Walking on the Cowal Peninsula
- Cowal Pilgrim Way revival
- South Argyll on the banks of the River Clyde
- Where the Hills & Glens meet the Sea
- Guided Weekend Walking Breaks for Summer 2021
Just an hour’s drive from Glasgow, down the River Clyde to Gourock, then a short ferry journey to Dunoon you arrive in Argyllshire. It’s hard to believe that this landscape of hills, glens and sea lochs is on the doorstep of Scotland’s largest conurbation. From Dunoon, a 10-minute drive around the head of the Holy Loch brings you to the tiny parish of Kilmun. In old Scots, the prefix ”Kil” means ”Saint” and the village is named for Saint Munn an early Christian monk who, like Columba, travelled here from Ireland to spread the Christian faith.
Today, we’re meeting a local guide who has walked and mapped 60 miles of paths that form a continuous trail across the Cowal Peninsula. He’s explored the southern reaches of Argyll that are washed by the river Clyde and its sea lochs. This pilgrim trail passes historical sites related to Munn and the area is peppered with tiny villages and small towns, as well as large private estates and some lovely hideaway houses and hotels. The base is the pretty towered Kilmun Church which has recently been acquired by the community to develop as a centre for walkers, historians and lovers of nature.
Our walk took us through Puck’s Glen, an atmospheric deep gorge walk cut by a rushing stream that breaks into little pools and waterfalls as you descend to the gorge floor. The music of the water and the lush sodden vegetation of mosses, shamrock and old trees really do delight the senses. Emerging from the Glen, oystercatchers fly overhead, a reminder that the sea is never far away.
