Taynuilt

The main attraction though, is Bonawe Iron Furnace, north of the village on the shores of Loch Etive. Founded in 1753 by a group of Cumbrian ironmasters, Bonawe used the abundant woodlands of Argyll to make charcoal to fire its massive furnace. At its height, it produced 600-700 tons of pig-iron a year. This was then shipped out to the forges of England and Wales. Iron production ceased at Bonawe in 1876 and it has now been restored as an industrial heritage site, with displays explaining the whole production process. Apr-Sep, daily 0930-1830, £3.50, concession £2.50, children £1.50. Tel. 822432

Walking Loch Awe

These routes are all outlined, with accompanying maps, in the Forestry Commission leaflet, 'A Guide to Forest Walks and Trails in North Argyll', available at tourist offices.

A single-track road runs southwest of Kilchrenan along the shores of Loch Awe to the tiny villages of Dalavich and Ford, through the very beautiful Inverinan Forest, a Forestry Commission property which has a series of undemanding marked trails running through the hills overlooking the loch.

The first walk starts out from the little hamlet of Inverinan. Red waymarkers lead you from the car park into the woods surrounding the gorge of the River Inan. Part of the route follows the old drove road along which cattle were driven from the Highlands down to the markets in south and central Scotland. The walk is three miles long and should take around an hour and a half.

Further along the road, half a mile north of Dalavich, is a car park at Barnaline Lodge, the starting point for a nine-mile bike route, a waymarked walk through the Caledonian Forest Reserve, and a couple of other woodland walks. The longest of the walks is the five-mile route that leads along the River Avich, then along the shores of Loch Avich before returning to the lodge.

Two and a half miles south of Dalavich is a car park, which marks the starting point for a blue waymarked walk along the shores of Loch Awe. The route passes through Mackenzie's Grove, a sheltered gorge containing some of the largest conifers on the west coast. The route then runs along the shores of the loch, from where you can see the remains of a crannog, one of over 40 of these Iron-Age settlements on Loch Awe. The route then heads back to the car park; about three miles in total.