Editing Cowal (section)

==Transport==
[[File:Old Military Road leading to Rest and be Thankful, Argyll - geograph.org.uk - 47904.jpg|thumb|Military road leading to Rest and Be Thankful]] 
The principal forms of transport in Cowal are by road and by ferry, and the peninsular is crossed by a cycle route that makes use of both. Railways have never penetrated the area.

===Roads===
The [[A83 road|A83 trunk road]] crosses the northern end of the peninsular passing [[Arrochar, Argyll and Bute|Arrochar]] at the head of Loch Long and [[Cairndow]] near the head of Loch Fyne. It partly follows or runs parallel to [[William Caulfeild (British Army officer)|William Caulfield's]] historic [[Old military roads of Scotland|military road]] that takes its name,'' Rest and Be Thankful'' from the stone seat erected at the summit at the head of [[Glen Croe]]. As the A83 has been subject to [[Landslide|landslips]], the old route has been used as a diversionary route.<ref>{{cite web | title=A83 Tarbet – Lochgilphead – Kennacraig Trunk Road Study into Potential Emergency Diversion Routes at the Rest and Be Thankful | website=Transport Scotland |url=http://www.transport.gov.scot/system/files/uploaded_content/documents/projects/A83/a83-rest-and-be-thankful-project-taskforce-military-road-v-forest-track-report.pdf| page=27| access-date=7 March 2017}}</ref> The other A roads are the [[A815 road|A815]] which links the A83 with Dunoon via Strachur where the [[A886 road|A886]] leaves it and heads south via [[Glendaruel]] to [[Colintraive]] where the ferry connects it to the Isle of Bute and the [[A8003 road|A8003]] which links [[Tighnabruaich]] to the A886. Other roads are secondary B roads, narrow roads or tracks.

===Ferries===
[[File:Ferry at Colintraive (geograph 6974042).jpg|thumb|Ferry across the Kyles of Bute at Colintraive]]
Because of the incised nature of the coastline around Cowal, ferries play a large part in the transport of the area. The shortest and fastest routes from much of Cowal to the population centres of the [[Scottish central belt]] involve crossing the [[Firth of Clyde]]. A passenger-only service operated by [[Caledonian MacBrayne]] connects [[Dunoon]] to [[Gourock]] in [[Inverclyde]] where there is easy access the [[ScotRail]] train service to [[Glasgow Central railway station]]. [[Western Ferries]] operates a high-frequency vehicle carrying service between [[Hunters Quay]], near [[Dunoon]], and [[McInroy's Point]], on the outskirts of [[Gourock]] in [[Inverclyde]].<ref>{{cite web | title= Gourock - Dunoon | website=Caledonian MacBrayne |url=https://www.calmac.co.uk/gourock-dunoon-service}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title= Scotrail Gourock | website=Scotrail Gourock |url=https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/stations-and-facilities/grk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd |url=https://www.western-ferries.co.uk/ |website=Western Ferries |access-date=5 June 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Further south and west, Caledonian MacBrayne vehicle ferries provide crossings both to the [[Isle of Bute]] and to [[Kintyre]]. It takes five minutes to cross the {{convert|400|yd|m|abbr=off|adj=on}} strait from [[Colintraive]] on Cowal to [[Rhubodach]] on Bute. The ferry from [[Portavadie]] on Cowal to [[Tarbert, Kintyre|Tarbert]] on Kintyre across Loch Fyne takes 25 minutes.<ref>{{cite web | title=Colintraive - Rhubodach | website=CalMac Rhubodach|url=https://www.calmac.co.uk/ports/rhubodach}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Cowal and Kintyre | website=CalMac Portavadie |url=https://www.calmac.co.uk/ports/portavadie}}</ref>

===Cycling===
The [[National Cycle Route 75]] (NCR75) links [[Dunoon]] and [[Portavadie]] on Cowal, as part of a through route between [[Edinburgh]] and [[Tarbert, Kintyre|Tarbert]] on the [[Kintyre peninsula]]. The route forms part of the [[National Cycle Network]], maintained by [[Sustrans]].<ref name=ncr75>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/national-cycle-network-routes-in-glasgow-and-the-surrounding-area/|title=National Cycle Network routes in Glasgow and the West|website=Sustrans}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/about-us/|title=About us|website=Sustrans}}</ref>

From east to west across Cowal, the route starts with a ferry crossing from [[Gourock]] to [[Dunoon]]. It then follows the Cowal coast north, passing the [[Holy Loch]] and [[Sandbank, Argyll|Sandbank]], before travelling through [[Glen Lean]] to the head of [[Loch Striven]] at [[Ardtaraig]]. From the head of Loch Striven it crosses to the head of [[Loch Riddon]] at the [[Clachan of Glendaruel]]. It then passes down the west coast of Loch Riddon to [[Tighnabruaich]] on the shore of the [[Kyles of Bute]]. From here it crosses inland to [[Portavadie]], where another ferry takes it to [[Tarbert, Kintyre|Tarbert]] on Kintyre. At Tarbert the NCR75 connects with the [[National Cycle Route 78|NCR78]] from [[Campbeltown]] to [[Inverness]].<ref name=ncr75/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/national-cycle-network-routes-in-argyll-bute-and-highland/|title=National Cycle Network routes in Argyll & Bute and Highland|website=Sustrans}}</ref>