Cowal Peninsula, Scotland

 Introduction

This afternoon, I am reprising a visit to Scotland's Cowal Peninsula during a heatwave.

 Swimming in River Eachaig

 Information on the Cowal Peninsula trip

In the normal course of events the terms ‘Scotland’ and ‘outdoor swimming’ are mutually exclusive, but not today. The West of Scotland is currently subject to a heat wave resulting in temperatures on a par with Hawaii.

To benefit from the unusual climatic conditions my wife and myself drove to Gourock (about 30 miles NW of Glasgow) on the Firth of Clyde and then connected with a ferry transfer to Dunoon.Thence onward to our destination of Glen Massan through which flows the River Eachaig.Our trip entailed passing through a valley floor with sheep, horses and haymaking in process. The mountains on either side were heavily wooded (commercial forestry).

Glen Massan

Haymaking in Glen Massan

Marina, Holy Loch

Holy Loch and Kilmun

We were fortunate to find an isolated spot where the river was deep enough for swimming in River Eachaig

Later, we returned via a brief excursion to the ancient settlement of Kilmun which has a parish church with a history (as a Christian site) dating back to the 7th century AD. By the 15th century, the significance of Kilmun as a local centre of Christianity was so great that the adjacent loch became known as the Holy Loch, and the powerful Clan Campbell adopted it as their spiritual home.

Kilmun Parish Church (19th c)

Video clip of Holy Loch and Firth of Clyde

 

 

More information for the visitor

The publication Visitors’ Guide to Scotland contains a section on the Clyde Coast plus a vast array of additional information on Scotland and it’s islands. The ISBN is 978-1-9161332-0-4. This is also available via Kindle.