Cowal Peninsula in Argyll – Arrochar Alps, Rest and Be Thankful and Kyles of Bute

COWAL PENINSULA IN ARGYLL INTRODUCTION
Features of the Cowal Peninsula in Argyll include such as the Arrochar Alps, Rest and be Thankful and the Kyles of Bute… but no single feature , single landmark, or single set of conditions which make Cowal such a very special place. Rather, it is a unique blend of attractions covering leisure and sporting facilities, unrivaled scenery, a feast of natural wonders and, not least, a local population that are never less than friendly or hospitable to any visitor. The name Cowal possibly derives from the Norse meaning ‘fork of land’ and the Peninsula could well be described in those terms. Loch Fyne and Loch Long define the western and eastern borders respectively whilst three small promontories point south towards and to either side of the Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde. It is like a land that time forgot, an oasis in a desert or perhaps the mythical ‘Brig o` Doon’ – it is a region that is little known but beckons back time and again those that have been soothed and enthralled by its beauty and calm.

HISTORY & HERITAGE
Though a Norse origin for the name is maintained, others would argue that it derived from the leader of the Scotti tribe by the name of Comgall. They were a Gaelic speaking tribe from Northern Ireland who settled in Argyll about 1500 years ago. A battle in the twelfth century gave a rare, but bloody victory for the Scots over the Vikings. By the time of Edward I the Lamonts were the strongest clan, but backed the King against Robert the Bruce and promptly lost to the high stewards (or stewerts) who led a Campbell army to reclaim the castle at Dunoon. For many years the area suffered from the power struggles of these three clans with much blood being spilt. The Lamont family continued to own land right up to modern times, but it was the Campbells who established themselves as the predominant family and largest landowners.

CUSTOMS & CULTURE
In an area so small it is difficult to separate out a definitive regional culture any different to that of other Scottish regions. Nevertheless the very nature of a peninsula lends itself to independent thinking and it is astounding to find that only Eton in the whole of the UK has produced more current and recent members of Parliament than Dunoon Grammar School. Such is the beauty of the area that romance seems to be never far away . One such example is set in stone. It is the statue of Highland Mary, perched on the slopes of Castle Hill in Dunoon. Her real name was Mary Campbell and her affair with the philandering Robert Burns was intense but, almost inevitably, tragic. Some of Burns’ finest poetry is dedicated to her. ‘Incomers’ include Sir Harry Lauder, the great showman, who moved to Dunoon in 1909.

LANDSCAPES & LANDFORMS
Whether the casual visitor wants to gorge him or herself on the most spectacular seaview, the deepest and most dramatic glens or pleasant wooded lakesides, there will always be some particular corner of the Cowal synonymous with that quality. And one small area provides a microcosm of all that! From where the River Masson flows down through the glen to join with the River Echaig and on to Dalinlongart Hill, the enclosed area of no more than two or three square miles contains all the variety that one could possibly wish. Within that unique triangle are several waterfalls with the one at Glen Masson particularly notable. Most of the highest peaks are in the northern part of the Peninsula with Ben Donich and the Brack being the highest at 847 metres.
The Arrochar Alps in this northern extremity are certainly dramatic, but there is so much to enjoy in this area of deep glens and largely sea lochs, with many famous viewpoints such as Rest and be Thankful and the Kyles of Bute.

PLACES TO VISIT & EVENTS
For a glorious stroll in magnificent surroundings, the Argyll Forest Park is a showpiece of land development and it covers some 20,000 hectares – there is something for everyone. Always staged on the last Friday and Saturday of August, the Cowal Highland Gathering – The Cowal Games are Scotland’s largest highland games and are renowned throughout the world. The short ferry crossing between Gourock and Dunoon is splendid and Dunoon itself provides almost exclusively for visitors and has been doing so since paddle steamers brought the working classes of Glasgow ‘doon the watter’ in their tens of thousands during the Victoria era. As one might expect from an area associated with clan unrest there are several castles, the best known of which is Castle Toward. Cowal Bird Garden and the Younger Botanic Gardens provide fascinating diversions.

SPORTS & LEISURE
The Peninsula is extremely popular for rod fishing, although surprisingly there is little sea fishing. The area is brilliant for walkers and, especially in the north, provides some good climbs. Dunoon provides facilities for such as tennis and bowling, but it is the Cowal Games which provide the major sporting event of the area, particularly since it is the world’s largest Highland Games. Ornithologists will enjoy the wonderfully diverse mix of habitat and there is much for the naturalist to wonder at in this area where the Highlands meet the Islands.