Bonawe Historic Iron Furnace

About

Founded in 1753 by Cumbrian iron masters attracted by the industrial potential of Argyll’s woodlands, Bonawe Iron Furnace is situated in a spectacular setting at the head of Loch Etive which extends up towards the dramatic Glen Coe. At its height the furnace produced up to 700 tons of pig iron from Cumbrian ore annually which was cast into everything from cannonballs during the Napoleonic War to iron pigs for export and even the first monument erected to Admiral Nelson after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The exhibition charts the history of the iron furnace, and the chemistry of iron making. Cannonballs and iron pigs cast at the furnace are displayed, together with the Nelson plaque. Friday to Monday, grounds accessible but no visitor facilities.