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 Highland Gathering a reduced number of entrants. The Games hosts open graded pibroch, march, and strathspey and reel competitions, as well as juvenile and local restricted competitions. At the Games are held the Scottish National Highland Dancing Championships which is only open to Scottish residents, the Scottish (open) Highland Dancing Championships and the qualifiers and finals of the World Championships. The Games features a variety of traditional Highland games events, including the shot put, caber toss, weight throw and hammer throw, as part of an international competition. The shot put is done with both a standard shot and with the naturally formed