in the harbour and our very own bagpipe recital of the song as the final strains of wintry sun backlit an otherwise empty beach.