Argyll & Bute – Sea Lochs, Islands, and Highland Coast

Long coastlines, wooded glens, and scattered islands along Scotland’s western edge

Argyll & Bute is a large coastal council area of sea lochs, islands, wooded hills, and mountain ridges on Scotland’s west coast. Walking routes cross Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park in the east and follow long-distance paths including the West Highland Way, John Muir Way, Three Lochs Way, and the Kintyre Way, linking places such as Helensburgh, Inveraray, Oban, Tarbert, and Tobermory across ground shaped by shoreline, glens, and upland slopes.

Much of the terrain is varied underfoot. Woodland tracks, estate roads, hill paths, and coastal routes alternate between firm lochside walking and steeper climbs onto ridges and passes. Progress is often slower than in lowland areas, with gradients, rough ground, and longer distances between settlements influencing route planning.

The landscape shifts between areas. Around Helensburgh and the eastern edge of the National Park, wooded hills and freshwater lochs create enclosed valley walking, while mid-Argyll opens into broader glens and sheltered sea lochs around Inveraray and Oban. Further south, the Kintyre peninsula forms a long, narrow spine of farmland and moorland, and offshore islands such as Mull and Iona combine shoreline paths with open hill and coastal ground.

Settlements are widely spaced and often centred on harbours and ferry crossings, creating longer stretches of quiet countryside between towns and giving many routes a more remote character.

Trails and Routes Through Argyll & Bute

West Highland Way

A long-distance National Trail passing along the eastern edge of the area near Loch Lomond and Glen Falloch on its route north toward Fort William.

John Muir Way

A coast-to-coast route beginning at Helensburgh and heading east across central Scotland toward Dunbar along canal, riverside, and shoreline paths.

Three Lochs Way

A route linking Balloch with Inveruglas through forest tracks, hillside paths, and lochside walking within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

Kintyre Way

A long-distance path running the length of the Kintyre peninsula between Tarbert and Machrihanish through farmland, moorland, and coastal hills.

Walking Character

• Sea lochs and indented coastline
• Islands, ferries, and harbour towns
• Woodland glens and estate tracks
• Moorland and upland ridges
• Longer distances between settlements
• Mixed terrain from easy lochside paths to steeper hill sections