Cowal

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Cowal is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands. The northern part of Cowal is mostly the mountainous Argyll Forest Park. Cowal is separated from the Kintyre peninsula to the west by Loch Fyne, and from Inverclyde and North Ayrshire to the east by the Firth of Clyde. The sea lochs Loch Long and Loch Goil lie to the northeast, and the south of the peninsula is split into three forks by two further sea lochs, Loch Striven and to its west Loch Riddon. The Isle of Bute lies to the south of Cowal, separated from the peninsula by the narrow Kyles of Bute which connect the Clyde to Loch Riddon.

Much of Cowal was once held by the Lamont Clan; encroachments by the neighbouring Campbells and other powerful families reduced the Lamond holdings in the Covenanting Wars of the seventeenth century.

Cowal's only burgh is Dunoon in the south east, from which ferries sail to Gourock in Inverclyde. Other ferries run from Portavadie in the west to Tarbert in Kintyre, and from Colintraive in the south to Rhubodach on the Isle of Bute.

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Last updated on Thursday September 14, 2006 at 09:53:32 PDT (GMT -0700)
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