Dalavich

The name "Dalavich" is Gaelic in origin and means "meadows of the deer". A hamlet since the 18th century, the village was developed in its current form 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,…

There are forest walks and cycle routes maintained by the Forestry Commission nearby. Popular forest walks include the Dalavich Oakwood Trail (where red squirrels, pine martens, 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 dating from 1770, a small shop with a café and a part-time post office. There is also a social club as part of the community centre and a bistro. There is boat hire and fishing permits can be bought locally. Some of the largest trout caught in Europe have come from Loch Awe. Due to COVID-19, the building of the Dalavich YT memorial has been suspended and now not…