20 Attractions to Explore Near Cruachan Dam

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.

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.

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.

It is the longest lake in scotland measuring 24 miles from northeast to southwest, situated in Argyll and Bute council area. It has also given its name to a village on its banks, variously known as Loch Awe, or Lochawe. There are islands within the loch such as Innis Chonnell and Inishail. Traditionally Loch Awe was the home of Clan Macarthur, later followed by Clan Campbell. Highlights to see include 2 picturesque castles, a remarkable early 20th-century church, an 18th-century industrial site.

Beinn nan Aighenan is a remote mountain near the head of Glen Kinglass. It is an isolated mountain, the most popular routes to its summit are from either Glen Kinglass or a climb above the ridge from Glen Etive. It also offers beautiful views form here.

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.

The river Orchy is a rain fed pool drop river. Recent gold mining exploration has occurred in one of the river's glens just outside the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. There are islands within the river including a large wooded one about 1 mi above Inverlochy Castle. The river is famous for kayaking, whitewater rafting, and fishing. Recent gold mining exploration has occurred in one of the river's glens just outside the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Beinn a' Chleibh is a Scottish mountain. It is linked to Ben Lui by a short ridge. It is regarded as one of the grandest and most elegant mountains in the Southern Highlands, with a magnificent appearance when seen up the Cononish Glen from Dalrigh.

Beinn Sgulaird is a Scottish mountain located between Glen Creran and Glen Etive in the southern highlands. It has a height of 937 m and is classed as a Munro. The mountain takes the form of a long ridge which runs from southwest to northeast, three kilometres of which lie above 800 m. Hillwalkers commonly traverse the ridge from north to south, as this gives the best views of the Hebrides to the west, in particular the Isle of Mull.

Glen Etive is a valley in the Highlands of Scotland. The River Etive flows through the valley, the river and its tributaries are popular with whitewater kayakers. A narrow road runs down the valley, serving several houses and farms.

Ben Lui is a graceful peak, considered by many people to be the finest mountain in the Southern Highlands. It is the highest and most famous of a group of four Munros that lie south of Glen Lochy, and about 10 km north of the top end of Loch Lomond. The other three peaks in the group are Beinn a' Chleibh, Ben Oss and Beinn Dubhchraig. One of the iconic summit for a challenging trek and also it offers beautiful views too.

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.

Loch Creran, situated at the northern end of the Firth of Lorn, is a typical fjordic sea loch. This loch has four deep basins separated by rocky sills. The conditions change from the entrance of the loch to its head. The site is particularly notable for biogenic reefs of the calcareous tube-worm Serpula vermicularis, which occur in shallow water around the periphery of the loch.

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 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.

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.

Ben Oss is a Scottish mountain situated in the Stirling Council area, six kilometres south west of the village of Tyndrum within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Ben Oss reaches a height of 1029 metres and qualifies as a Munro and a Marilyn. The mountain is quite rocky and craggy being composed of mica schist rock. It offers a good trek and also beautiful panoramic views too.

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.