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Bishop's Glen Reservoir above Dunoon on a bright summer day, still blue water below a bank of conifers and birch, a grassy bank along the near shore.
Argyll and Bute

Bishop's Glen

A reservoir in the hills just behind Dunoon, with a loop path round the water and a glen of waterfalls beyond it.

Welcome

Bishop's Glen is where Dunoon goes for a walk, and it's a lovely, easy escape from the town.

Just above the houses lies the reservoir, five acres of still water surrounded by woodland. Paths run round the reservoir, so you can wander at your own pace, and the town's dog walkers use it too. Keep an eye out for swans and other wildfowl on the water. If you'd like to stretch your legs a little further, follow the Balgaidh Burn, the stream that feeds the reservoir, on up the glen, where the water tumbles over small falls and rapids. Bring a flask, take your time and make a morning of it.

A short drive awayCastle Hill, Dunoon6 min by roadSee itCastle Hill, Dunoon
Before you go

The car park is the start and the finish of the loop.

The walk
The loop round the reservoir is about 3 km, or 2 miles, with 100 m of climbing: allow about an hour. There are only the odd steep sections, and a short stretch of tarmac lane on the way back.
Getting there
Drive to the top of Nelson Street and follow the single-track road up through the trees to the car park, where there are marked disabled spaces. Take it slowly, as walkers and dog walkers use the road at all times of day.
By bus and ferry
The nearest bus stop is at the junction of Edward Street and Auchamore Road, half a mile from the start. The passenger ferry pier is a mile away.
Fishing
Fly fishing only, with a limited number of day permits from Dunoon and District Angling Club. Booking ahead is advised.

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Where it is

At the top of Nelson Street, a mile west of Dunoon town centre. PA23 7LN for a satnav.

Close byDunoon and Cowal.
  1. Castle House in Dunoon, a turreted sandstone villa with battlements, above a rocky bank of rhododendrons in flower, steps climbing the lawn beside it and the Castle Hill flagpole on the left.Castle House MuseumDunoon's own museum of local history, run by the Dunoon and Cowal Heritage Trust, a local charity.1 mile 5 min by road
  2. The front of Rock Cafe on West Bay in Dunoon, painted with a big ROCK sign, a caveman carrying a tray and a stone wall, bunting along the roof.Rock CafeA café on West Bay in Dunoon looking across the Clyde, for breakfasts, lunches, cakes and Argyll Coffee Roasters coffee.1 mile 5 min by road
  3. Mist on the hills above the still water of the Holy Loch.Holy LochA short sea loch in Cowal named for Saint Munn, home to American nuclear submarines from 1961 to 1992 and quiet again now.4 miles 11 min by road
  4. St Munn's Church at Kilmun in sunshine, its square tower and tall windows above the sloping churchyard and its stone wall, the ruined medieval tower beside it and the wooded hill behind.Historic KilmunThe old church of Kilmun on the Holy Loch, open for guided tours from April to the start of November.7 miles 17 min by road
  5. The ruin of Toward Castle from the air: its ivy-covered tower and the roofless walls of the courtyard among spring woods, the Firth of Clyde blue beyond.Toward CastleThe ruined tower house of the Lamont chiefs on the Toward shore of Cowal, raised around 1475 and left in ruins by the Campbells in 1646.7 miles 16 min by road
  6. The avenue of giant redwoods at the entrance to Benmore.Benmore Botanic GardenThe Royal Botanic Garden's mountainside garden in Cowal, entered by an avenue of redwoods planted in 1863.8 miles 17 min by road
  7. The view from the Ardyne hillside over young birch and spruce to the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Bute across the water and the peaks of Arran on the skyline under a big sky of white cloud.Ardyne TrailForestry and Land Scotland's waymarked hill loop at Ardyne, in the Argyll Forest Park.9 miles 18 min by road
Directions
Dunoon Burgh Hall at dusk, a stepped-gable stone building with a round rose window, its tall windows lit and a green door between two street lamps.AttractionsDunoon Burgh Hall1.3 miles
Loch Long at Blairmore under a blue sky of high cloud, the white rails of Blairmore Pier and its Saltire on the left and the far shore low across the water.CafeThe Blairmore3.8 miles as the crow flies
Walkers follow a path through moss-covered pine trees and fernsAttractionsPuck’s Glen6.2 miles
The wooded shore of Loch Eck.AttractionsJubilee Point, Loch Eck12 miles
Pines on a point, mirrored in the still water of Loch Eck.AttractionsLoch Eck12 miles
A walker on Ardentinny Beach under the trees.AttractionsArdentinny Beach15 miles
The Hollies, Argyll and ButeTighnabruaichThe HolliesSleeps 18 · 25 miles

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The Daily for 22 October, from Scotland with love. An aerial view of the Kylesku Bridge curving across a sea loch at sunset, Sutherland

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Stay nearby

Places to stay near the glen, and when each is next free.

Glenstriven House, a white Victorian house with grey stone corners, at the top of a gravel drive between lawns, with a wooded hill behind.Glenstriven House
  • Sleeps 15
  • In Argyll and Bute
  • 5 miles from Bishop's Glen
Free 25–27 OctThe Hollies, Argyll and ButeThe Hollies
  • Sleeps 18
  • In Tighnabruaich
  • 12 miles from Bishop's Glen
Check datesA stone cottage with a slated roof sits nestled among dense woodland, two paddleboards resting on the lawn in front.Red Squirrel Cottage
  • Sleeps 6
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 14 miles from Bishop's Glen
Check datesSeal Cabin, Argyll and ButeSeal Cabin
  • Sleeps 2
  • In Lochgoilhead
  • 14 miles from Bishop's Glen
Check datesPlaces to stayEvery stay in Argyll and ButeAll our places to stay nearby, to search by date and by who is coming.See them all
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