Dunoon

Dunoon is the ferry port and only town on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands. It's 30 miles (48 km) from Glasgow yet cut off by Loch Long to the east and Loch Fyne to the west. The peninsula is broken up by the inlets of Loch Goil, Holy Loch and Loch Striven, so the roads have to wind around. A narrow channel separates Cowal from the island of Bute. The area is hilly, containing the "Arrochar Alps" or Argyll Forest, the western portion of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

• Benmore Botanic Gardens, Uig, Dunoon PA23 8QU (On A815, +44 1369 706261. Daily Mar & Oct 10:00-17:00, Apr-Sept 10:00-18:00. 120-acre estate managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, you enter through a towering avenue of 150-year old redwoods. RBGE have placed many of their Chinese and Himalayan collections here, where the climate suits. Wear sturdy shoes. Adult £7.
• Kilmun Arboretum. is on the hillside north of Holy Loch: suddenly you're among sequoia, redwoods, Oregon maple and eucalyptus. Deliberately non-native: over 260 species were planted here in 1930 to see what would grow in Scottish conditions, and these are the survivors.
• Castle House Museum, near the ferry pier, is open M-Sa 10:00-16:00, adult £3.
• Castles around Cowal are mostly just scenic stumps, you come for the view. These are
  • Dunoon Castle survives only as a hillock above the harbour, though it had artillery emplacements during World War II.
  • Hafton Castle by Hunters Quay is a lodge with mock castellations, available for upscale self-catering at £7000 / week.
  • Dunans Castle. on A886 above Ormidale is a 19th-century baronial "castle" ruined by fire in 2001 and unsafe to enter.
  • Old Castle Lachlan. on B8000 at Cairndow - the nearby New Castle Lachlan is a baronial pile used for weddings and so on.
  • MacEwan Castle. is by Kilfinnan, further south on B8000. You'll need to use your imagination with this medieval lump.
  • The original Toward Castle 6 miles south of Dunoon is within the grounds of the 19th-century "castle" (serving 1942-46 as HMS Brontosaurus, making it Scotland's only castle to operate as a Royal Navy ship named after a dinosaur). The castle was sold in 2016 to private owners so you cannot visit.
  • Carrick Castle below Lochgoilhead is a long way round by road, and it's closed for restoration.

Benmore Botanic Gardens, Uig, Dunoon PA23 8QU (On A815, +44 1369 706261. Daily Mar & Oct 10:00-17:00, Apr-Sept 10:00-18:00. 120-acre estate managed by the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh, you enter through a towering avenue of 150-year old redwoods. RBGE have placed many of their Chinese and Himalayan collections here, where the climate suits. Wear sturdy shoes. Adult £7.

Kilmun Arboretum. is on the hillside north of Holy Loch: suddenly you're among sequoia, redwoods, Oregon maple and eucalyptus. Deliberately non-native: over 260 species were planted here in 1930 to see what would grow in Scottish conditions, and these are the survivors.

Castle House Museum, near the ferry pier, is open M-Sa 10:00-16:00, adult £3.

Castles around Cowal are mostly just scenic stumps, you come for the view. These are

• Dunoon Castle survives only as a hillock above the harbour, though it had artillery emplacements during World War II.
• Hafton Castle by Hunters Quay is a lodge with mock castellations, available for upscale self-catering at £7000 / week.
• Dunans Castle. on A886 above Ormidale is a 19th-century baronial "castle" ruined by fire in 2001 and unsafe to enter.
• Old Castle Lachlan. on B8000 at Cairndow - the nearby New Castle Lachlan is a baronial pile used for weddings and so on.
• MacEwan Castle. is by Kilfinnan, further south on B8000. You'll need to use your imagination with this medieval lump.
• The original Toward Castle 6 miles south of Dunoon is within the grounds of the 19th-century "castle" (serving 1942-46 as HMS Brontosaurus, making it Scotland's only castle to operate as a Royal Navy ship named after a dinosaur). The castle was sold in 2016 to private owners so you cannot visit.
• Carrick Castle below Lochgoilhead is a long way round by road, and it's closed for restoration.

Castles around Cowal are mostly just scenic stumps, you come for the view. These are

• Dunoon Castle survives only as a hillock above the harbour, though it had artillery emplacements during World War II.
• Hafton Castle by Hunters Quay is a lodge with mock castellations, available for upscale self-catering at £7000 / week.
• Dunans Castle. on A886 above Ormidale is a 19th-century baronial "castle" ruined by fire in 2001 and unsafe to enter.
• Old Castle Lachlan. on B8000 at Cairndow - the nearby New Castle Lachlan is a baronial pile used for weddings and so on.
• MacEwan Castle. is by Kilfinnan, further south on B8000. You'll need to use your imagination with this medieval lump.
• The original Toward Castle 6 miles south of Dunoon is within the grounds of the 19th-century "castle" (serving 1942-46 as HMS Brontosaurus, making it Scotland's only castle to operate as a Royal Navy ship named after a dinosaur). The castle was sold in 2016 to private owners so you cannot visit.
• Carrick Castle below Lochgoilhead is a long way round by road, and it's closed for restoration.

Castles around Cowal are mostly just scenic stumps, you come for the view. These are

• Dunoon Castle survives only as a hillock above the harbour, though it had artillery emplacements during World War II.
• Hafton Castle by Hunters Quay is a lodge with mock castellations, available for upscale self-catering at £7000 / week.
• Dunans Castle. on A886 above Ormidale is a 19th-century baronial "castle" ruined by fire in 2001 and unsafe to enter.
• Old Castle Lachlan. on B8000 at Cairndow - the nearby New Castle Lachlan is a baronial pile used for weddings and so on.
• MacEwan Castle. is by Kilfinnan, further south on B8000. You'll need to use your imagination with this medieval lump.
• The original Toward Castle 6 miles south of Dunoon is within the grounds of the 19th-century "castle" (serving 1942-46 as HMS Brontosaurus, making it Scotland's only castle to operate as a Royal Navy ship named after a dinosaur). The castle was sold in 2016 to private owners so you cannot visit.
• Carrick Castle below Lochgoilhead is a long way round by road, and it's closed for restoration.

• Walks: Walk Highlands describe routes for 18 good local walks. Easiest and closest to town is Pucks Glen, a short hike through an atmospheric ravine. Beinn Mhòr (741 m / 2431 ft) is the peak west of Lock Eck, a 5-hour hike via Glen Massan. Toughest of all is the 55 mile Loch Lomond & Cowal Way, which takes a week.
• Cycle: agreeable routes are along the coast north round Holy Loch to Strone and Ardentinny; and along Loch Eck and up Glen Massan. The Five Ferries, often done as a charity challenge, is a one day cycle itinerary from Ardrossan, across Arran to Tarbert, then to Portavadie and Colintraive, finally across Bute to Wemyss Bay.
• Treasure Trails: you buy a booklet online for £7, it sets you a murder mystery that takes you walking round Dunoon while solving clues.
• See "Sleep" entry for Hunters Quay Holiday Village.
• Riverside Leisure Centre is on Dunoon promenade 400 yards north of the ferry pier. It has a gym and swimming pool. It's open M-Th 06:30-20:30, F 06:30-19:30, Sa Su 08:00-16:30.
• Cowal Highland Gathering is held at the end of August in Dunoon, with pipe bands, caber-tossing and so on. The next event is 27-29 Aug 2020.

Walks: Walk Highlands describe routes for 18 good local walks. Easiest and closest to town is Pucks Glen, a short hike through an atmospheric ravine. Beinn Mhòr (741 m / 2431 ft) is the peak west of Lock Eck, a 5-hour hike via Glen Massan. Toughest of all is the 55 mile Loch Lomond & Cowal Way, which takes a week.

Cycle: agreeable routes are along the coast north round Holy Loch to Strone and Ardentinny; and along Loch Eck and up Glen Massan. The Five Ferries, often done as a charity challenge, is a one day cycle itinerary from Ardrossan, across Arran to Tarbert, then to Portavadie and Colintraive, finally across Bute to Wemyss Bay.

Treasure Trails: you buy a booklet online for £7, it sets you a murder mystery that takes you walking round Dunoon while solving clues.

See "Sleep" entry for Hunters Quay Holiday Village.

Riverside Leisure Centre is on Dunoon promenade 400 yards north of the ferry pier. It has a gym and swimming pool. It's open M-Th 06:30-20:30, F 06:30-19:30, Sa Su 08:00-16:30.

Cowal Highland Gathering is held at the end of August in Dunoon, with pipe bands, caber-tossing and so on. The next event is 27-29 Aug 2020.

Morrison's on John St is open M-Sa 07:00-22:00, Su 08:00-20:00.

• 51st State & La Cantina is a bar, grill and pizzeria at 200 Argyll St, with occasional live music. It's open daily 10:00-22:30.
• Several fish & chips places, and New Bombay at 72 Argyll St is open daily 16:00-23:00.
• Inver Restaurant is on B8000 facing Old Castle Lachlan. It's open Apr-Oct W-Su 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-20:30; March Th-Su and Nov to mid-Dec F-Su same hours.
• See Inveraray for the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar on A83.

51st State & La Cantina is a bar, grill and pizzeria at 200 Argyll St, with occasional live music. It's open daily 10:00-22:30.

Several fish & chips places, and New Bombay at 72 Argyll St is open daily 16:00-23:00.

Inver Restaurant is on B8000 facing Old Castle Lachlan. It's open Apr-Oct W-Su 12:00-14:30 & 18:30-20:30; March Th-Su and Nov to mid-Dec F-Su same hours.

• MacClure's at Ferry Brae just off Argyll Street is a drouthy traditional pub, open M-F 11:00-00:00, Sa 11:00-02:00, Su 12:30-00:00. Hold your nose in the toilets.
• Other bars in Dunoon are The Clansman, Ingram's, the Victoria and the Lorne Dunoon.
• Out of town, The Whistlefield (see "Sleep") is the best for a traditional atmosphere. Or try The Coylet Inn on the same road, which also has rooms and a restaurant, or Strone Inn on the far shore of Holy Loch.

MacClure's at Ferry Brae just off Argyll Street is a drouthy traditional pub, open M-F 11:00-00:00, Sa 11:00-02:00, Su 12:30-00:00. Hold your nose in the toilets.

• North to A83, then either west for Inveraray, Oban or Kintyre; or east to Tarbet on Loch Lomond thence Glasgow.
• Reach the Isle of Bute via Colintraive, or Tarbert (Loch Fyne) via Portavadie.