The Loch Lomond and Cowal Way is a waymarked footpath in
Argyll and Bute
Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...
, Scotland, which runs between
Portavadie
Portavadie () is a village on the shores of Loch Fyne on the coast of the Cowal Peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, West of Scotland.
The Portavadie complex was built in 1975 by the then Scottish Office for the purpose of constructing concrete pl ...
and
Inveruglas
Inveruglas () is a hamlet on the west shore of Loch Lomond, fairly near the north end of the loch and is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. It is situated on the A82 road (Great Britain), A82 trunk road, connecting Glasgow t ...
. It was formerly known as the Cowal Way, a reference to the
Cowal peninsula, but was renamed in December 2018 to reflect the fact that half of the route lies with the
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
The way is long,
[ and is suitable for both walkers and mountain bikers.] Much of the route is also suitable for experienced horseriders, although in some places steps, narrow footbridges and gates may restrict access for horses. A review to identify these obstacles and suggest alternative routes and/or remedial measures was undertaken in 2016.
The route was first established in 2000,[ and is managed by the Colintraive and Glendaruel Development Trust. It was renamed in 2018 to in order to increase usage of the trail, as the Trust considered that Loch Lomond had higher brand recognition in the target markets.]
Since 2016 the trail has been listed as one of Scotland's Great Trails by NatureScot
NatureScot () is an Scottish public bodies#Executive NDPBs, executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for Scotland’s natural heritage, especially its nature, natural, genetics, genetic and scenic diversity. ...
. The route is fully waymarked with the Loch Lomond and Cowal Way logo, which depicts a stylised image of a path in a landscape of hills and lochs. The trail links directly to another of the Great Trails, the Three Lochs Way, which shares the section between Arrochar and Inveruglas.[ There are also indirect links to three further Great Trails at both end points of the Loch Lomond and Cowal Way: at Portavadie there is a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service to Tarbert, which is one of termini of the Kintyre Way, whilst at Inveruglas there is a passenger ferry across Loch Lomond to Inversnaid, which is one of the termini of the Great Trossachs Path, and lies on the ]West Highland Way
The West Highland Way () is a linear Long-distance trail, long-distance route in Scotland. It is long, running from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William, Highland, Fort William in the Scottish Highlands, with an element of hill walking i ...
.[Ordnance Survey. 1:50000 ''Landranger'' Sheet 62. North Kintyre & Tarbert.]
As of 2018 around 45,000 people use the way each year, of whom over 3,000 walk, cycle or run the complete route. The top five markets for users are Scotland, England, the Netherlands, Germany, and North America.[
]
References
External links
Loch Lomond and Cowal Way official website
Visit Scotland microsite for the Cowal peninsula
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loch Lomond and Cowal Way
Cowal
Loch Lomond and Cowal Way
The Loch Lomond and Cowal Way is a waymarked footpath in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, which runs between Portavadie and Inveruglas. It was formerly known as the Cowal Way, a reference to the Cowal peninsula, but was renamed in December 2018 to ref ...
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond and Cowal Way
The Loch Lomond and Cowal Way is a waymarked footpath in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, which runs between Portavadie and Inveruglas. It was formerly known as the Cowal Way, a reference to the Cowal peninsula, but was renamed in December 2018 to ref ...