20 Attractions to Explore Near Loch Awe

The West Island Way is a long distance footpath which explores the isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde. The route opened in September 2000 as part of Bute's millennium celebrations, and was the first waymarked long distance route on a Scottish island. It is a fairly easy walk of approximately 48 kilometres, passing through seashore, moorland, farmland and forest.

The majestic ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell, and the iconic, must-see visitor attraction on the West Coast of Scotland. The self-guided tour takes you through 13 rooms on 3 different levels so you get to see the luxurious rooms that would have been visited by guests of the Duke as well as the Kitchen and basement area where servants would have worked. It was one of the iconic attractions in this area and attracts a lot of tourists.

Inveraray Jail is a living museum where real people portray life in a 19th century prison. The two-storied prison has three-foot-thick walls of rough hewn red stone and originally contained cells on both floors, eight in total. Step back in time and experience the true stories of what life was like for the men, women and children – some as young as seven – who were tried and locked up here all those years ago.

A majestic marvel of the modern engineering in a breathtaking location on the slopes of Ben Cruachan. The buttress-style dam is 316 metres long and 46 meters high at its tallest point. The reservoir contained behind the dam can store more than 10 million cubic metres of water. It is one of only four pumped storage power stations in the UK, and is capable of providing a black start capability to the National Grid.

St Conan's Kirk is an extraordinary early 20th-century church on the shore of Loch Awe, built by Walter Douglas Campbell. The unique church has no level foundations, and features some unconventional architectural details. It was now one of the famous pilgrimage sites in this area and attracts a lot of tourists too.

A majestic ruin of a fortress, a comfortable residence and later a garrison stronghold, and contains the oldest surviving barracks on the British mainland. It was built in the mid-1400s, and it remained the base of the mighty Campbells of Glenorchy for 150 years. It is now in the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is open to the public in summer.

A beautiful botanical garden which covers 25 acres of hillside, amongst one of Scotland's most beautiful landscapes, around the head of Loch Fyne. There are exceptional collection of Rhododendrons, some of the largest conifers in Britain and many other interesting trees and shrubs.

Loch Etive is a 30 km sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It reaches the sea at Connel, 5 km north of Oban. It measures 31.6 km long and from 1.2 km to 1.6 km wide. Its depth varies greatly, up to a maximum of 150 m. The narrow mouth of the loch results in its most unusual feature, the Falls of Lora. Part of the north bank has been designated a Special Area of Conservation in particular due to old sessile oak woods.

McCaig's Tower and Battery Hill is a prominent tower on Battery Hill overlooking the town of Oban in Argyll, Scotland. It is built of Bonawe granite taken from the quarries across Airds Bay. Built in 1897 by local banker John Stuart McCaig, the aim of the tower was to provide work for local stonemasons and a lasting monument to the McCaig family. The gardens inside the tower are well maintained and are a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of town life in Oban.

Staffa, uninhabited Atlantic island of the Inner Hebrides, Scotland, situated 6 miles off the island of Mull and 33 miles west of Oban. The island came to prominence in the late 18th century after a visit by Sir Joseph Banks. The island’s distinctive six-sided columns of rock are formed from basalt, the same as the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland. The latter's Hebrides Overture brought further fame to the island, which was by then uninhabited.

Oban Distillery is both one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and one of the smallest with just two pot stills. It has only two pot stills, making it one of the smallest in Scotland, producing a whisky that has been described as having a "West Highland" flavour that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands.

Beinn Bhuidhe is a 948 metres Munro that lies separately from the main body of the Arrochar Alps. It is a large mountain with three ridges like the prongs of a trident pointing SW. The longest ridge is the more southern of the three to Clachan Hill, the shortest the more northern to Beinn an t-Sidhein. It was an iconic attraction which has atrekking route and also there are so many adventure options too.

Dunollie Castle is a small ruined castle located on a hill north of the town of Oban, on the west coast of Scotland in Argyll. Discover the 1745 Laird's House which holds the fascinating history of the the MacDougall Family and Servants Quarters, including our temporary "Women of Dunollie" exhibition featuring some of the most beautiful pieces from our textile collection.

This is a rural beach that offers wonderful coastal views and gloriously soft sands. Walk along the coast of Ganavan Bay, admiring the views of the islands of Mull and Lismore. Swim in the waters off the coast carefully. The coastal and quiet road from Oban to Ganavan Sands is widely used by the local community for walks, running and cycling.

Arduaine Garden is a place of peace on a wild shore, which has a twenty acre coastal garden situated on the southern slope of a promontory beside the Sound of Jura. Arduaine is well-known in rhododendron circles for its wonderful collection of species and hybrids. The garden nurtures plants from across the globe – from East Asia to South America.

Dunstaffnage Castle is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland, stands on a huge cliff in northern Scotland overlooking the Firth of Lorn and the entrance to Loch Etive. In Scottish, a firth is a long estuary, similar to a fjord, and a loch is a mostly landlocked bay. It consists of a massive 13th-century curtain wall, with round towers, and an altered 16th-century gatehouse. Ranges of buildings within the walls contained a hall and kitchen.

A ruined castle which was built to dominate the Sound of Kerrera which was once part of a major maritime route for vessels sailing between the mainland and the Inner Hebrides. The castle consisted of a four storey 'L' plan Tower House that was built in the Scots Baronial style. The ground floor consisted of a vaulted store and an access passageway that led to a small courtyard occupying the area to the edge of the cliff as well as the adjoined Stair Tower.

Carnasserie Castle is a late 16th-century tower house guarding the northern approach to Kilmartin Glen. Built in the style of a tower house, it was given a distinctly medieval look but this is deceptive; comfort was the overriding priority in the design and construction of the castle. The castle is an accomplished piece of architecture, laid out as a single building integrating both a five-storey tower house and a hall range.

Lunga is one of the Slate Islands in the Firth of Lorn in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The surrounding seas are fished for prawns and scallops and there is a salmon farm off the south eastern shores. The Special Area of Conservation of which the island is part hosts a growing number of outdoor leisure pursuits.

Beinn an Lochain is a mountain in the Arrochar Alps, southern Scotland. It remains a popular mountain, and is often quoted as an example of an interesting mountain below 3000 feet to show that there is more to mountaineering in Scotland than just Munro-bagging.