Here's a few suggestions for things to see and do in the Isle of Bute & Cowal Peninsula:
Highland Games
Held in Dunoon on the last Friday and Saturday in
the month of August, the Cowal Gathering is the
world’s premier Highland Games. Or visit one
of the other games on offer in the area.
Wildlife
Scalpsie Bay and the viewing point above Ettrick
Bay are among the best places in Britain to look
out for playful seals.
Fishing
Coarse, salmon and particularly fine brown trout
fishing await both on Bute and Cowal.
Walking
For relaxation try wooded paths in the Argyll Forest
Park. The more energetic - and experienced - will
be drawn by the mountains in north Cowal. You can take part in a long distance walking routes in both areas. The island of Bute has a 26 mile/42km route called the West Island Way and runs the length of the lovely rolling countryside of the Isle of Bute. The Cowal Way is much longer at 47 miles/75kms and runs the length of the Cowal Peninsula starting at Portavadie in the south-west and finishes at Ardgartan in the north-east.
Sailing
The Kyles of Bute are ever popular with yachtsmen,
adding further to the general colour and serenity
of this sheltered inlet or enjoy the picturesque
sailing waters around the Isle of Bute.
Isle of Bute & the Cowal Penninsula Castle
Lachlan, near Strachur
For a taste of the magnificent
West Highlands, consider West Cowal. Spectacular mountain
scenery, gentle burns trickling through rugged glens,
cosy shoreside inns and dramatic seascapes combine to
make this area a nature lover’s paradise.
The northern road to this enchanting
corner of the countryside passes through splendid Glen Kinglas,
where the horticultural hotspot Ardkinglas Woodland Garden lies on the banks of Loch Fyne with its nationally important collection of rhododendrons and champion conifers providing cover for the abundant red squirrels. Following a left turn, on the A815, it quickly drops downhill towards the peaceful village of St Catherine's - but not before passing the road through the appropriately named 'Hell's Glen', which falls steeply down to Lochgoilhead. This is the domain of birds of prey and massive red deer, adding to the sense of highland isolation.
South of St Catherines, on
the shores of Loch Fyne with its bountiful supplies of seafood
lies the picturesque village of Strachur. The tiny community
is dominated by the home of the late Sir Fitzroy MacLean, the
legendary soldier upon whom it is said 007 - James Bond - is
based.
The Strachur Smiddy is a fascinating, fully restored 18th century
Highland blacksmith’s with occasional demonstrations. Shore
fishing is a popular pastime in this area, with a wide variety
of species waiting to be lured.
Hells Glen, near Lochgoilhead
Tighnabruaich
Turbulent
History
Following the twisting road along the rocky Loch Fyne shore,
unparalleled views across the loch to Inveraray and the Kintyre
Peninsula open out with every turn.
The turbulent history of the 15th century Castle Lachlan, though
largely in ruins, makes it well worth a visit. This was the
ancestral home of the Clan Lachlan until it was ordered to be
destroyed following the last Jacobite rebellion, in 1745-6.
Then on to the quaintly titled Otter Ferry, a name which serves
to remind the visitor that this is largely natural, unspoilt
country, where the sight of an otter is just reward to the persevering
wildlife watcher. On the hillside above the village, the intrepid
walker is treated to a magnificent vista over the hilltops as
far as the Isles of Mull and Jura.
Lochside
Delights
The road then meanders through tiny hamlets and the country
estate of Kilfinan, with its neatly maintained walls and hedges.
Some glorious walks can be taken through the leafy woodlands
of this most southerly tip of Cowal and shoreline picnic spots
abound.
The golden stretch of sand at Kilbride Bay affords magnificent
views south to the Isle of Arran. Continue up through Millhouse
with its scenic nine-hole golf course to the apparently unpronounceable
Tighnabruaich, set perched around a bay jostling with colourful
yachts and surrounded by the forest covered hillsides.
Glendaruel
The road north from Tighnabruaich is
one of the most beautiful in Scotland, as it climbs steeply to a viewpoint
above the romantic Kyles of Bute. From there the drive through the
picturesque forests and valley hillsides of Glendaruel brings you
back over the hill to Strachur - your travels through this microcosm
of Scottish landscape are complete.
