Airds bay (Loch Etive)

Of considerable historical interest very close by is Bonawe Furnace, restored and looked after by Historic Scotland. This was a charcoal-fired blast-furnace built in 1753, and it carried on until 1876. The charcoal for smelting came from the the woods around about, there was plenty of water for the waterwheel to run the bellows, and the iron ore was shipped up from Cumbria. Wandering around the old buildings, now peaceful and quiet and the lumpy ground which must be covering more ruins and slag heaps, it is difficult to imagine that this was once a hive of activity - lots of very sweaty men working very hard probably. Apparently 600 people worked here and around in the woods as charcoal burners. "Pevsner" aptly remarks on the 'monumental quietness' of the buildings, 'more ecclesiastical than industrial'. It is very well signed and certainly worth wandering around.

Kelly's quay is the long turf-topped pier which was built for the ships to bring in the raw materials and take out the pig iron and, during the Napoleonic wars, canon balls

The main village of Taynault is a bit of a walk, about 20 minutes or more, but there is a good general store, an excellent butcher, a post office, the Taynault Hotel and - surprisingly - a toy shop; but in truth I don't see a lot of point in going there unless you really need some stores. There is also a 9-hole golf course not far from the shore.