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
Cowal subsequent invasion by Norsemen, the Hebridean islands of Dal Riata became the Kingdom of the Isles, which following Norwegian unification became part of Norway, as "Suðreyjar" (historically anglicised as "Sodor"). The remaining parts of Dal Riata attracted the name "Argyle" (later "Argyll"), in reference to their ethnicity. In an unclear manner, the kingdom of Alba was founded elsewhere by groups originating from Argyll, and expanded to include Argyll itself. However, an 11th-century Norse military campaign led to the formal transfer of Lorn, Islay, Kintyre, Knapdale, Bute, and Arran, to "Suðreyjar". This left Alba with no part of Argyll except Cowal,