The county of Argyll stretches from Oban in the north out to the west, where the islands of the Inner Hebrides lie off the coast. These include Mull, Iona and Easdale. Further down is the peninsula of Kintyre and the islands of Islay and Jura, famous for their malt whisky. Further south lie Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.
In the north of the county, with its high rugged hills, narrow glens and winding roads Oban is situated in a picturesque bay. From here it is possible to take a short ferry trip to the Isle of Mull. Leaving the ferry at Craignure, one can visit Duart Castle and enjoy the spectacular views from its battlements. Torosay Castle, the terminus of Scotland’s first island passenger railway is also close by. From Oban there is access to the islands of Coll, Tiree, Lismore and Kerrera, where it is possible to enjoy water sports such as surfing and sailing or to admire the local wildlife of these low lying islands.
The village of Taynuilt stands on Loch Etive and was once the site of a ferry across to Bonawe on the north side. Ardchattan Priory, close to Bonawe, was the site of the last Scottish Parliament held in Gaelic in 1308. Not far away is Loch Awe, situated in some of the loveliest countryside of Argyll. There are beautiful glens, tranquil rivers, for the salmon fishers, and of course the loch itself, surrounded by hills with the occasional castle here and there.
The Cowal peninsula runs from Loch Fyne to Loch Long and is a lovely area of Argyll, very popular with tourists. Its capital is Dunoon, which grew from a village to a major seaside resort in the early 19th Century. The town is dominated by Castle Hill on which is Castle House, a building of the same period. Minard can be found on the shores of the picturesque Loch Fyne; it is located ten miles south of Inverary. Also on the peninsula is Glendaruel, a hamlet nestling in a glen surrounded by hills. Nine miles away is Tighnabruaich a small resort with a pebble beach. A sailing and windsurfing school is based here.
Acharacle is another interesting village in Argyll, at the south end of Loch Shiel. Castle Tioram was built in the 13th Century on a small island in the mouth of nearby Loch Moidart. There is a causeway to the island at low tide but signs here warn visitors of the danger of falling masonry. The ruins of the castle are in very poor condition and closed to visitors. It is hope that there may be restoration work in the near future.
Just under five miles off the Argyll coast is the pretty little island of Bute. This was a popular destination in Victorian times, as can be seen from much of the local architecture. The fifteen mile long island has hills, sandy beaches and even ruined forts and chapels. There are plenty of water sports available, including yachting and fishing. Bute is known for its many gardens which benefit from the Gulf Stream which enables palm trees and other exotics to grow here. One of the main tourist attractions is Mount Stuart House, a gothic palace built on the site of an earlier house.
One of the major centres in the Argyll area is Stirling, an old town with a wonderful castle, overlooking the site of Sir William (Braveheart) Wallace’s greatest victory. This is an area of rolling hills and farmland, but the location of the castle is probably one of the most dramatic anywhere. The residence of the Kings of Scotland , it is built on top of an extinct volcano. Once In 2002 the former town of Stirling became Scotland’s newest city as part of the Queen’s Jubilee Celebrations.
Ballantrae is a resort on the coast of South Ayrshire, situated on a bay of the same name. Robert Louis Stevenson took the name of the place in one of his novels, “The Master of Ballantrae”. He told a story of having been stoned by local residents because they did not like the way in which he was dressed. However, we do not know what was particularly upsetting about his clothing. The town was a former fishing port and haunt of smugglers. The small harbour, with its stone flagged quay, remains today. There is a nature reserve at the mouth of the River Stinchar, south of the village, and various types of terns breed here.
Another Ayrshire resort is Galston, which set in pleasant wooded countryside four miles from Kilmarnock. It has associations with both Wallace and Bruce. After receiving a charter in 1717 it became a centre for handloom weaving and later for the manufacture of gauze and lawn. From the early 19th century it was a major coal mining area. The oldest building in Galston is Barr Castle, a fortified tower house built in the 15th Century.
In the Central Highlands is Boat of Garten, a village set in wonderful scenery on the edge of the Cairn Gorms and close to the River Spey. It is known as the “Osprey Village” due to a local population of those birds, established in the 1950s. The original 17th Century settlement was Gart but the name was changed after the railways came to the area. The reason was the ferry boat which sailed across the River Spey. The river is popular for coarse fishing. Other local activities include tennis and golf. This is an area where wildlife is abundant and scenery is stunning.
Perhaps Coldstream is best known for the guards to which it gave its name. The Coldstream guards were the surviving remnant of the Model Army, which was disbanded in 1661, and were at least partially responsible for the restoration of the monarchy. The town is located close to the Northumberland border and the Cheviot Hills. A fine seven-arched bridge was built here by Smeaton, completed in 1766. It was designed to carry the road between Edinburgh and Newcastle. At one time, the old Toll House building at the Scottish end of the bridge was used to conduct marriages without prior banns in the same way as Gretna Green.
Culkein was once a salmon netting station, sited on the coast and only ten miles from Lochinver. Only a few cottages remain today but it remains a quiet pleasant place for a holiday. Both the Handa Island bird reserve and the Inverpolly National Nature Reserve are close at hand, and this is an ideal area for bird watching. Other popular pusuits are hill walking, loch and sea fishing and boating. Boats and canoes can be launched from the beach or the pier slipway.
Only five miles from Ayr and close to the market town of Maybole is the hamlet of Culroy. It is a quiet place to stay, within easy reach of several interesting tourist attractions. One of these is the Burns National Heritage Park in Alloway. Culzean Castle, the 18th Century castle built by Robert Adams stands on the edge of the cliff overlooking the Isle of Arran. The property is cared for by the National Trust and includes 500 acres of parkland. The top floor of the castle was used by President Eisenhower as a holiday home on several occasions.
The attractive town of Fortrose is built on the level ground overlooking the Moray Firth. The town came into being when, in the mid 13th Century, Bishop Robert decided to build a Cathedral of Ross to replace St Peter’s Church in Rosemarkie. The remains of Fortrose cathedral are in the centre of tree-lined Cathedral Square, which contains many pleasant period buildings. The town is ideally situated for exploring the Highlands. This is beautiful walking country and there are sandy beaches and a golf course in the vicinity. There are also opportunities for observing dolphins, seals and other wildlife around the area.
Kirriemuir lies in the Vale of Strathmore, close to the Angus Glens and to Glamis Castle, once home to Macbeth. It is famous as the birthplace of J.M.Barrie, creator of “Peter Pan”, who was born here in 1860. Barrie was the son of a handloom weaver and one of ten children. There is a statue of Peter Pan in the town centre and another in a garden close to the house where the writer was born. Kirriemuir is an attractive old town, which owed its 19th Century prosperity to the textile trade.
Kyle-of Lochalsh lies two miles from Glenelg village and slightly less distance from the coast. There is a sandy beach within a short walk and a ferry to the Isle of Skye, taking only a five minute crossing. This is superb and tranquil countryside with an abundance of wildlife. Golden eagles may be seen here, in addition to sea eagles and other rare bird species. There are also seals and wild otters. Gavin Maxwell, author of “Ring of Bright Water” lived and wrote his at Sandaig, one of the loveliest locations in the area. There are several mountain peaks in the area, some of which are more than three thousand feet high.