LOCHGILPHEAD AND DALRIADA

You can sit at home and watch documentaries about ancient history and nature or you can come here to see and live them for yourself.

Lochgilphead is the modern capital of Argyll and Bute, displacing the older seat of power at Inveraray but the town and its surrounds can boast a much, much older claim.

Dunadd, an imposing crag just outside the town was used as an Iron Age hill fort and then as the stronghold of Dál Riata an ancient kingdom which straddled the North Channel with lands in Northern Ireland and Argyll.

Lochgilphead and its surrounding area is incredible, with the ancient standing stones at Kilmartin spreading out across the landscape.

Then you have the Mòine Mhòr, the Great Moss in Gaelic, alongside. This is a national reserve, protecting one of Scotland’s oldest landscapes and a haven of wildlife.

Instead of the dawn of time, how about the dawn of the industrial revolution with the Crinan Canal – a feat of civil engineering saving time and the difficult journey around the Mull of Kintyre and now known as Britain’s most beautiful shortcut.

Scottish Canals is investing and reinventing the canal at Ardrishaig, with a new community hub, the Egg Shed, and where you can see a scaled down copy of the famous Kelpies of Falkirk.

The western entrance at Crinan is a gem with breath-taking views over to Jura, or you could take a wee detour down into Knapdale.

This whole area is a landscape you can lose yourself in. Yes you can have history, both human and natural, and geology lessons here but you cut loose and just enjoy being in such an incredible outdoor space and cycle, ride, walk, run, hike, sail, kayak and swim to your heart’s content.

Then head back to Lochgilphead and the surrounding villages for wonderful shopping, eating and accommodation.