A DAY TRIP AROUND LOCH AWE

Continuing my series of blog posts with ideas for activities and day trips in mid-Argyll.  This is a lovely day trip from Kings Reach B&B to visit the waterfalls at Dalavich Oakwood, and to stand on the shores of Loch  Awe. There is also a fantastic little cafe at the village store with lovely vegan options. You can then extend the trip to drive around the whole of Loch Awe and visit St. Conan's Kirk and Kilchurn Castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland. 

The village of Dalavich is 18 miles and approx half an hours drive from here. You take the A816 and  B840 to the pretty village of Ford at the southern end of Loch Awe then take the single track B road on the western side of the loch to get to Dalavich. It is a scenic winding route and part of National Cycle Route 78 (the Caledonia Way). You could also cycle here and avoid the main road by cycling through the village of Kilmichael Glassary and Kilmichael glen (behind Kings Reach ) which brings you to the B840 at Ford along a quiet single track road. 

The Dalavich Oakwood Trail is slightly further out the other side of the village. There is a Land & Forestry Scotland car park and two waymarked trails. The Avich Falls Trail is a short and easy walk alongside the river approx 1 1/4 miles, and brings you to the thundering rapids of Avich Falls.

Lovely spot for a picnic

After enjoying a walk in the forest we drove back to the village and visited the Wild Rowan Cafe at the village stores, which had been recommended to us for being vegan friendly.  This is a quaint community stores and cafe and the vegan options are excellent. There is also an outdoor seating area. We both had a delicious vegetable Tempura with rice and a BBQ dip and there were even vegan Magnums for dessert. It was a very hot day so ice cream was most welcome and unexpected. Yes, it does occasionally get hot here on the west coast of Scotland!

After lunch we strolled through the village down to the shores of Loch Awe. It was very peaceful and tranquil. Loch Awe is the longest freshwater loch in Scotland at 25 miles long. 

You can then drive back the same you came but you could also extend your trip and  continue up the west side of Loch Awe right to the top at Taynuilt then turn right onto the A85 and include a visit to St Conan's Kirk at the village of Lochawe with its beautiful lochside setting and amazing architecture. You can find out more about the church HERE. Then carry on along the A85 and don't miss the most photographed castle in Scotland, Kilchurn castle. There is a car park, but it's not very well signed and you can walk across the fields to this beautiful fortress on the shores of the loch. You can find out more HERE. The day we visited was a very hot summer's day in June. The meadows around the castle were lush and green and full of wildflowers and the pink splash of foxgloves. We sat and had a picnic in front of the castle and watched the swallows swooping through the meadow catching insects. It was idyllic and reminded me why I love living in Argyll.

Carry on along the A85 then take a right turn to join the A819 which will take you down the eastern side of  Loch Awe. You will be able to pull over in a roadside parking area and get even more lovely photos of Kilchurn castle with the peak of Ben Cruachan behind it. Ben Cruachan is a munro and is the highest peak in Argyll and Bute.

 Carry on along the A819 and then take a right fork onto the B840 at Cladich  to follow the single track road along the eastern side of Loch Awe which will bring you back down to the the village of Ford. 

So this can be a shorter trip to enjoy the Atlantic rainforest and waterfalls at Dalavich with an excellent vegan lunch stop, or it can be a longer day itinerary which takes you right around the longest freshwater loch in Scotland with a visit to a beautiful church and ancient castle. 

If you want to book a stay at my vegan bed and breakfast the website is HERE