Dalavich

File:Dalavich Panorama.jpg

Panorama of Dalavich from around 2002.

Dalavich (Scottish Gaelic: Dail Abhaich) is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It lies on the western bank of Loch Awe and has a population of around 70. (It is located 30 miles from the main town and port of Oban, connected by the villages of Kilchreanan and Taynuilt)

"Dalavich" is Gaelic in origin and means "meadows/valley of the River Avich". The village was established by the Forestry Commission in 1952 to facilitate timber operations in the surrounding Inverliever forest.This was labour-intensive and horses were used to extract timber from the forest - it is possible to get a glimpse of this history by visiting the "old stables" which contain material from this epoch. Nowadays, a number of villagers still earn their living directly from forestry.

Inverliever forest was acquired by HM Officer of Woods in 1907 and was one of the original "State Forests". In September 1919, the Forestry Act came into force, setting up the Forestry Commission and giving it responsibility for woods in England, Scotland and Wales. The basis of forestry policy in the 1920s was the need to rebuild and maintain a strategic timber reserve. As the surrounding area could not supply adequate labour, the forestry village at Dalavich was established. In 1971, Inverinan forest was added to Inverliever.

There are forest walks and cycle routes maintained by the Forestry Commission nearby, and houses or cabins are available for tourists. Popular forest walks include the Dalavich Oakwood Trail (where red squirrel, pine marten, woodpeckers and many other woodland inhabitants may be seen), and the Avich Falls; there are many more nature trails, e.g. to Otter Point.

There is a church, a small shop and cafe with a part-time Post Office. There is also a social club as part of the community centre, the village also hosted a primary school but this was closed in 1997 due to an insufficient number of pupils. In 1997 there was only 1 pupil.

There is boat hire and fishing permits can be bought locally. Some of the largest trout caught in Europe have come from Loch Awe.

Dalavich Oakwood

Dalavich Oakwood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its significance as few remaining examples of upland oak woodland along the slopes of Loch Awe.

External links

• Dalavich Oakwood Trail
• Avich Falls Walk
• Dalavich Web Site * [1]
• Dalavich Blog [2]