Ardrishaig ( gd, Àird Driseig) is a coastal village on

Loch Gilp Loch Gilp (Scottish Gaelic: "Loch Gilb") is a small inlet on Loch Fyne which gives its name to Lochgilphead. The Crinan Canal extends from the loch across to Crinan Crinan is a name of Gaelic origin and it has a number of contexts: * Crinan, Arg ...

, at the southern (eastern) entrance to the Crinan Canal in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 2020) ...

in the west of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. It lies immediately to the south of

Lochgilphead Lochgilphead (; gd, Ceann Loch Gilb ) is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom, with a population of around 2,300 people. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute. The village lies at the end of Loch Gi ...

, with the nearest larger town being

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, th ...

History

''Àird Driseig'' or ''Rubha Àird Driseig'', the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

versions of the name, mean "height of the small bramble" or "promontory of the small bramble". Ardrishaig harbour's first pier was built in 1873. In the 1970s, the village was significantly altered when a row of old houses and shops on the lochside of the main street was demolished to make way for a car park. Most trading now takes place in the neighbouring town

. The village was a filming location for the television series ''A Mug's Game''.

Governance

Ardrishaig historically fell within the

South Knapdale South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz ...

parish, and is now served by Ardrishaig

Community Council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...

. It has been administered since 1996 by

Argyll and Bute Council Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant fo ...

, falling within the Mid Argyll ward, which is represented by three councillors. The

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( gd, Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ; sco, Scots Pairlament) is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. Located in the Holyrood area of the capital city, Edinburgh, it is frequently referred to by the metonym Holyro ...

constituency is

, which is represented by Michael Russell. The

UK Parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative supremac ...

constituency is

, which is represented by

Brendan O'Hara Brendan O'Hara (born 27 April 1963) is a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Argyll and Bute in 2015. He has been the SNP Spokesperson for International Development since De ...

Geography

Ardrishaig lies on the side of a hill (the Cruach nam Bonnach face of Cruach Breacain) bordering the west side of

, just north of where it joins

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne ( gd, Loch Fìne, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

. The linear settlement stretches southwards along the A83 (Chalmers Street) from around south of the junction with the A816, on the southwest side of

. The Crinan Canal runs north–south through Ardrishaig, with

locks Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

and a basin at its southern terminus. Ardrishaig Community Council is part-owner of the

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used Wind power, to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundre ...

at Allt Dearg on the hill above Inverneill to the south of the town.

Demography

Ardrishaig had 1,283 inhabitants in 2001.

Landmarks

Crinan Canal and harbour

There are two

pier image:Brighton Pier, Brighton, East Sussex, England-2Oct2011 (1).jpg, Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century. A pier is a raised structure that rises above a body of ...

s, a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mar ...

slipway A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...

and

breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island Breakwater Island () is a small island in the Palme ...

along the seafront.

Scottish Canals Scottish Canals is the Scottish Government body responsible for managing the country's inland waterways. Formerly a division of British Waterways, it became a stand-alone executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government on 2 J ...

has an office by the canal basin. To the north side of the old pier is the Crinan Canal sea lock and to the south are pontoons and anchorage for boats. About 30,000 tonnes of timber pass through the harbour annually but it has the capacity for 150,000 tonnes.

Other landmarks

Facilities in the village include a hotel,

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...

s, a church, school, post office and antiques shops. There are two public telephone boxes and a public lavatory.

Education

Ardrishaig Primary School is located in the village, and serves the area between Erins and Millers Bridge. The present building dates from 1986. For secondary education, the village falls within the catchment area of Lochgilphead Joint Campus.

Notable people

John Smith, former

Labour Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labour ...

MP and

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

, was born in Ardrishaig. James Chalmers, pioneering missionary, was born and lived in Ardrishaig until he was seven years old

References

External links

{{Portal bar, Scotland Highlands and Islands of Scotland Villages in Knapdale Ports and harbours of Scotland