Taynuilt at the Foot of Ben Cruachan

Taynuilt lies at the foot of Ben Cruachan, which is 1,197 m high. The West Highland Line runs through the village. The mountain setting and railway line offer two distinct points of reference: one relates to the landscape, the other to the railway route. Other topics to consider when planning a trip include shingle shores, golf, historic remains, and trails in nearby Glen Nant.

Mountain Setting and Shoreline Features

Airds Bay is a shingle bay. Kelly’s Pier has a shingle beach where a small watercraft can be launched. There is a practical difference between these shoreline features: at Airds Bay, the focus is on the shape of the bay; at Kelly’s Pier, the shingle beach is accompanied by the option of launching a small watercraft. This makes the two features easy to distinguish.

Golf with Specific Course Details

Taynuilt Golf Club is near the foot of Ben Cruachan, surrounded by mountains, and offers views across Loch Etive. Its course is a challenging nine-hole course in undulating parkland. The format and landscape give an impression of the course’s character. Specific details are also available for an individual hole: hole 9 is 337 yards long, a par 4, and a dogleg. A dogleg describes a change of direction along a hole; its length and par add two further specific details.

The Old Parish Church of Muckairn

The monument comprises the remains of the old parish church of Muckairn, also known as Kilespickeral, and its graveyard. The church survives in fragmentary form, including parts of the north and south walls and a substantial part of the east gable wall. The graveyard contains two badly weathered West Highland grave slabs dating from around 1500 to 1560. The remains of the church building and the grave slabs are distinct elements of the monument.

Trails and Landscape in Glen Nant

The Glen Nant Site of Special Scientific Interest extends through the nearby area south of Taynuilt, following the River Nant to its source at Loch Nant. It forms part of the Loch Etive Woods Special Area of Conservation. The Glen Nant car park lies west of the B845 between Taynuilt and Kilchrenan, about 3 miles south of Taynuilt.

Also nearby, the 0.4 km Riverbank Trail passes through hazel woods to a peaceful picnic spot on the River Nant. The Coalers Trail has information boards about trees, plants, insects, charcoal, and iron smelting. There are also viewpoints with views of Ben Cruachan. The two trails differ in their focus: the Riverbank Trail combines a specific distance with a picnic destination, while the Coalers Trail focuses on its information boards and viewpoints.

These details offer different ways to compare travel interests: for golf, the course format and an individual hole are specified; for the Riverbank Trail, the distance and destination; and for the Coalers Trail, its topics and viewpoints.

Discover more destinations: Innellan, Cairndow, Port Ellen, Kames, Saint Catherines, Bunessan, Inveraray, Rowardennan

For the broader travel overview: Argyll And Bute.