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Gyms in Argyll and Bute

Pools in Oban, Dunoon, Rothesay, Campbeltown and Bowmore, a climbing cube in Oban, and long-distance trails from Kintyre to Cowal. Here's where to train in Argyll and Bute and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
184
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Showing 1–24 of 184 gyms

Towns and islands in Argyll and Bute

From Helensburgh on the Clyde to Oban, Kintyre and the islands.

Training in Argyll and Bute

Community pools, small-town gyms and long trails between the sea lochs.

Argyll and Bute covers 6,906 km² of sea lochs, peninsulas and islands, the second-largest council area in Scotland. It had 86,000 residents at the 2022 census, down from 88,166 in 2011, and 27.2% of them are 65 or over, the highest share of any Scottish council area.

Live Argyll, a charity set up by the council, runs the public leisure centres: Riverside in Dunoon, with a 25 m six-lane pool and a teaching pool, Aqualibrium in Campbeltown, Rothesay Leisure Centre on Bute and Mid Argyll Sports Centre in Lochgilphead. Helensburgh Leisure Centre remains closed for repairs after storm damage. Community charities run the pools in Oban (Atlantis Leisure, with a flume and a climbing cube), Bowmore on Islay and Lochgilphead, and there are independent gyms and martial arts clubs from Helensburgh to Oban.

Then there's the coast and the hills: the Kintyre Way, the Cowal Way, the Crinan Canal towpath and the start of the John Muir Way. Whether you swim in Rothesay or walk the Kintyre Way, training is easier with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Argyll and Bute

The Live Argyll centres first, then the community pools, gyms and martial arts clubs.

Leisure centres (Live Argyll)

Community pools

Gyms and martial arts

Find a training buddy in Argyll and Bute

A lane partner at Riverside or Atlantis, someone to share the Climb Cube in Oban, company on a stage of the Kintyre Way: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start an Argyll and Bute training group

A towpath running group on the Crinan Canal, an early swim group at Rothesay, a weekend crew walking the Cowal Way: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Argyll and Bute.

  • Kintyre Way161 km of waymarked trail from Tarbert to Machrihanish, one of Scotland's Great Trails.
  • Cowal Way92 km from Portavadie on Loch Fyne to Inveruglas, a Great Trail since 2016.
  • Crinan Canal9 miles and 15 locks from Ardrishaig to Crinan, with a towpath that is part of National Cycle Route 78.
  • John Muir Waystarts in Helensburgh and runs 215 km across Scotland to Dunbar, opened in 2014.

Getting around

Rail, ferry, bus and cycle routes to Argyll and Bute's gyms.

Rail

  • the West Highland Line runs from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban, six trains each way on weekdays
  • Helensburgh Central is the end of the North Clyde Line from Glasgow, and Helensburgh Upper is on the West Highland Line

Ferry

  • CalMac sails from Oban, its busiest terminal, to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Lismore
  • Western Ferries crosses from Hunters Quay, near Dunoon, to McInroy's Point in Gourock, every 15 minutes at peak times

Bus

  • free bus travel for everyone in Scotland aged 5 to 21 with a National Entitlement Card

Cycle

  • the Crinan Canal towpath is part of National Cycle Route 78

Who trains here

What Scotland's Census 2022 says about the people you'll meet in the pool and on the trail.

  • 27.2%Aged 65 and overThe highest share of any Scottish council area (Scotland: 20.1%), so there are training partners here at every age.Scotland's Census 2022
  • 12.5People per km²Against 69.8 for Scotland as a whole, spread across the peninsulas and islands.Scotland's Census 2022
  • 13.6%Aged under 15Below the Scottish figure of 15.3%, with 59.2% of residents aged 15 to 64.Scotland's Census 2022

Argyll and Bute gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Argyll and Bute?

Gymist lists 184 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Argyll and Bute, from the Live Argyll centres and community pools to independent gyms, martial arts clubs and watersports clubs.

Which leisure centres are in Argyll and Bute, and who runs them?

Live Argyll, a charity set up by Argyll and Bute Council, runs Riverside Swim and Health Centre and the Queen's Hall gym in Dunoon, Aqualibrium in Campbeltown, Rothesay Leisure Centre and Mid Argyll Sports Centre in Lochgilphead. Helensburgh Leisure Centre is closed for repairs after storm damage. Atlantis Leisure in Oban, the MacTaggart Leisure Centre in Bowmore and MACPool in Lochgilphead are community-run.

Where can I swim in Argyll and Bute?

Riverside in Dunoon has a 25 m six-lane pool and a 12.5 m teaching pool, Aqualibrium in Campbeltown a 25 m six-lane pool with a floating floor, and Rothesay Leisure Centre a 25 m four-lane pool. Atlantis Leisure in Oban has a 25 m pool with a flume and a teaching pool, the MacTaggart Leisure Centre on Islay a 25 m pool, and MACPool in Lochgilphead a 20 m four-lane pool.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Argyll and Bute?

The Kintyre Way runs 161 km from Tarbert to Machrihanish, and the Cowal Way 92 km from Portavadie to Inveruglas; both are among Scotland's Great Trails. The Crinan Canal towpath, part of National Cycle Route 78, follows 9 miles of canal and 15 locks from Ardrishaig to Crinan, and the John Muir Way starts in Helensburgh and runs 215 km to Dunbar.

How do I get to gyms in Argyll and Bute without a car?

The West Highland Line runs from Glasgow Queen Street to Oban, with six trains each way on weekdays, and Helensburgh Central is the end of the North Clyde Line from Glasgow. CalMac sails from Oban to Mull, Coll, Tiree, Colonsay and Lismore, and Western Ferries crosses from Hunters Quay, near Dunoon, to Gourock every 15 minutes at peak times. Bus travel is free for everyone in Scotland aged 5 to 21.

How do I find a gym buddy in Argyll and Bute?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members in Oban, Helensburgh, Dunoon or your own island. If there isn't a group for your kind of training nearby, start one.

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