Oban to Ballachulish
Clifftop castles and awe-inspiring loch views
Follow the route – Oban to Ballachulish
Oban to Port Appin
> Leave Oban on the A85. At Connel, turn right on the A828 as it swings over Connel Bridge.
Barcaldine Castle, Strathclyde
This 16th-century home of the Campbells of Barcaldine, set in magnificent scenery with views towards Glencoe, is also known as the Black Castle because of the colour of the stone.
It was built by Black Duncan, and is associated with the Appin Murder and Glencoe Massacre. The castle now offers bed and breakfast accommodation, and is closed to the public.
Places to stay in Port Appin
Port Appin to Ballachulish
> Continue on the A828 into Appin village then turn left for Port Appin.
Port Appin, Strathclyde
On one of the finest stretches of the coast of Argyll, this little village looks out to the long island of Lismore and, beyond it, to the lonely hills of Kingairloch.
There is a peninsula walk past a natural archway in the cliffs, and another excursion could start with a ferry trip to the north end of Lismore.
Walks there include one to the former limeworkers’ village of Port Ramsay. North of Port Appin, look for Castle Stalker, romantically located on a tidal islet.
> Return to the A828 and turn left. Pass Ballachulish Hotel and turn left on the A82.
Ballachulish, Strathclyde
The ‘Village at the Narrows’ used to be well known for its ferry across Loch Leven, which has been replaced with a modern bridge. A flight of steps after the Ballachulish Hotel climbs to a memorial marking the site of the gibbet where, in 1755, James Stewart of the Glen was hanged for the murder – which he did not commit – of government agent Colin Campbell. After he was dead, Stewart’s body was left hanging for three years.
The mystery of who really did commit the Appin Murder is still discussed, and Robert Louis Stevenson made it the central theme of his novel Kidnapped.
Extensive landscaping has disguised the fact that between 1697 and 1955 Ballachulish was a major centre of the slate industry.
A comprehensive display in the visitor centre describes its rise and decline.
