What's on in Argyllshire

Possibly one of the most dramatic and majestic regions in all of Scotland, if not the UK, Argyllshire has everything from jagged, jutting coastline, stunning lochs, beautiful emerald islands, prehistoric sites, national parks and of course, famous whiskey brands.

Argyll (sometimes known as Argyllshire) is a registration county of Scotland and was, between 1890 and 1975, a county for registration purposes. Now however the area is known more commonly as ‘Argyll and Bute’.

Argyll and neighbouring Bute are situated on the West coast of Scotland and visitors have been coming to these shores for thousands of years. Columba (the Saint, not the detective in the raincoat) landed in Iona from Ireland in AD563, and ever since then the tourists have been coming in their droves. The Isle of Iona is a Christian pilgrimage destination and considered to be one of the most sacred sites in all of the UK. Similarly, the region is packed with remains from Scottish history, from Inveraray Castle to the ruins of Rob Roy’s house and from the 16th century Kilchurn Castle to the 13th century Dunollie Castle to the prehistoric ancient monuments in Kilmartin.

But Argyllshire is most famous for its breath-taking scenery and areas that are so remote that they can often seem like they’re a different country – from the Mull of Kintyre to magical Iona, burial place of Macbeth, and from awesome Loch Fyne and the enchanting Arrochar Alps and Argyll Forest to Loch Awe and the ruins of Kilchurn.

Argyll and Bute offer over 3000 miles of coast, mountains, rivers and lochs and are home to a large part of Loch Lomond and the fabulous Trossachs National Park, famous all over the world for its landscape and wildlife. Loch Lomond is the largest freshwater lake in Britain and offers everything from water sports to fishing, boating to golf. Trossachs National Park offers 720 square miles of rolling lowland landscapes in the south, high mountains in the north and forests, woodlands lochs and rivers in between.

Best of all in Argyllshire are the offshore islands, with Bute being one of the west coast’s most popular holiday destinations. Bute’s famous hills serve up spectacular views, with its bays providing peaceful solitude and its towns such as Rothsay opening up their magnificent castles and gardens, stately homes and parks for everyone to experience. With other islands to explore and much more inland, Argyllshire really does have everything.