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
Loch Eck
The ferry trip across the
Firth of Clyde is a fine introduction to the Cowal Peninsula.
To the north the mountains surrounding the sealochs of
Long and Goil provide a stunning backdrop as the ferry
arrives at the busy town of Dunoon, temporarily interrupting
those fishing for mackerel off the pier.
Dunoon, Cowal’s principal community,
grew in the late 1800s to cater for the visitor. Today it boasts
a range of hotels, shops and eating places, with something for every
taste and every pocket. Built around two sheltered bays, Dunoon
is the home of the world’s premier highland games, the Cowal
Gathering and offers a range of sporting activities including golf,
fishing, mountain-biking and ,of course, sailing and other water-based
sports. The various pleasure cruises available offer the ideal way
to sit back and enjoy the coastal scenery. Dunoon is also the seaboard
gateway to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – the
first National Park in Scotland.
Highland
Mary
The town’s ancient castle, previously an important defensive
structure dominating the coastline, has been reclaimed by the
grass and shrubbery of the Castle Gardens, creating an attractive
environment to sit and watch life passing by.
A visit to the Castle House Museum will entertain with superb
exhibits exploring everything from ancient history to the hey
day of the Clyde steamers.
Nearby the statue of Highland Mary, the love of Robert Burns,
stands gazing longingly across the water to the Ayrshire home
of the great bard.
Castle Toward near Dunoon
Younger Botanic Gardens, Dunoon
The coast road south of Dunoon
leads through the sleepy hamlets of Innellan and Toward as it
rounds the southerly tip. Above the ruins of the 15th Century
Toward Castle, scene of the massacre of 200 Lamont clansmen
by the Campbells in 1646, rise forested hillsides and pastureland,
whilst the island views south to Bute and the Cumbraes are punctuated
by splashes of colour as yachts pass with their spinnakers billowing.
The road then narrows as it follows the shoreline by Loch Striven.
Colourful Cowal
Magnificent Loch Eck scythes through the centre of the Cowal Peninsula, surrounded by high, forested hills. The loch epitomises Cowal - rugged and spectacular
but at the same time peaceful, where you can while away the hours
fishing, walking or just taking in the scenery.
To the north of Dunoon lies the fascinating Cowal Bird Garden, with
its colourful collection of rare birds, This theme of natural colour
continues with the celebrated Benmore Botanic Gardens, at the head
of the Holy Loch, where an afternoon can be lost in thought wandering
through the floral specimens and rare exotic shrubs.
To the east lie the quaint
lochside villages of Kilmun (with its famous arboretum), Strone,
Blairmore and Ardentinny, from where a signposted footpath through
the sprawling Argyll Forest Park will take you to Carrick Castle
on the shores of Loch Goil.
The 54,000 acres of the Forest Park offer many superb walking,
cycling and organised horse riding routes. Further north is
Lochgoilhead, with its extensive leisure facilities including
swimming and golfing. The Arrochar Alps, gloriously rugged peaks
for the more serious hill walker, rise above the head of Loch
Long, dominating the steep road to the ‘Rest and be Thankful’,
a fine viewpoint where cattle drovers enjoyed a well-deserved
break after a tough climb.
Area Overview
