# Fab Four moptop Paul sings about Scotland? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 13, 1999, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325 "1999-12-13T19:06:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/1 "1999-12-13T19:06:00Z")
One of my Christmas albums has on it the song “Mull of Kintyre” by Wings (Paul McCartney et al.), my favourite Paul McCartney solo song. My girlfiend, who loves putting me on the spot, asked me “what’s a Mull of Kintyre”? I told her “something in Scotland.” We both realized this answer was insufficient, so I did some research. Here’s what I found out: mull = friable forest humus Kintyre = Scottish peninsula Isle of Mull = island off the coast of Scotland, to the north of the Kintyre region mull of kintyre = mud of kintyre? can’t be. So, **tyre** d of **mull** ing it over, I turn to my **kin** at the SDMB for The Straight Dope. All together now > [@](#): > > Sweep through the heather like deer in the glen > Carry me back to the days I knew then. > Nights when we sang like a heavenly choir > Of the life and the time of the Mull of Kintyre. > > (Chorus) > Mull of Kintyre > Oh mist rolling in from the sea, > My desire is always to be here > Oh Mull of Kintyre. * * * Quand les talons claquent, l’esprit se vide. Maréchal Lyautey ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/2 "1999-12-13T19:17:00Z")
[http://www.kintyre.mull.com/](http://www.kintyre.mull.com/) * * * “There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.” ~P.J. O’Rourke~ ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/3 "1999-12-13T19:22:00Z")
“mull:” In Scotland, a promontory or headland. –OED ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/4 "1999-12-13T19:24:00Z")
BTW, when this record was released in the UK, it became the biggest selling record of all time (in the UK), outselling “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.” It failed to crack Top 40 in the US. Bloody Yanks. . . . ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/5 "1999-12-13T19:48:00Z")
Uh, weren’t we busy impeaching our president or something when this was released? (Was it the early 70’s?) That may have something to do with it. Or maybe we just went “What’s a “mull”?” It’s a great song either way. * * * “There’s a snake in my boot!” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 1999, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/6 "1999-12-13T19:50:00Z")
'78 or '79–'80 at the latest. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/7 "1999-12-14T16:58:00Z")
Thank you for the information, people. The website mentioned just had pictures, but no description. So I guess the “Mull of Kintyre” is a promontory (or a series of bluffs) in Kintyre, Scotland, not a particular building or monument, and not any individal cliff. ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 1999, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fab-four-moptop-paul-sings-about-scotland/5325/8 "1999-12-14T17:07:00Z")
It is a piece of headland in Scotland. I seem to recall that McCartney owns it, or at least a significant part of it. If you look at [this map](http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/United_Kingdom.GIF), it’s the strip of land between Islay and Arran, off the West coast of Strathclyde.