Loch Etive - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

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.

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.

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.

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.