Sandbank ( gd, an Oitir or ''Taigh a' Chladaich'') is a village 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) ...

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 ...

. It is located 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 well a ...

on the coastal A815 (low road) or the inland A885 (high road) and sits on the southern shore of the

Holy Loch The Holy Loch ( gd, An Loch Sianta/Seunta) is a sea loch, a part of the Cowal peninsula coast of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The "Holy Loch" name is believed to date from the 6th century, when Saint Munn landed there a ...

, branching off 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 ...

History

Robertsons Yachtbuilders

Alexander Robertson started repairing boats in a small workshop at Sandbank in 1876, and Alexander Robertson & Sons went on to become one of the foremost wooden boat builders on Scotland's

River Clyde The River Clyde ( gd, Abhainn Chluaidh, , sco, Clyde Watter, or ) is a river that flows into the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. It is the ninth-longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third-longest in Scotland. It runs through the major cit ...

. The 'golden years' of Robertson's yard were in the early 1900s when they started building classic 12- and 15-metre racing yachts. Robertsons was well known for the quality of its workmanship and was chosen to build the first 15-metre yacht designed by

William Fife William Fife Jr. (15 June 1857 – 11 August 1944), also known as William Fife III, was the third generation of a family of Scottish yacht designers and builders. In his time, William Fife designed around 600 yachts, including two contende ...

(Shimna, 1907). More than 55 boats were built by Robertsons in preparation for the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

and the yard remained busy even during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

in the 1930s, as many wealthy businessmen developed a passion for yacht racing on the Clyde. During

World War II 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

the yard was devoted to Admiralty work, producing a wide range of large high-speed Fairmile Marine Motor Boats. After the war the yard built the successful one-class Loch Longs and two David Boyd designed 12-metre challengers for the America's Cup:

Sceptre A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

(1958) and Sovereign (1964). Due to difficult business conditions the Robertson family sold the yard in 1965, and it was turned over to GRP production work until it closed in 1980. During its 104-year history, Robertson's Yard built 500 boats, many of which are still sailing today. The yard ceased trading in the early 1980s and the site was levelled soon after. The site has since been consumed by residential building and the new Holy Loch Marina development.

U.S. Navy years

US Submarine Base, Western Scotland, UK - panoramio

Sandbank was the site of the shore facilities of the U.S. Navy

submarine base A submarine base is a military base that shelters submarines and their personnel. Examples of present-day submarine bases include HMNB Clyde, Île Longue (the base for France's Force océanique stratégique), Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay ...

in the Holy Loch from 1961 to 1992, part of the

US Atlantic Fleet The United States Fleet Forces Command (USFF) is a service component command of the United States Navy that provides naval forces to a wide variety of U.S. forces. The naval resources may be allocated to Combatant Commanders such as United Stat ...

. It was, for 30 years, until the end of the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...

, the home port of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Squadron 14 (SUBRON 14, short name). Nowadays, part of the old navy complex that was the former location of Morris & Lorimer's boat building yard, is a timber loading berth and marina.

Holy Loch Marina

Sandbank is the location of the Holy Loch Marina, a development with over 200 berths.

Cemetery

Cowal Cemetery is located on the high road (A885) between Sandbank and Dunoon. It was established in 1972.Sandbank Cemetery
- Canmore.org.uk

Gallery

Image:Dusky Holy Loch - geograph.org.uk - 1424420.jpg, Dusk on the Holy Loch Image:Sandbank, long jetty - geograph.org.uk - 922930.jpg, Ardnadam Image:Sandbank - geograph.org.uk - 46324.jpg, Junction of the A815 and A885 roads Image:Sandbank Primary school. - geograph.org.uk - 1357981.jpg, Sandbank Primary school

References

External links

Holy Loch Marina - website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandbank, Argyll Villages in Cowal Firth of Clyde Highlands and Islands of Scotland