Cowal and Dunoon

Cowal is the three-pronged peninsula between Loch Fyne and Loch Long. Easily accessible and yet often overlooked, this is a rugged and mountainous landscape with a fine coastline, attractive lochs and extensive forests, packed with red squirrels. There is a wide range of walking here, from the short but spectacular Puck's Glen to the Cowal Way, a 47-mile multi-day route traversing the area from Portavadie to Ardgartan.

The capital of the district is Dunoon; a popular resort since the days of the Clyde paddle steamers and still served today by ferries across the Firth. The other key centres are Kames and Tighnabruaich, an attractive pair of villages strung out along the beautiful shores of the Kyle of Bute, and Lochgilphead at the northern end of the area, as the hills of Cowal rise higher towards the Arrochar Alps.