Lovely​​​​​​​ Loch Fyne

Willie Shand takes a walk back in time along the Leacainn Trail.

EIGHT miles south of Inveraray, where the Lochgilphead road drops to revisit the shores of Loch Fyne, you’ll find the village of Furnace.

An odd name, you may think, to give a village in such a picturesque setting, but not when you discover that the wee stone building just below the Leacainn Water was once an iron smelting furnace and that this was one of the earliest industrialised villages in the Highlands.

The furnace was established here in 1755, taking advantage of the local iron-stone, timber and ready access to sea transportation.

The furnace didn’t last long, though, coming to an end in 1813 thanks to the advance of the coal-fired steam engine.

There’s a lot of water in the Leacainn this morning as it rushes below the road bridge and on into the loch. Before the furnace arrived, it was this river that gave name to the village. Back then, it was known as Inverleacainn – meaning the mouth of the River Leacainn.

The main road largely bypasses Furnace, and with the lure of the west coast taking grip, one might well be tempted to push on without stopping.

Today, however, Furnace is as far as I’m going – or at any rate, as far as I’m going in the car, as, with the boots on my feet, I’m off to follow the Leacainn circular trail and pay a visit to the historic farming township of Auchindrain.

This is a well-marked trail with lots to see along the way. I’m glad that I put the boots on, though. Yesterday’s rain has left the track extremely wet in places. In fact, after about quarter of a mile, I’ve completely given up trying to avoid the muddy bits.

From the war memorial opposite Furnace School, we start down towards the bridge over the burn to climb the road passing the front of Bridge Cottage, its garden full of daffodils.