Cowal before it was the defended medieval homestead of the MacEwens; at first there was a palisaded enclosure, and then a promontory fort with a timber rampart. The remote areas in the north east of Cowal, which were theoretically under the dominion of Clan Lamont, were used by Scottish kings for hunting; indeed, Cowal was the last part of Britain to have wild boar. When King John Balliol was threatened by his rival, Robert de Bruys, Balliol's ally, the king of England, established Henry Percy at Carrick Castle, in the region; likewise Dunoon Castle further south. De Bruys expelled the English
Cowal Way the Cowal Way has been listed as one of Scotland's Great Trails by Scottish Natural Heritage. The route is fully waymarked with the Cowal Way logo, which depicts a stylised image of a path in a landscape of hills and lochs. The Cowal Way links directly to the Three Lochs Way, which shares the section between Arrochar and Inveruglas. There are also indirect links to three further Great Trails at both end points of the Cowal Way. At Portavadie there is a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service to Tarbert, which is one of termini of the Kintyre Way, whilst at Inveruglas