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The
village of Taynuilt lies at the mid section of Loch Etive where
the river Awe enters the loch. It is also about halfway between
Connel and Loch Awe village on the A85. Although Taynuilt is
quite a small village there are a number of shops, hotel, bar,
restaurant, post office and tearoom. There are also tennis
courts, and a small 9 hole golf course. Taynuilt also has the
added advantage in that the main road passes close to the heart
of the village but not through it, also it lies on the Glasgow
to Oban railway line.
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To the
immediate north of Taynuilt is
Bonawe Iron Furnace.
It is an unusual site when you learn that the iron ore came
by sea from Cumbria. The reason for this is that the furnace was
fired by charcoal which was made locally in the oak woodlands
around Taynuilt. It would appear that the most economic
positioning for this Industrial artefact was here and not where
the ore originated nor near the markets for the iron.
In
fact if you turn onto the Dalavich road just out of Taynuilt
and drive a few miles to the forest paths in Glen Nant there
is a trail where you can see examples of the charcoal making
process. This is the Ant trail, where along the track you
can see large ant hills which are constructed by the forest
ants which are found in Argyll. |
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photo courtesy of Airdeny Chalets |
Taynuilt
is a good base for those wishing to explore the local mountains
or lochs. It has also become quite popular for cyclists as there
are miles of quiet roads and tracks in this general area.
If you
take a walk through the village and up to the Muchairn Parish
Church which was built in the early 19th Century around 1828/29
you will get a view of the ancient parish as the church sits on
a hill overlooking Taynuilt. This building was built on the
ruins of the ancient Killespickerill, the seat of the Bishop of
Argyll. A quick look around the old graves will give you a feel
for the old building as they predate the current church by
hundreds of years.
At the
pier, across from Bonawe Quarry, it is obvious that this would
be a crossing place for a small ferry allowing travel and trade
to take place between Bonawe and Taynuilt. Bonawe itself, (apart
from the current large quarry) has a claim to fame in that it
held the last Gaelic speaking parliament in Scotland in 1308 at
the nearby Ardchatten Priory. It is unfortunate that there is no
longer a ferry here.
Please see
our lochs and fishing pages for details of fishing in this area.
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