Paul McCartney has spoken about his enduring love for his song Mull of Kintyre as the festive hit marks its 40th anniversary this Christmas.

Speaking to The Big Issue magazine, the Beatle said the song and the whole area of Kintyre and Argyll was special because of the memories it holds for him and his family.

McCartney, along with his late wife Linda and their children, spent time during the post-Beatles era at their High Park Farm home in Kintyre, as the place became something of a retreat from fans and media.

“It’s really nice to think that the love we have for the area was captured in a song and brought to the attention of so many people around the world”, he said.

First released in November 1977 by McCartney’s post-Beatles project, Wings, Mull of Kintyre spent nine weeks at the top of the charts and has gone on to shift an estimated nine million copies worldwide, making it the biggest selling single McCartney has ever penned.

Talking about the song’s popularity, and the experience of making it, he said: “It was a great experience recording it with the local pipe band, and really exciting to see the success it had in the charts at the time, so those memories mean I still love it and it’s a very special song for me.”

Following Linda’s death, McCartney has been to the farm less and less, but the area still holds a special place in his heart. “We had such great times there, and I like to think from time to time that we’ll be able to get back again,” he told The Big Issue.

The exclusive interview with McCartney is in Monday’s edition of the magazine.