Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Crinan Canal
Completed in 1801, the picturesque Crinan Canal runs for 9 miles from Ardrishaig to
Crinan allowing seagoing vessels - mostly yachts, these days - to take a short cut from
the Firth of Clyde and Loch Fyne to the west coast of Scotland, avoiding the long and
sometimes dangerous passage around the Mull of Kintyre. You can easily
walk or cycle
the full length of the canal towpath in an afternoon.
The canal basin at Crinan is the focus for the annual
Crinan Classic Boat Festival
(
www.crinanclassic.com
)
, usually held over the first weekend in July (though planned for
early June in 2013), when traditional wooden yachts, motor boats and dinghies gather for
a few days of racing, drinking and music.
The basin is overlooked by the
Crinan Hotel
(
01546-830261;
www.crinanhotel.com
;
Crinan; s/d incl dinner from £150/270 ; )
, which boasts one of
the west coast's most spectacular sunset views and one of Scotland's top seafood restaur-
ants. You're paying for that view, and for the olde-worlde atmosphere - don't expect five-
star luxury. You can also eat in the hotel's
Crinan Seafood Bar
(mains £10-15, 4-course
dinner £70; lunch & dinner)
- the menu includes excellent local mussels with white
wine, thyme and garlic.
The
coffee shop
(snacks £3-6; 10am-5pm)
on the western side of the canal basin at
Crinan has great home-baked cakes and scones.
If you want to walk along the canal and take the bus back, bus 425 from Lochgilphead
to Tayvallich stops at Cairnbaan, Bellanoch and Crinan Cottages (20 minutes, three or
four daily Monday to Saturday).
RETURN OF THE BEAVER
Beavers have been extinct in Britain since the 16th century. But in 2009 they returned to Scotland, when a popula-
tion of Norwegian beavers was released into the hill lochs of Knapdale in Argyllshire. In 2010 the beavers had
their first offspring. The five-year
Scottish Beaver Trial
(
www.scottishbeavers.org.uk
)
hopes to reveal whether
the animals have a positive effect on habitat and biodiversity. If so, they could be introduced to other parts of the
country.
Meanwhile, you can try and get a glimpse of them on the
Beaver Detective Trail
. It starts from the Barnluas-
gan forestry car park on the B8025 road to Tayvallich, about 1.5 miles south of the Crinan Canal. Rangers offer
guided walks at 6pm on Tuesday and Saturday in summer.
