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
Gareth Mitchelson Cowal Fling Challenge. Gareth Mitchelson Gareth Mitchelson (born 7 April 1967 in Dundee) is a Scottish dancer. He won the World Highland dancer Championship four times and is now a qualified teacher, adjudicator and examiner in Highland and Scottish step. He is a delegate to the SOBHD and a director of Scottish Dance Traditions. Mitchelson is involved with his brother Deryck in several projects aimed at improving the world of dance through the use of technology, including DVDs, the internet and portable technology. Mitchelson started dancing at the age of 6, learning from his mother Wilma Tolmie (herself a world