Ardentinny ( gd, Àird an t-Sionnaich or Àird an Teine) is a small village on the western shore of

Loch Long Loch Long is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Sea Loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end. It measures approximately in length, with a width of between . The loch also has an arm, Loch Goil, on its west ...

, north of

Dunoon Dunoon (; gd, Dùn Omhain) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As wel ...

on the

Cowal Cowal ( gd, Còmhghall) is a peninsula in Argyll and Bute, in the west of Scotland, that extends into the Firth of Clyde. The northern part of the peninsula is covered by the Argyll Forest Park managed by Forestry and Land Scotland. The Arroch ...

peninsula 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) ...

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland S ...

. Nearby is Cruach a Chaise (Cheese Hill), while on the opposite side of Loch Long is the village of

Coulport Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport, shortened to RNAD Coulport, on Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland, is the storage and loading facility for the nuclear warheads of the United Kingdom's Trident programme. The base, near the village of Coulpor ...

, home of RNAD Coulport, the storage and loading base for the UK's Trident Nuclear Defence Force. The name ''Ardentinny'' means "hill of fire", deriving either from the ancient rite of lighting fires to the god Bel on 1 May or, more likely, from warning fires to aid mariners. It was the fife of the McInturner's Baron's Craigcoll, Ardentinny & Glenfinart before they were murdered by

Clan Campbell Clan Campbell ( gd, Na Caimbeulaich ) is a Scottish Highlands, Highland Scottish clan, historically one of the largest and most powerful of the Highland clans. The Clan Campbell lands are in Argyll and within their lands lies Ben Cruachan. The ...

for supporting Clan Lamont in the reign of

Robert the Bruce Robert I (11 July 1274 – 7 June 1329), popularly known as Robert the Bruce (Scottish Gaelic: ''Raibeart an Bruis''), was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. One of the most renowned warriors of his generation, Robert eventual ...

. The ferry between Ardentinny and Coulport was summoned by a fire and was used by the Dukes of Argyll travelling between Dunoon,

Inveraray Inveraray ( or ; gd, Inbhir Aora meaning "mouth of the Aray") is a town in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is on the western shore of Loch Fyne, near its head, and on the A83 road. It is a former royal burgh, the traditional county town of Arg ...

and Rosneath Castle and in later years by drovers from Argyll travelling to the markets in Central Scotland. The village has two hotels catering for the general public. The Ardentinny Outdoor Centre is run by Actual Reality, which has two centres in Cowal. The local economy is reliant on tourism and agriculture, with major employers being the hotel, the outdoor centre and the caravan park. There is one working fishing boat based in Ardentinny, trawling for prawns. Residents also work in Dunoon and across the Clyde. The village is served by the 489 (direct) and 486 (via

Kilmun Kilmun ( gd, Cill Mhunna) is a linear settlement on the north shore of the Holy Loch, on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands.It takes its name from the 7th century monastic community founded by an Irish monk, St Munn (Fin ...

) bus service to and from Dunoon. There are many holiday home rentals now being offered to tourists, as Ardentinny is within

Argyll Forest Park Argyll Forest Park is a forest park located on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. Established in 1935, it was the first forest park to be created in the United Kingdom. The park is managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, a ...

, which is itself within Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. The Ardentinny Hotel was struck by lightning on 19 May 2014. It re-opened in June 2017, after refurbishment, as a bar and bistro named The Ardentinny.

Education

Ardentinny had a primary school until 1998, when it was closed due to falling pupil numbers. Children in the village are now sent to nearby Strone Primary School. The only secondary school in Cowal is

Dunoon Grammar School Dunoon Grammar School is a secondary school in Dunoon, Cowal Peninsula, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It was founded in 1641. It is currently a non-denominational comprehensive school which covers all stages from S1 to S6 (ages 12–18). Building ...

, and students from the village are bussed there each day.

In literature

The village of Ardentinny is featured in Don Brown's historical fiction novel ''

Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...

'', the prequel to his Navy Justice Series.

Notable people

* John Craig, Scottish classicist, and his brother Robert Meldrum Craig, FRSE, were born in Ardentinny. * George Gardner, botanist, was born in Ardentinny in 1810. *

Paul Murton Paul Murton is a Scottish television presenter and broadcaster, film-maker, and historian, working primarily on the BBC with an emphasis on travelogues in Scotland. Born in 1957 and raised in Ardentinny on the shores of Loch Long, Argyll, Scotland ...

, TV presenter/broadcaster of the ''Grand Tours of Scotland'' series, was raised in Ardentinny.

Gallery

File:Loch Long shoreline - geograph.org.uk - 125970.jpg, Loch Long shoreline at Ardentinny File:Road to Ardentinny - geograph.org.uk - 125962.jpg, Road to Ardentinny from Blairmore File:Loch Long - geograph.org.uk - 581545.jpg, Loch Long from above Ardentinny

References

External links

Argyll Forest Park - website

The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park - website

Ardentinny Community Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ardentinny Villages in Cowal Firth of Clyde Highlands and Islands of Scotland