Inveraray – Dun na Cuaiche Watchtower loop from Inveraray

Hiking trails & Routes

Argyll and Bute

Inveraray

Inveraray – Dun na Cuaiche Watchtower loop from Inveraray

Moderate

4.0

(2)

hikers

Inveraray – Dun na Cuaiche Watchtower loop from Inveraray

02:49

9.74km

240m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 27, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Upper Loch Fyne Marine Protected Area

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

40 m

Inveraray

Highlight • Monument

In 1747 William Adam had drawn up plans for the creation of a new Inveraray. By 1770 little had been done, and the fifth Duke set about rebuilding the town in its present form. Some of the work on the rebuilt Inveraray was done by John Adam. The Inveraray Inn (formerly known as the New Inn, Great Inn, Argyll Arms Hotel and Argyll Hotel) on Front Street being his, as well as the Town House. Much of the rest of the town, including the church, was designed and built by the celebrated Edinburgh-born architect Robert Mylne (1733-1811) between 1772 and 1800.[10] The end product was an attractive town which included houses for estate workers, a woollen mill, and a pier to exploit herring fishing, which was to mushroom in later years to play a major role in the town's economy. The finished product is one of the best examples of an 18th-century new town in Scotland, and the vast majority of the properties in the centre of Inveraray are considered worthy of protection because of the town's architectural significance.

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4.09 km

Ruins of a Lime Kiln

Highlight • Monument

The dilapidated buildings are the remains of a lime kiln. The kiln is believed to have last been used around 1912.

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5.81 km

Dun na Cuaiche Watchtower

Highlight • Monument

DUN NA CUAICHE, INVERARAY THIS is a great, short, steep walk up to an 18th-century watchtower above Loch Fyne, offering stunning views. It will get the blood pumping but can be muddy so boots are needed as well as water and snacks. You are going up relatively high so remember also to take a spare sweater and waterproof. This waymarked route, following blue arrows, starts in the shadow of Inveraray Castle – the neo-Gothic pile that is the ancestral home to the dukes of Argyll. After turning away from this and crossing an ornamental bridge over the River Aray, a steep climb begins. It is hard going all the way up to a clearing, but the effort is worth it for the amazing view at the top of Dun na Cuaiche, down Loch Fyne and across Argyll. To the east you can see the Arrochar Alps. From the watchtower you also get a bird's-eye view back down to the castle.

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6.81 km

Resting Rock

Highlight • Natural Monument

This is the only way to sit comfortably and dry

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8.59 km

Aray Bridge (Inveraray Bridge)

Highlight • Monument

Also known as Inveraray Bridge, this stone, 2-arch bridge replaced a former military bridge washed away by flood in 1772. It's a Category A-listed structure.

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8.82 km

Inveraray Castle — Entrance and Walking Route Information

Highlight • Trail

There are two boards with information on hiking routes

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8.98 km

Inveraray Castle

Highlight • Historical Site

Over looking Loch Fyne for hundreds of years, this early examples of Gothic Revival architecture is the seat of the Duke of Argyll. He still lives upstairs by all accounts!

You can pay to go inside or you can just enjoy the impressive building from the outside.

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8.98 km

Inveraray Castle

Highlight • Castle

A very nice castle which is worth exploring. The castle is the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, which lives upstairs. Very beautiful are the Highland cattle grazing in front of the castle. There is a beautifully landscaped garden and a small cafe.

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