Loch Fyne (May 2023)

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Vital Spark on Loch Fyne at Inveraray

In May last year we had the luxury of three Public Holidays. Of course these days, with both of us retired, such things are meaningless, but with John still working they were a bonus! For the middle holiday we booked a cottage at Crarae Furnace on the shores of Loch Fyne, about half way between Inveraray and Lochgilphead, from which we had beautiful views of the loch shore.

Entrance
Living room
Bedroom
View from bedroom
View from bedroom
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne in the evening

We had arrived a little early to get access to the cottage, so what better than to stop in Inveraray for some fortifying cake and a mooch around the village? We found some interesting artwork, including a sort of Māori / Celtic mash-up, and some pretty cottages. One of those was the birthplace of Neil Munro (1863-1930) who wrote, amongst other things Para Handy, tales of the Captain of a Clyde puffer in the early 20th century. If you’ve read them, or seen any of the television adaptations, you will recognise the name of Para Handy’s boat in the post header – the Vital Spark.

Cake!
Māori / Celtic mash-up
Māori / Celtic mash-up
This way to jail!
Driftwood piper
Oars decoration
Oars decoration
Birthplace of Neil Munro
Birthplace of Neil Munro
Para Handy Cottage

The following day we headed in the other direction to Lochgilphead. We don’t seem to have taken any pictures of the town, but I remember having both morning coffee and an excellent lunch in The Salty Dog Café – highly recommended! In between, we had a short stroll in Kilmory Woodland, notable for some weird looking fungi and a pretty loch.

John at Kilmory
Interesting fungi!
Interesting fungi!
Interesting fungi!
Interesting fungi!
Kilmory Loch
Kilmory Loch
Kilmory Loch

After lunch we headed back towards Crarae, stopping off twice, first at Knock Newhouse which we had noticed was open for the weekend under Scotland’s Gardens Scheme. It was very attractive and, well, there was also a tea stall….

As we seemed to have done little but eat all day, we felt we needed to make more effort to walk it off so followed the signs to the Forestry Commission car park at Ardcastle where we took the yellow trail out to the Point. If there was a story attached to the instruction to turn the stone on entering St Bride’s Graveyard, I have forgotten it – but we complied anyway! The amount of logging was impressive.

Map and trail info
Sign
Turn the stone on entering the graveyard
Anabel turning the stone
John turning the stone
Graveyard overlooking Loch Gair
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne
Anabel at Ardcastle Point
Selfie at Ardcastle Point
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne
Loch Fyne
Pier for logging
Logging

On our last day we returned to Inveraray and climbed the small hill behind the castle, Dun na Cuaiche. I’ve already written about that in May 2023’s Gallivanting post (below) but we appended another short walk after lunch.

Glasgow Gallivanting: May 2023

From the castle, we rambled past the Campbell monument commemorating the execution in 1685 of 17 Campbell leaders by the Marquis of Atholl, crossed a bridge with some 200 year-old graffiti, and admired the dovecote and baby lambs on Carloonan Farm. Passing behind old malting buildings we headed for a steep climb on Queen’s Drive with good views over Loch Fyne, before coming back down into Inveraray past a memorial to Wren Gertrude Canning (1922-42). I assumed given the dates she had died as a result of the war, but in fact she was murdered. A sobering end to our walk!

Campbell Monument
Campbell Monument
Lady’s Linn
Old graffiti on bridge
Crossing Lady’s Linn
Anabel
Carloonan Dovecote
Lambs
Malt Land
Malt Land
View of Loch Fyne
Wren Gertrude Canning

The following day, we packed up and headed home to Glasgow after a lovely long weekend.

I’ve managed to miss this week’s Gallivanting post – life has been busy! Hopefully, a double helping will arrive on Monday.

Scotland, UK , ,

56 Comments »


  4. I’ve only been to that part a couple of times, and both times in transit to/from Oban. I remember one time we were told on the ferry from Mull that the main road east was closed due to a landslide at the hydro place, which was why I took the southerly route! I remember stopping for a break at a forest, which looked much like yours… I had photos of the boys (Fred, George Victor & Hugo) enjoying the grass in the clearing. Then there was the decision to go via Loch Lomond or the ferry south. After that I probably didn’t stop until we were in Yorkshire :) 

    Come to think of it , the other time I did take the ferry up from Glasgow and drove up Loch Fyne… that would have been from London as it would have been pre-guinea pigs. I think I still stopped over at Penrith even then.

    Sigh… miss those days – and the scenery 🙂

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  5. I think I was driven along Loch Fyne once, on a business trip to Glasgow a long, long time ago (don’t ask why we were skivving off for the afternoon!). I know it’s known for oysters but does Finny haddock come from there too?

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  11. Your post brought back happy memories of our last visit to Inveraray a couple of years ago. I had forgotten how magical a Scottish loch in the early morning, when few people are about, can be. Wonderful!

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  14. You are getting as bad as Jo with all the cake! I suppose it is allowed as you do a lot of walking too, though I think it takes a lot of steps to use up the calories. All I know about Loch Fyne is the restaurant chain where we have had some fabulous meals, I was shocked to see that they all closed last November.

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  19. The cottage looks nice and I like the picture on the wall behind your head. You certainly had a good view from the bedroom but I wouldn’t want to try sitting up in bed with that sloping ceiling.

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  22. You’ve done better than me. I used to take my folks there as they liked Inveraray but after that first trip and a walk round the town then up to the folly, leaving the car for them in the local car park to have lunch in , a rest, or for unforeseen heath issues there was very little in that town in the surroundings for me to enjoy in a hill walking sense. Unlike Largs, Oban or Linlithgow with loads of scenic day walks and small hills of interest. Mostly monotone thick pine forests around Inveraray I found. Just finished the Para Handy book, for the 3rd time in 40 years. Still good and an accurate record of olden day West Coast affairs.

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    • You’re right, I don’t think we’ve ever stayed there, though in the days when we went further for day trips we would go there sometimes. I tend not to have a particular place in mind, just a date and then see what the nicest accommodation available is!

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