Bonawe lies on the north bank of Loch Etive. Oddly, Bonawe Iron Furnace, where family members have stayed, is on the south side of the loch, more or less in Taynuilt. To get from the community to that iron furnace with the same name is quite a long drive. What we knew though, from looking at a map, was that a road went to Bonawe and no further. We guessed it might provide us with a picnic stop.
We found a slipway, and a short distance across the loch was another on the iron furnace side. Once upon a time thwere had been ferries, I am sure, but none run now. I was reminded of a place we had visited some 5 years previously – Strome Ferry it was called but all the signs said ‘Strome Ferry (no ferry)’. I should say the road to Bonawe was built to serve a now non existant ferry. There is little to the place to justify a B road which just ends.
For us, though, this was a picnic spot and with some sunshine on the mountains it was delightful.
We had a little quayside to ourselves right on the edge of Loch Etive – a sea loch.
Our company was gulls Who flew over in an increasingly blue sky.
Across the waters on the jetty on the opposite bank we could see and hear a family who were crabbing. It seemed odd to think that they were three quarters of an hour drive away. We didn’t converse with them, but had we chosen to we could have had a shouted conversation.
There may have been no ferry, but there are boats on the water. One zapped past us.
Our feast was over and we started the return to camp – along the north bank of Loch Etive.
