Dunoon Squadron 14 during the Cold War. The Cowal Highland Gathering attracts contestants and spectators from all over the world. It is held annually over the final weekend in August at Dunoon Stadium. Cowal Open Studios, held over a fortnight in September, gives the opportunity to visit the studios of artists around Dunoon and Cowal. Cowalfest, celebrates the outdoors activities like rambling around Dunoon for ten days in October. Since the 1930s Dunoon has hosted the Royal National Mòd a number of times - 1930, 1950, 1968, 1994, 2000, 2006 and 2012. In 2013, the first Dunoon Film Festival was held
Lake Cowal the National Trust of Australia. The area surrounding the lake is rich in minerals - especially gold - and is currently being mined by Evolution Mining. Barrick Gold sold the Cowal Mine to Evolution Mining in 2015 for AU$550m. There is concern among environmental groups and the local Wiradjuri Aboriginal people that the cyanide used in the mining process prior to 2007 could lead to the contamination of the lake. The area was explored for gold in the 1980s and 1990s by North Limited, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group. The mine has been producing gold since 2006, and produced