Heritage Paths ~ Durran to Furnace Drove Road
Argyll and Bute
Durran to Furnace Drove Road Return to Map
Start location: Durran (NM 959 080)
End location: A83, opposite Auchindrain Folk Museum (NN 029 032)
Geographical area: Argyll and Bute
Path type: Drove Road
Path distance: 11.2km
Accessibillity info: Suitable for pedestrians
Our description follows the route in a south-north direction:
the right of way starts as a section of hard track, leaving the main road (A83) opposite the Auchindrain Folk Museum. After crossing the bridge over the Leacann Water, head up a steep track north-west into forest. Continue west out of the forest along a path to Loch Leacann, then north-west past Loch Airigh na Craige to re-enter the forest & join another road. This goes north-west on the north side of the Abhainn a' Bealaich. 0.5km south of Durran, a path leaves the road on the left and runs north west into Durran.
The route is sign-posted off both the A83 and B840. Car parking is available opposite Auchindrain Folk Museum. However, car parking is not advised at the SROW sign at Durran due to local considerations, but is available about 500 metres north-east of Durran, opposite a forest road. By following the forest road, the junction with the original route is obtained at NM963075. At this point a non-ScotWays sign indicates the original route to Durran. It is waterlogged in part and partially obscured by windfall but is passable for walkers.
This old drove road from Durran was possibly used by Alasdair MacColla's army in the 17th Century. It meets the conjoined Muir of Leckan rights of way from Kilmichael Glassary and Kilneuair at the 'high bridge of Leckan' (NN019028).
According to local tradition, the last wolf in Argyll was killed near the Leacann burn by a woman returning from Loch Awe, who having been attacked by the animal, stabbed it with her spindle before she died. This route was used by caravans of packhorses in the eighteenth century, carrying huge bags of charcoal from the woods of Loch Awe to the iron works at Furnace [ - with thanks to Discovering Argyll, Mull and Iona by Willie Orr (1990)].
