The Crinan Canal runs 14 kilometres from Ardrishaig on Loch Fyne to Crinan on the Sound of Jura, threading through 15 locks across the Kintyre peninsula. Built to spare fishing vessels the long haul around the Mull of Kintyre, it remains a working waterway used by leisure craft and the occasional fishing boat, one of Scotland's most atmospheric places to spend a few hours.
The towpath along the full length makes for a superb half-day walk or an easy cycle ride. The western end at Crinan is the highlight: a tiny basin where yachts gather, a pub perched at the water's edge, and views across the Sound of Jura to the islands. The eastern entrance at Ardrishaig is only 4 kilometres south of Lochgilphead and is a logical starting point. At Cairnbaan, roughly halfway along, a hotel and pub mark a pleasant stopping point. Allow two to three hours on foot each way, or an hour by bike.