Carradale ( gd, Càradal, ) is a village on the east side of

Kintyre Kintyre ( gd, Cinn Tìre, ) is a peninsula in western Scotland, in the southwest of Argyll and Bute. The peninsula stretches about , from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to East and West Loch Tarbert in the north. The region immediately nor ...

, overlooking the

Kilbrannan Sound Kilbrannan Sound (Scottish Gaelic: ''An Caolas Branndanach'') is a marine water body that separates the Kintyre Peninsula of Scotland from the island of Arran. Kilbrannan Sound is the western arm of the Firth of Clyde. See also * Dippen Bay D ...

and the west coast of the Isle of Arran in the

Firth of Clyde The Firth of Clyde is the mouth of the River Clyde. It is located on the west coast of Scotland and constitutes the deepest coastal waters in the British Isles (it is 164 metres deep at its deepest). The firth is sheltered from the Atlantic ...

, approximately from Campbeltown. To the north of Carradale is the coastal peak known as Torr Mor; nearby are the hamlet of Dippen and

Dippen Bay Dippen Bay is an embayment along Kilbrannan Sound on the east coast of the Kintyre Peninsula in Scotland. Coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coas ...

. Population: 578~ (2021)

History

There is a vitrified

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

fort at Carradale Point. In the 17th and 18th centuries there were small communities of crofters and

fishermen A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreati ...

working in and around Carradale. The introduction of

steam ship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

s transformed

and from the 1830s until the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

daily steamers went from Campbeltown to

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

, calling at Carradale. With the herring industry thriving, Carradale's first

pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...

was built in 1858, developing and encouraging the holiday trade. This situation persisted until the

, with hotels developing and a tradition of families returning year after year. Now this situation is reversing again. Carradale still has a

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

fleet, largely dealing in

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater envir ...

. Since the 1950s,

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

has also played an important part in the village with large scale afforestation taking place. The Free Church was opened on 2 December 1887. The

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Naomi Mitchison lived in Carradale House from 1938 until her death in 1999. Suffragette

Flora Drummond Flora McKinnon Drummond (née Gibson) (born 4 August 1878, Manchester – died 17 January 1949, Carradale), was a British suffragette. Nicknamed 'The General' for her habit of leading Women's Rights marches wearing a military style uniform 'wit ...

, who was raised on Arran, lived in Carradale from 1944 until her death in 1949.

Segments of the village

The village has five main areas: *Carradale Village, situated at a crossroads formed by the junction of the B842 and B879 roads. *Carradale Bay, site of a large caravan park overlooking an expanse of white sand. *Carradale Harbour (and the surrounding area), situated at the end of the B879. *Port Righ Bay, overlooking a small sheltered beach. *Waterfoot, at the mouth of the Carradale River.

Transport

The only public transport available to Carradale is a bus service operated by

West Coast Motors West Coast Motors (legally incorporated as Craig of Campbeltown Limited) is a bus, coach and ferry operator, based in Campbeltown, Scotland. The company also operates under the name ''Borders Buses'' and ''Glasgow Citybus''. History The foundi ...

, to and from Campbeltown via Peninver, and Saddell.

Pictures

File:Carradale Bay.jpg, Carradale Beach with the snow-capped hills of the Isle of Arran in the distance. File:Stepping stones across the River Carra.jpg, Stepping stones across the River Carra. File:Carradale Point.jpg, Carradale Point. Image:CarradaleHarbour.jpg, Carradale Harbour

References

External links

{{Portal bar, Scotland Villages in Kintyre Firth of Clyde