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Kilchurn Castle

Loch Awe

Scotland's Adventure Coast

If you’re looking to escape this season then seek out Loch Awe. Whether you’re local and using your home as a base or you’ve never been before - there’s so much to discover.

Nestled in the heart of beautiful Argyll and only a two-hour journey by car or rail from Glasgow, Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest freshwater loch spanning 41km of unspoilt, rugged and magical beauty.

Characterised by heavily wooded hillsides, exposed hill tops, rocky shores, uninhabited islands, ruined castles and a handful of charming villages dotted around its shores, it is steeped in history and culture and was once regarded as a Victorian hot-spot due to the gentry and number of mansions built in the area.

Bring your kit, stay a while and explore the loch

Explore Loch Awe

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You'll be in awe of Scotland's longest loch

Loch Awe was popular for railway tourism in the Victorian era when steamers sailed on the loch and many of the hotels were established around its shores were built.

Today, there are four train stations on this line along the north of Loch Awe available for you to access a range of attractions, forest tracks, picnic spots, waterfalls, outdoor activities and local communities with accommodation, eateries, artists and attractions.

You really will be in awe of Loch Awe!

Kilchurn Castle is a classic reason to stop and savour the views but there is so much more to explore around the shores of Loch Awe.

The amazing highlights include;

Outstanding built heritage features including Kilchurn Castle, Innes Chonnel Castle, St Conans Kirk and prehistoric remains.
Fantastic opportunities to spot wildlife and natural habitats including the Glen Nant National Nature Reserve.
Argyll’s tallest munro - Ben Cruachan - towering over the loch’s north shore.
Take a journey into the subterranean world of Cruachan Power Station and discover the cavernous machine hall and power-generating turbines hidden deep within the 'Hollow Mountain.'
A range of cycle routes including the Caledonia Way, the Wild About Argyll Bike Packing Trail and the Oban Sportive circuit
A choice of unique self catering experiences, hotels and inns with character and launch points for kayaking and boating.
Extensive forests and woodlands to trek and explore by foot.
Stunning waterfalls, viewpoints and picnic spots or some wellbeing time forest-bathing.
A fisherman’s paradise for freshwater fish.

All this, readily accessible by car, train, bus, bike and boots.

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DOWNLOAD OUR LOCH AWE GUIDE

Includes an inspiring local area map and all you need to know on your Loch Awe trip.

Download Loch Awe Destination Guide

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Four great days out

Enjoy a range of themed activities, each exploring a different part of Loch Awe, that will make a great day out in full, or in part.

East Loch Awe

"Meet the Locals"

Heartfelt Liz

Meet Liz and Graham at their working textile studio set within the Victorian station buildings at Dalmally. Work by local artists is on display and occasional weaving and spinning demonstrations on the platform.

Cakes in the Call Box

During the summer months Holly serves lovely homemade cakes and jams with an honesty box in a restored red call box near Cladich.

Cladich Estate Farm Tour

Meet the award winning Highland Cows of the Cladich Fold with your very own tour guide. Estate Farm Tours last around 2.5 hours and are by all-weather off-road vehicle giving access to the main barn, the open hillside and many historic points of interest.

Kintail Birds of Prey

Meet some of Scotland’s native Birds of Prey at the private Falconry near Eredine on the B840. 25 birds of prey are on display and different experiences are available led by an experienced falconer giving you the opportunity to handle and fly the birds amid magnificent scenery overlooking Loch Awe.

North-west Loch Awe

"Industry in the Making"

Cruachan Dam & Reservoir

A steady walk up the access road in Lochawe village brings you to the mighty Ben Cruachan Dam which was opened in 1965 and offers spectacular views across Loch Awe and Argyll. The dam forms part of a pumped storage hydro scheme with capacity to power 90,000 homes.

The Hollow Mountain

The Cruachan Power Station resides 1km deep inside Ben Cruachan with a visitor centre on the banks of Loch Awe. Guided tours take you into the cavern which is high enough to house the Tower of London

Bonawe Iron Furnace

Britain’s most complete charcoal fuelled ironworks nestles in an idyllic setting at the head of Loch Etive near Taynuilt and amidst Argyll woodland. It operated in the mid 18th century producing pig iron and employed 600 people at the height of its operation.

Glen Nant

A lush Atlantic Oakwood which is a National Nature Reserve managed by Forest and Land Scotland. Glen Nant has a long history of human influence in the woods with 166 archaeological sites recorded dating back to Norse round timber dwellings and many charcoal hearths from the era of Bonawe Furnace.

North Loch Awe

The Stones of Time

St Conan’s Kirk

The kirk in the village of Lochawe is exceptional both in style and surroundings, with a strong sense of peace and inherent spirituality. Visitors are welcome inside and out - and a must is to explore the much more elaborate south side that overlooks the Loch.

Kilchurn Castle

One of the most photographed castles in Scotland, Kilchurn Castle was a fortress, a comfortable residence and later a garrison stronghold, and contains the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland. Today it is a ruin having been abandoned in the late 1700s.

Glenorchy and Innishail Church & Graveyard

26 clan chiefs of the Macgregors lie buried near the entrance of the octagonal white church built in 1810. The church and graveyard sit on top of a knoll and overlooks the River Orchy. Inside there are fine stained glass windows from 1898.

Duncan Ban MacIntyre Monument

Designed by the same architect as the Wallace Monument in Stirling, this granite structure on top of Dun Athaich celebrates the life of the Gaelic Bard Duncan Ban MacIntyre 1724-1812.

West Loch Awe

Sights to Behold

Angus’s Garden

A short walk from Barguillean Farm is a stunning nine-acre woodland garden created in 1957 in memory of Betty MacDonald’s son Angus. Set around Loch Angus there is an extensive collection of hybrid rhododendrons and azaleas in a natural unspoilt setting with informal paths and magnificent views.

Deirdre’s Sheiling

A remarkable outdoor space created to tell the tale of Deirdre of the Sorrows and her lover Naoise, a story from the Glenmasan Manuscript which links Ireland with Scotland. A gravel track leads to the Sheiling atop Beinn Glas with stunning views across the land where Deirdre and Naoise lived in the 7th Century.

Avich Falls

The River Avich is one of Argyll’s shortest rivers with a series of waterfalls cascading for a mile between Loch Avich and Loch Awe. There are forestry walks through peaceful oakwoods that are home to red squirrel, deer and pine marten.

Carnasserie Castle & Kilmartin Glen

A ruined 16th century tower house located 5km to the south of Ford and built by John Carswell who published the first book to be printed in Scottish Gaelic. 2km further south is Kilmartin Glen with the most important concentration of Neolithic and Bronze age remains on mainland Scotland.

Be inspired

10 things to do in and around Loch Awe | Argyll & the Isles

Loch Awe is Scotland’s longest freshwater loch, stretching 25 miles through glorious Highland landscape. Here are ten of top things to see and do when visiting.

10 great places to eat on a trip to Inveraray | Argyll & the Isles

Inveraray is packed with great places to eat & drink. Whether it is fish & chips, coffee & cake or a special dinner, the eateries of Inveraray will hit the spot

Loch Awe on YouTube

Immerse yourself in all things Loch Awe by watching our dedicated YouTube playlist for food and drink, activities and so much more!

Watch YouTube

Getting here

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Planning your journey

Loch Awe is typically accessed via car or bus along the A85 road to Oban. It can also be accessed from four train stations; Dalmally, Lochawe village, Falls of Cruachan and Taynuilt.

Whether from Oban or Glasgow, let the train take the strain with custom designed racks to accommodate bikes, sporting equipment and large items of luggage.