The Cowal Peninsula
The Cowal Peninsula is a little world of rugged, dramatic hills, and beaches strewn with oyster shells; luxuriant foliage, sparkling coastal waters and tumbling peaty waterfalls. Part of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, yet easily accessible, Cowal nestles between Loch Fyne on the west and Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde on the east, while in the north a spectacular route through a pass in the Arrochar Alps links the Peninsula to Loch Lomond.
Marine gateway to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Scotland’s first National Park, the area boasts many natural treasures. Argyll Forest Park, Scotland’s oldest Forest Park, lies within Cowal. Afforestation was initiated by some of the West of Scotland merchants who, lured by its unspoilt attractions and sheltered waters for sailing, built houses here from the early years of the nineteenth century. Atlantic oak woodlands, and collections of exotic species, thrive in the Peninsula’s mild climate. Kilmun Arboretum, where in the 1930s the Forestry Commission undertook planting trials of species, is an arboretum that’s little known but of national importance. This landscape of abounding greenery provides endless opportunities for fascinating walks of all kinds and of all grades, and in recent years there has been considerable emphasis on creating and upgrading paths for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
At the foot of Loch Eck, a stunning freshwater loch and a Site of Special Scientific Interest at the heart of the Cowal Peninsula, is Benmore Botanic Garden, one of the National Botanic Gardens of Scotland, as a group considered in the top five in the world. Benmore is a wonderful Highland hillside garden where exotic species, from areas such as the Himalayas and South America, flourish. Ablaze with rhododendron and azalea flowers in spring and summer, nevertheless there is still much to admire in autumn with fiery leaf and berry colours, cones of varying hues and shapes, and a stunning array of mosses and lichens ranging in colour from silver grey to golden yellow, glowing red and rich claret.
The Peninsula’s full-bodied history has left a legacy of castles and mansionhouses. Centuries of clan strife between the Campbells and Lamonts resulted in most of the older castles being left in ruins, although ruins that resonate with sonorous, often blood-curdling tales of treachery and betrayal. The mansions and great houses of more recent centuries, in particular of the late Georgian and Victorian eras, have fared much better, and many of these can be admired whilst on walks. A few which can also be visited, provide a colourful insight into the West of Scotland’s great nineteenth century era of shipbuilding, shipowning, industry and trade which also fuelled significant art collections such as that of Sir William Burrell, now housed in Glasgow’s Burrell Gallery.
Cowalfest, which was first launched in 2003, is now in its fifth year.
