Day 47: Ardrishaig to Fincharn Castle, Argyll

Virtual Walk: Scotland 2021

20th February 2021: 98.07km walked today taking the total to 4811.38/8868km. 13% of 97 entries submitting 754.35km.

Today we visit Ardrishaig and Lochgilphead before walking above Loch Fyne to Inveraray and then on to Loch Awe.

Route 15: Oban to Fort William

Ardrishaig with its harbour, little lighthouse and grey houses was largely created because of the Crinan Canal and it lies on the side of a hill on the west side of Loch Gilp just north of where it joins Loch Fyne. At the canal basin, we wander the sea lock and the harbour before going to the Egg Shed, a building transformed by a Scottish Canals partnership into a heritage and community hub, which opened in 2019. The Egg Shed is named after the building’s former use for the storage of eggs in transit, and as well as being a community centre, it tells the story of the Crinan Canal and the surrounding communities.

From Ardrishaig, we walk to Lochgilphead which, as its name suggests, sits at the head of Loch Gilp, a small sea loch which is an offshoot of the much larger Loch Fyne. In the late 18th century, Lochgilphead was laid out as a planned town, after completion of the Inveraray to Campbeltown road, and the town grew in importance after the opening of the Crinan Canal. In 1975, Lochgilphead was chosen as the location of the Argyll and Bute District Council headquarters, which are based at nearby Kilmory Castle within a beautiful woodland park.

From Lochgilphead, we cross the headland between Loch Gilp and Loch Fyne through Kilmichael Forest, following the Dippen Burn at first, then a trail leading us to Loch Glashen. We walk around its south end, across a dam, then head down towards Loch Fyne. A short diversion can be made to visit the tiny Risby Loch, a haven for dragonflies.

When we reach the road, we walk along it through woodland until we reach Tullochgorm, where we can take a detour to Minard Castle on the side of Loch Fyne. This castle was built by the Campbells of Knockbuie in the 18th Century and was originally called Knockbuie House. In the mid-19th century, a new castellated front was added, designed by J.T. Rochead, who also designed the Wallace Monument in Stirling.

Returning to the road we continue along it reaching Loch Fyne at Minard before reaching Crarae Gardens. This garden was started in 1912 by Sir Archibald and Lady Campbell of Succoth, who began planting specimen trees around their house. The gardens thrive here due to the mild climate and high rainfall.

Following the road again after leaving Crarae Gardens we reach Furnace before heading inland around Dun Leacainn. Furnace, originally called Inverlecainn, was renamed because of the old smelting works which were built here in 1755. It is possible to visit the old iron furnace as well as the gunpowder works. From Furnace, we take a path through woodland skirting around Dun Leacainn hill. Just before we near the road we can divert to see the Wolf Stone. This is where, it is said, the last wolf in Argyll was shot. Keeping on the path, up steps and round a ravine we reach Auchindrain Museum.

Auchindrain Museum is a museum of houses and other buildings from a Highland farming township dating from 200 years ago but, unusually, it is where people lived and worked right up until the 1960s. In a township, groups of families lived together sharing the land and the work, growing their own food, and breeding cattle (and later sheep). They were most common in the north and west of Scotland and evolved so that people could survive in very difficult conditions, having few possessions and very little money. In fact, in Auchindrain there is a weaving loom which was made in 1760 from scavenged driftwood.

When it was found that more could be produced from the land using new ways of farming the townships and people living there were seen as an obstacle to change so the townships were in lots of cases demolished and the people moved on - ‘The Highland Clearances’. By around 1850 most townships had gone. Auchindrain is unusual in that it was not divided into crofts, rebuilt as a farm, or demolished to make way for sheep grazing or a private shooting estate, so it retains much of the character and layout of a traditional township with a scattering of simple buildings.

Leaving Auchindrain we follow the road which heads back to the shore of Loch Fyne which we follow before reaching Inveraray which is located where Loch Fyne meets Loch Shira. The town which exists today was built as a planned new town between 1753 and 1776 by the 3rd Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell, close to his seat of Inveraray Castle. It was built south of the original village, so it was out of sight of the castle and the original village was demolished. Where the original village was is now parkland between the castle and the sea. The new town was built with straight streets and whitewashed houses all made from stone. It had houses for estate workers, a mill and a pier for herring fishing.

As we approach Inveraray we turn left at The Avenue before turning right. In front of us, we can see the All Saints Bell Tower which dominates the skyline. This bell tower was built by the 10th Duke of Argyll to commemorate the members of Clan Campbell who died in World War 1. It took 10 years to build and was finished in 1931. It has a ring of 10 bells which are the second-heaviest ring of 10 bells in the world, the heaviest being in Wells Cathedral. It’s possible to climb the 176 steps to see the bells and the view from the top of the tower.

From the Bell Tower, we head past Inveraray Parish Church which is in the centre of the town. It was built between 1795 and 1802 and was originally 2 churches under one roof. Glenaray Church was for Gaelic worshippers and was in the north end and Inveraray Church was for English speakers. With the decline in Gaelic speakers, the Gaelic church was changed into the church hall in 1957. The church originally had a tall narrow spire, but this was deemed unsafe and removed in 1941, leaving the church looking more like a town hall.

We then visit Inveraray Jail and Courthouse which was originally opened in 1820. The jail was the principal one in Argyll although it had only 8 cold, damp cells. Airing yards were added in 1843 which provided a secure place for prisoners to exercise in the open air, then in 1848, a new prison was completed. Inveraray Jail finally closed in 1889, as compared to the larger city prisons, it was expensive and inefficient to run. The courthouse and jail were opened as a visitor attraction in 1989 and shows what prison conditions were like from medieval times right up until the 19th century.

From the jail, we pass Inveraray Harbour before walking to Inveraray Castle. As we walk to the castle, we can see the tower on Dun na Cruaiche, high above the humped back bridge which spans the River Aray and was built in 1775. Looking back from here there are good views of Inveraray.

Inveraray Castle is an 18th-century turreted castle, the seat of Clan Campbell and the home of the Duke of Argyll. There has been an Inveraray Castle since the 15th century although the one which we see today was started in 1746 to a design by the architects’ Roger Morris and William Adam. It took 43 years to build and by that time both the original architects had died so it was finished by Adam’s sons, James, and Robert. Due to when it was built, Inveraray Castle is one of the earliest Gothic Revival buildings. The castle was altered after a fire in 1877 when the third floor was added as well as the conical roofs to the corner towers. Around the castle, there are magnificent gardens including about 2 acres of formal lawns and a collection of plants and flowers which thrive in the mild Argyll climate. The 2012 Christmas episode of ‘Downtown Abbey’ was partly filmed here, the castle portraying the fictional ‘Duneagle Castle’.

From the castle, we climb past lime and conifer trees, as well as the remains of a lime kiln, to the tower on Dun na Cuaiche. Dun na Cuaiche means the ‘hill of the cup, bowl or quaiche’ and is at a height of 248 metres, giving great views of Inveraray Castle, Inveraray itself and Loch Fyne.

After climbing down from Dun na Cuaiche we head north alongside the River Aray, passing a white circular doocot before reaching Carloonan Bridge. We don’t cross this but keep on the old military road, through Glen Aray, which allows us to keep off the A819 for a bit longer. Unfortunately, we must eventually join the A819 for most of the last 8 kilometres to Cladich, as there is no alternative to walking north along this road, so we must be careful!

After walking along the A819 for some time we reach a ruin at Taynafead where we turn left and take the old military road into the forest for a short time before coming back onto the A819. Just before we reach Cladich we turn left and take the B840 west, a quiet single-track road, to reach Loch Awe. Loch Awe is the longest of Scotland’s freshwater lochs at 40 kilometres long and is renowned for its trout fishing. It is said that it was created by a witch when she became tired after herding deer and fell asleep on the top of Ben Cruachan, where a well she was tending overflowed, ran down the mountain and formed Loch Awe.

When we reach Cladich we turn west and catch glimpses of Loch Awe which is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland at 40 kilometres long. It is not until after we pass Ardbrecknish though that we reach the shores of Loch Awe. At Ardbrecknish there is Ardbrecknish House which is said to date originally from the 15th century. It is the oldest surviving and still habitable building on the shores of Loch Awe. It has been extended over the years: in the mid-19th century it was a shooting lodge, in the early 20th century it was a hotel, and it is now let out as self-catering accommodation.

Soon we arrive at Portsonachan on the shore of Loch Awe where there was once a ferry which ran across the loch to the other side at Taychreggan at one of the narrowest parts of the loch. This was once used by cattle drovers to shorten their route to get to market.

After walking a further 13 kilometres along the road which runs along the shore, we arrive at Innis Chonnel Castle, also known as Ardchonnel Castle, which sits on an island just offshore. It is difficult to see as the shore here is heavily wooded, as is the island where the castle sits. This castle was built in the first part of the 13th century and was one of the earliest strongholds of Clan Campbell although it may have belonged to the MacDougalls before this. In the late 15th century, the Campbell Clan moved their seat from here to Inveraray Castle and Innis Chonnel was then used as a prison. It has been a ruin since the early 19th century.

Continuing along the shore we reach Eredine where we find the Kintail Birds of Prey centre. This is a private falconry centre where people can learn how to handle and fly a selection of native birds of prey. Further west we reach Braevallich where there are two gardens, one at the farm and an upper one, both of which are part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme. These have been developed over the last 30 to 40 years, with the upper garden being developed out of a birch and oak wood with two burns with waterfalls. It is a lovely place to wander around.

We then pass the ruins of another castle, Fincharn Castle, which sits on a rocky promontory on the side of Loch Awe. Not much is known about the history of this castle, but it may date from the 13th century when the barony of Fincharn was awarded to Gillescop MacGilchrist.