Cairndow; ( gd, An Càrn Dubh) is a coastal hamlet, 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, Scottish Highlands. The town lies between the

A83 road The A83 is a major road in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland, running from Tarbet, on the western shore of Loch Lomond, where it splits from the A82, to Campbeltown at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula. Route From Tarbet the A8 ...

and the head of

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 ...

. Cairndow's school closed in 1988 after the roll fell to just 3 pupils. Now children in the area are sent to the primary school in

Strachur Strachur; ( gd, Srath Chura) and Strathlachlan; ( gd, Srath Lachlainn) are united parishes located on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Strachur is a small village on the eastern coast of Loch Fyne. Geography Cowal is the ...

and the secondary school in Dunoon. Medical facilities for the hamlet are provided by the GP in Strachur. Kilmorich Church at Cairndow was built in 1818 and is a category A listed building. After originating as an oyster farm in the loch,

Loch Fyne Oysters Loch Fyne Oysters is a seafood and meat company that operates on the banks of Loch Fyne, Scotland. The company created the Loch Fyne Restaurants chain, which was later sold to Greene King. Loch Fyne Oysters still owns the Loch Fyne brand and suppl ...

opened its Loch Fyne Oyster Bar in 1988 at Clachan, across the head of the loch from Cairndow. The company has expanded into a restaurant chain, and the Oyster Bar continues to be a tourist attraction at Clachan, Cairndow.

Ardkinglas House

Ardkinglas House Ardkinglas House is a Category A listed country house on the Ardkinglas Estate in Argyll, Scotland. The estate lies on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, and the house is located close to the village of Cairndow. Dating back to the 14th century and ...

is located to the south of the village. Dating back to the 1300s, the Ardkinglas estate extends over more than of rolling hills and landscaped parkland. The present Ardkinglas House was built by architect Sir Robert Lorimer, completed in eighteen months in the Fall of 1907, and is considered to be his masterpiece. It replaces an earlier house where, in the 1820s, feminist Caroline Sheridan Norton was raised. The house remains unaltered and is a popular location for television period dramas and film productions, as well as weddings. Today, it is open to the public, however, not on a regular basis, private tours of the house can be booked at any time of the year and public tours are available on Fridays from April to October. The house's original "Butlers Quarters" can be rented all the year round. The Woodland Gardens, dating from the 18th century, are open all the year round with views of the exterior of the Ardkinglas estate, with its scenic backdrop on

Geography

Climate

Gallery

Image:Loch Fyne from Cairndow road.jpg, A view across Loch Fyne near Cairndow Image:Cairndow Kirk.jpg, The kirk at Cairndow Image:Scotland Argyll Bute Cairndow Argyll and Bute.JPG, Scotland Argyll Bute Cairndow Argyll and Bute Image:Loch Fyne, Cairndow, (May 2001) - panoramio.jpg, Loch Fyne, Cairndow, (May 2001) - panoramio

References

External links

Cairndow page in the Gazetteer for Scotland - website

Ardkinglas House - website

Gaelic place names of Scotland - website
Villages in Cowal Highlands and Islands of Scotland {{Argyll-geo-stub