MenuArgyllshire, Scotland
Argyllshire is a maritime county of breathtaking scenery, deeply cut by sea lochs and divided into peninsulas and scattered islands stretching into the Atlantic. It encompasses most of the Inner Hebrides (including Jura, Islay, Mull, Colonsay, Coll, Tiree, Rùm, Muck and Canna) and the entire western coast of Scotland between the Mull of Kintyre and the Ardnamurchan peninsula. The lochs of mainland Argyllshire divide it into distinctive districts: Ardnamuchan, Sunart, Argdour, Morvern, Lorne, Argyll, Cowal, Knapdale and Kintyre - each reflecting one of the ancient provinces or lordships of the area. The whole county, mainland and islands, is mountainous. Inverary is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll. Oban is the "Gateway to the Isles". Iona is famous as the centre of St Columba’s mission to bring Christianity to the Scots and Picts.
Portrait of Argyllshire
Primary Name(s): Argyllshire
Place Type: Historic County
Lat, Long: 56.133328,-5.474798
Grid Reference: NR 8417 9884
Devolved Legislature: Scottish Parliament
GBPN ID: GBPN305772
GGA Code: C01000005
GBPN URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Argyllshire
Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q652539
Wikishire: https://wikishire.co.uk/wiki/Argyllshire
The northernmost part of the Argyllshire coast is the Ardnamurchan peninsula, a dramatic volcanic landscape. Ardnamurchan Point has the 118ft Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. Nearby Corrachadh Mòr is the most westerly point of Great Britain. Inland from Ardnamurchan is the traditional district of Sunart. The element strontium is named after the village of Strontian, following its discovery in 1790 in the ores of the local lead mines. East of Sunart is Ardgour, a rugged, upland district that culminates in the prominent peak of Sgùrr Dhomhnuill.
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
Morven or Morvern is a peninsula and traditional district bounded by Loch Sunart, Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull. The spectacular ruins of Ardtornish Castle lie on a promontory extending into the Sound. Kinlochaline Castle is a 15th-century Scottish tower house. The main village of Lochaline is a ferry port for the Isle of Mull.
The Appin peninsula has Loch Linnhe and Loch Leven to its north and Loch Creran to its south. Ballachulish and Port Appin are the principal villages. Glencoe or Glen Coe, one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in the Highlands, has a bloody mark in history for the Glencoe massacre of 13 February 1692. Castle Stalker is a four-storey tower house or keep picturesquely set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich.
Glen Coe Pass
The Benderloch peninsula lies between Loch Creran and Loch Etive. The name is derived from Beinn eadar dà loch, meaning "mountain between two lochs". The village of the same name grew up as the railway line from Ballachullish to Connel was completed in the early part of the 1900s. The Connel Bridge crosses Loch Etive.
Appin and Benderloch form part of the larger traditional area and former province of Lorne. Hugging the Atlantic coast, Lorn is defined by a deeply indented coastline, a series of magnificent sea lochs and a vast, mountainous interior. It stretches from the Loch Melfort and Loch Awe area in the south up to the county border of Loch Leven in the north. Its single town, standing on the Firth of Lorn, is Oban, the "Gateway to the Isles" from which ferries sail for the Hebrides. Dunollie Castle is a small, ruined castle located on a hill north of the town, the site enjoying fine view of the town, harbour, Kerrera and outlying isles. Dunstaffnage Castle (HES) lies three miles north of Oban, on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The castle is one of Scotland's oldest stone castles, dating back to the 13th century.
The district of Argyll (or Mid-Argyll) lies in the middle of the shire, including the county town, Inverary, ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll. Inverary Castle is a classic Georgian mansion house on a grand scale. Dunderave Castle is an L-plan castle built in the 16th century as the seat of the MacNaughton clan. The castle lies on a small promontory on the northern shores of Loch Fyne. Kilchurn Castle (HES), lying on a rocky peninsula at the north-eastern end of Loch Awe, was first constructed in the mid-15th century as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy, who extended both the castle and their territory in the area over the next 150 years.
To the south-west of Argyll is Knapdale, between the Sound of Jura and Loch Fyne. Castle Sween (HES), on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built at some time in the late 12th century.
Castle Sween
South of Knapdale is Kintyre, a long narrow peninsula the southernmost point of which is known as the Mull. Skipness Castle, on the east side of the Kintyre Peninsula, was built in the early 13th century by the Clan MacSween with later fortifications and other additions made to the castle through the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries.
South-east of Argyll lies Cowall, between Loch Fyne, Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. In its north is the mountainous Argyll Forest Park. In its south is the resort town of Dunoon. Castle Lachlan, or New Castle Lachlan, is an 18th-century baronial mansion or country house located at Strathlachlan. It was built in 1790 by Donald Maclachlan, 19th laird, to replace the 15th century Old Castle Lachlan, which stands nearby on the shores of Loch Fyne. Carrick Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil.
Old Castle Lachlan
The county embraces most of the Inner Hebrides. Of the Small Isles, Canna, Rùm and Muck are part of Argyllshire. Rùm, the largest, has a small population in Kinloch but is an important study site for ecology and the site of the successful reintroduction of the white-tailed sea eagle.
Col is a flat, peaceful island with one village, Arinagour. The isle is rich in wildlife. It forms a pair with Tiree, the most westerly inhabited island in the Inner Hebrides.
Mull is the largest of Argyllshire's islands, with 298 miles of coastline. The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak on the island being Ben More (3,169 feet). The capital, Tobermory, famous for the brightly painted assorted colours on its Main Street, lies near the northern entrance of the Sound of Mull. The island is rich in wildlife, a stronghold of the white-tailed sea eagle. Offshore are basking sharks, minke whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Tobermory
Iona, west of Mull, is world famous as the first centre of St Columba’s mission to bring Christianity to the Scots and Picts. The ruins of the Abbey were restored by the 8th Duke of Argyll in the 19th century. Iona today is renowned for its tranquillity and natural beauty. Fingal's Cave is a famous sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa.
South of Mull lies Colonsay, its single village Scalasaig on the east coast. The island abounds in historic sites, including the Dùn Cholla and Dùn Meadhonach ruined hill forts, the 8th-century Riasg Buidhe Cross and the 14th-century St Cathan's Chapel.
St Cathan's Chapel, Colonsay
Jura is a large island dominated by three steep-sided conical quartzite mountains on its western side – the Paps of Jura - which rise to 2,575 feet. The village of Craighouse is home to the Isle of Jura distillery. South of Jura is Islay, "The Queen of the Hebrides". The capital is Bowmore, Port Ellen the main port. The island is sparsely populated and mainly agricultural. The island is rich in birdlife as well as grey seals, otters and red deer. There are eight distilleries.
Isle of Jura Distillery
Argyllshire broadly corresponds to those islands and that part of mainland Great Britain that were part of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata. Dál Riata fragmented in the 9th century during the Viking Age. The islands came under the control of the Kingdom of the Isles. The part on mainland Britain was united in 843 AD with the Pictish kingdom to its east to become the Kingdom of Alba. The name Argyll (Airer Goídel), 'coast or borderland of the Gaels', came to be used for the part of the former Dál Riata territory on mainland Britain.
During the Middle Ages the area was divided into several lordships or provinces, principal among them being Kintyre, Knapdale, Lorn, Cowal and the Argyll province itself, centred around Inverary. Alba evolved into the Kingdom of Scotland, but lost control of Kintyre, Knapdale and Lorn to Norwegian rule. The Treaty of Perth (1266) re-established the Scottish Crown's authority over the parts of Argyll which had been under Norwegian rule, along with the former Kingdom of the Isles, which together became the semi-independent Lordship of the Isles.
The creation of a sheriffdom of Argyll took place in several stages. After 1266 the Argyll provinces were put under the sheriffdom of Perth. In 1293, two new shires were created; the Sheriffdom of Kintyre, covering just that province, and the Sheriffdom of Lorn, covering Lorn, Knapdale, Mid-Argyll and, probably Cowal. Robert the Bruce appointed his step-nephew-in-law, Dougal Campbell, as the very first Sheriff of Argyll around 1326 and the post became a hereditary position of the Clan Campbell. Nonetheless, much of the area remained under the practical control of the Lord of the Isles until 1476. In 1481 Knapdale and Kintyre became Tarbertshire. This was absorbed into Argyllshire in 1633.
Commissioners of Supply were established in each sheriffdom from 1667 to collect tax but also undertake various administrative duties. The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1747 abolished hereditary sheriffdoms, the role being replaced by a salaried, legally trained appointee of the Crown. The Act also abolished the last hereditary judicial powers of the hereditary rulers of the provinces. These measures saw the final replacement of the former provinces with a shire-based jurisdiction appointed by and answerable to the Crown. Despite this, the ancient provinces have remained important geographical and cultural entities.
Portrait of Argyllshire
Primary Name(s): Argyllshire
Place Type: Historic County
Lat, Long: 56.133328,-5.474798
Grid Reference: NR 8417 9884
Devolved Legislature: Scottish Parliament
GBPN ID: GBPN305772
GGA Code: C01000005
GBPN URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Argyllshire Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q652539 Wikishire: https://wikishire.co.uk/wiki/ArgyllshireThe northernmost part of the Argyllshire coast is the Ardnamurchan peninsula, a dramatic volcanic landscape. Ardnamurchan Point has the 118ft Ardnamurchan Lighthouse. Nearby Corrachadh Mòr is the most westerly point of Great Britain. Inland from Ardnamurchan is the traditional district of Sunart. The element strontium is named after the village of Strontian, following its discovery in 1790 in the ores of the local lead mines. East of Sunart is Ardgour, a rugged, upland district that culminates in the prominent peak of Sgùrr Dhomhnuill.
Ardnamurchan Lighthouse
Morven or Morvern is a peninsula and traditional district bounded by Loch Sunart, Loch Linnhe and the Sound of Mull. The spectacular ruins of Ardtornish Castle lie on a promontory extending into the Sound. Kinlochaline Castle is a 15th-century Scottish tower house. The main village of Lochaline is a ferry port for the Isle of Mull.
The Appin peninsula has Loch Linnhe and Loch Leven to its north and Loch Creran to its south. Ballachulish and Port Appin are the principal villages. Glencoe or Glen Coe, one of the most spectacular and beautiful places in the Highlands, has a bloody mark in history for the Glencoe massacre of 13 February 1692. Castle Stalker is a four-storey tower house or keep picturesquely set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich.
Glen Coe Pass
The Benderloch peninsula lies between Loch Creran and Loch Etive. The name is derived from Beinn eadar dà loch, meaning "mountain between two lochs". The village of the same name grew up as the railway line from Ballachullish to Connel was completed in the early part of the 1900s. The Connel Bridge crosses Loch Etive.
Appin and Benderloch form part of the larger traditional area and former province of Lorne. Hugging the Atlantic coast, Lorn is defined by a deeply indented coastline, a series of magnificent sea lochs and a vast, mountainous interior. It stretches from the Loch Melfort and Loch Awe area in the south up to the county border of Loch Leven in the north. Its single town, standing on the Firth of Lorn, is Oban, the "Gateway to the Isles" from which ferries sail for the Hebrides. Dunollie Castle is a small, ruined castle located on a hill north of the town, the site enjoying fine view of the town, harbour, Kerrera and outlying isles. Dunstaffnage Castle (HES) lies three miles north of Oban, on a platform of conglomerate rock on a promontory at the south-west of the entrance to Loch Etive, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The castle is one of Scotland's oldest stone castles, dating back to the 13th century.
The district of Argyll (or Mid-Argyll) lies in the middle of the shire, including the county town, Inverary, ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll. Inverary Castle is a classic Georgian mansion house on a grand scale. Dunderave Castle is an L-plan castle built in the 16th century as the seat of the MacNaughton clan. The castle lies on a small promontory on the northern shores of Loch Fyne. Kilchurn Castle (HES), lying on a rocky peninsula at the north-eastern end of Loch Awe, was first constructed in the mid-15th century as the base of the Campbells of Glenorchy, who extended both the castle and their territory in the area over the next 150 years.
To the south-west of Argyll is Knapdale, between the Sound of Jura and Loch Fyne. Castle Sween (HES), on the eastern shore of Loch Sween, is thought to be one of the earliest stone castles built in Scotland, having been built at some time in the late 12th century.
Castle Sween
South of Knapdale is Kintyre, a long narrow peninsula the southernmost point of which is known as the Mull. Skipness Castle, on the east side of the Kintyre Peninsula, was built in the early 13th century by the Clan MacSween with later fortifications and other additions made to the castle through the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries.
South-east of Argyll lies Cowall, between Loch Fyne, Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. In its north is the mountainous Argyll Forest Park. In its south is the resort town of Dunoon. Castle Lachlan, or New Castle Lachlan, is an 18th-century baronial mansion or country house located at Strathlachlan. It was built in 1790 by Donald Maclachlan, 19th laird, to replace the 15th century Old Castle Lachlan, which stands nearby on the shores of Loch Fyne. Carrick Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the west shore of Loch Goil.
Old Castle Lachlan
The county embraces most of the Inner Hebrides. Of the Small Isles, Canna, Rùm and Muck are part of Argyllshire. Rùm, the largest, has a small population in Kinloch but is an important study site for ecology and the site of the successful reintroduction of the white-tailed sea eagle.
Col is a flat, peaceful island with one village, Arinagour. The isle is rich in wildlife. It forms a pair with Tiree, the most westerly inhabited island in the Inner Hebrides.
Mull is the largest of Argyllshire's islands, with 298 miles of coastline. The island has a mountainous core, the highest peak on the island being Ben More (3,169 feet). The capital, Tobermory, famous for the brightly painted assorted colours on its Main Street, lies near the northern entrance of the Sound of Mull. The island is rich in wildlife, a stronghold of the white-tailed sea eagle. Offshore are basking sharks, minke whales, porpoises and dolphins.
Tobermory
Iona, west of Mull, is world famous as the first centre of St Columba’s mission to bring Christianity to the Scots and Picts. The ruins of the Abbey were restored by the 8th Duke of Argyll in the 19th century. Iona today is renowned for its tranquillity and natural beauty. Fingal's Cave is a famous sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa.
South of Mull lies Colonsay, its single village Scalasaig on the east coast. The island abounds in historic sites, including the Dùn Cholla and Dùn Meadhonach ruined hill forts, the 8th-century Riasg Buidhe Cross and the 14th-century St Cathan's Chapel.
St Cathan's Chapel, Colonsay
Jura is a large island dominated by three steep-sided conical quartzite mountains on its western side – the Paps of Jura - which rise to 2,575 feet. The village of Craighouse is home to the Isle of Jura distillery. South of Jura is Islay, "The Queen of the Hebrides". The capital is Bowmore, Port Ellen the main port. The island is sparsely populated and mainly agricultural. The island is rich in birdlife as well as grey seals, otters and red deer. There are eight distilleries.
Isle of Jura Distillery
Argyllshire broadly corresponds to those islands and that part of mainland Great Britain that were part of the ancient kingdom of Dál Riata. Dál Riata fragmented in the 9th century during the Viking Age. The islands came under the control of the Kingdom of the Isles. The part on mainland Britain was united in 843 AD with the Pictish kingdom to its east to become the Kingdom of Alba. The name Argyll (Airer Goídel), 'coast or borderland of the Gaels', came to be used for the part of the former Dál Riata territory on mainland Britain.
During the Middle Ages the area was divided into several lordships or provinces, principal among them being Kintyre, Knapdale, Lorn, Cowal and the Argyll province itself, centred around Inverary. Alba evolved into the Kingdom of Scotland, but lost control of Kintyre, Knapdale and Lorn to Norwegian rule. The Treaty of Perth (1266) re-established the Scottish Crown's authority over the parts of Argyll which had been under Norwegian rule, along with the former Kingdom of the Isles, which together became the semi-independent Lordship of the Isles.
The creation of a sheriffdom of Argyll took place in several stages. After 1266 the Argyll provinces were put under the sheriffdom of Perth. In 1293, two new shires were created; the Sheriffdom of Kintyre, covering just that province, and the Sheriffdom of Lorn, covering Lorn, Knapdale, Mid-Argyll and, probably Cowal. Robert the Bruce appointed his step-nephew-in-law, Dougal Campbell, as the very first Sheriff of Argyll around 1326 and the post became a hereditary position of the Clan Campbell. Nonetheless, much of the area remained under the practical control of the Lord of the Isles until 1476. In 1481 Knapdale and Kintyre became Tarbertshire. This was absorbed into Argyllshire in 1633.
Commissioners of Supply were established in each sheriffdom from 1667 to collect tax but also undertake various administrative duties. The Heritable Jurisdictions (Scotland) Act 1747 abolished hereditary sheriffdoms, the role being replaced by a salaried, legally trained appointee of the Crown. The Act also abolished the last hereditary judicial powers of the hereditary rulers of the provinces. These measures saw the final replacement of the former provinces with a shire-based jurisdiction appointed by and answerable to the Crown. Despite this, the ancient provinces have remained important geographical and cultural entities.