Scottish Lochs - The Underrated Loch Etive

The most famous feature of the loch is the Falls of Lora, a natural phenomena occurring at ebb tides where water cascades over submerged rocks to create spectacular rapids.
These are most popular with kayak enthusiasts and photographers.

Spanning the falls is a cantilever bridge 500ft long, opened in 1913 to complete the railway line from Ballacuillish to Oban.
The bridge was modified in 1966 to take cars and pedestrians, the railway now being defunct.

Travelling east, 5 miles (8km) along the single track road on the north shore is Ardchattan Priory.

Built in Somerleds time in the 12th century by monks of the Valliscaulian order.
Somerled was a great lord of the west coast, part Viking, part Scot. He set up the McDougall clan who's stronghold was Dunstaffnage Castle outside Oban.
It is reported that in 1308 Robert the Bruce held the last Gaelic speaking parliament there, it's aim, to rid Scotland of the English.


Today Ardchattan Priory and gardens are open to the public in the summer months as a major tourist attraction in the area.

From Ardchattan the shoreline bends south into Airds Bay, one the lochs widest points and where human habitation virtually ceases.
In the sheltered basin on the south side of Airds Bay several private boats are moored and are accessed from an old jetty called Kelly's Pier. This is also where the sight seeing trips operate from throughout the summer months
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The river Nant enters the loch here having started in the southern hills and flowed through Taynuilt village.

Taynuilt is the home of Bonawe Furnace.

Founded in 1753 the foundry produced up to 700 tons of iron a year up until it's closure in 1876.
The iron ore was shipped from Furnace in Cumbria as it was more cost effective to bring the ore to the source of the fuel needed for charcoal.
On average, for a single days production of iron, 2 acres of wood were coppiced.
In 1805 around 42000 canonballs were produced at Bonawe, some of these later being used against the French and Spanish at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

On the north side is Bonawe Quarry. This quarry, for generations has supplied rock products to Scotland's transport infrastructure and supplies asphalt to the western isles.









The river Awe enters the loch at Taynuilt bringing with it salmon and trout from Loch Awe.
From here the loch bends north for the last ten miles and is inaccessible to the public by road.
There are small tracks on either side of the loch, but these are mostly private roads to estates scattered along the shore.
Travelling up the loch by boat there is much evidence of human habitation from centuries past, and were it not for the numerous mussel and fish farms nestled along the shore you could imagine you had slipped back in time.

From Bonawe to Gualachulain in the east, the loch is overlooked by imposing peaks, the largest of which is Ben Cruachan lying behind Taynuilt.
This imposing mountain stands at the entrance to the Pass of Brander which follows the route of the River Awe and is the venue for another event in Scottish history at the Pass of Brander.

At the head of the loch are the remains of an old pier and a few derelict buildings. These are left from the nineteenth century when a regular steamboat service ran from Oban carrying passengers. They would disembark here and take a coach up Glen Etive to Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe.
Throughout the year the twin peaks of Buachaille Etive Mor and Buachaille Etive Beag can clearly be seen from the loch anywhere east of Bonawe.