Gartocharn (; gd, Gart a’ Chàirn ) is a village in
West Dunbartonshire
West Dunbartonshire ( sco, Wast Dunbairtonshire; gd, Siorrachd Dhùn Breatann an Iar, ) is one of the 32 local government council areas of Scotland. The area lies to the west of the City of Glasgow and contains many of Glasgow's commuter town ...
in
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 ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It is the only village in the parish of Kilmaronock (not to be confused with the town of
Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...
in
East Ayrshire). The parish has a population of c. 680.
It lies on the
A811, the main road from
Balloch to
Stirling. It is close to the shore of
Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of Ce ...
, and to
Ross Priory
Ross Priory is an early 19th-century country house located west of Gartocharn, West Dunbartonshire, on the south shore of Loch Lomond, Scotland. From the 14th century the estate, known as The Ross, was owned by a branch of the Buchanan family of ...
. It is dominated by a nearby hill, Duncryne, also known as the Kilmaronock Dumpling.
The village has two churches, a primary school, convenience shop and garage. There is a weekly fruit and vegetable market held at France Farm. The former Gartocharn Hotel is now closed The local bi-monthly magazine is known as the ‘Gartorag’.
Historically, the village's economy was based on agriculture, being surrounded by many large farms and estates. In recent years, this has dwindled, however, there is still a large haulage firm, Coopers, and the Lochs and Glens holiday company based in the village.
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy' ...
is reputed to have written Lady of the Lake whilst staying at Ross Priory and Gartochraggan, on the waters edge, north of the village.
Notable residents
It was the home of
Tom Weir MBE and his wife Rona, who for many years was the primary school headteacher.
The film producer and director brothers
Andrew Macdonald and
Kevin Macdonald grew up in the vicinity.
Prominent Glasgow financier and environmentalist Sir Raymond Johnstone lived at the Wards Estate.
farmed on the edge of the village.
Each year, the village is the home of a Convention of the
Two by Twos.
References
External links
Vale of Leven - Loch Lomond Villages East - GartocharnVisit Scotland - Gartocharn
{{authority control
Villages in West Dunbartonshire