Arrochar, Argyll

Arrochar
Scottish Gaelic: *An t-Àrchar*
Arrochar Scottish Gaelic: An t-Àrchar;
	Arrochar with Ben Lomond behind, taken from the path to The Cobbler.
	Arrochar Location within Argyll and Bute
OS grid reference	NN 29700 04300
Council area	Argyll and Bute;
Lieutenancy area	Dunbartonshire;
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Arrochar
Postcode district	G83
Dialling code	01301
UK Parliament	Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber;
Scottish Parliament	Dumbarton;
	List of places UK Scotland 56°12′03″N 4°44′48″W / 56.200743°N 4.7467273°W

Arrochar (/ˈærəxər/ ARR-ə-khər; Scottish Gaelic: An t-Àrchar [ən̪ˠ t̪aːɾəɾ] or An Tairbeart an Iar) is a village at the head of Loch Long, on the Cowal Peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. The Arrochar Alps are named after the village. The village is within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.^[1]

Geography

Arrochar is overlooked by a group of mountains called the Arrochar Alps, part of the Grampian Mountain range.^[2] In particular by the distinctive rocky summit of the Cobbler.^[3]

The village enjoys good communications, located at the junction of the A83 and A814 roads and is served by Arrochar and Tarbet railway station.^[4]^[5] In addition the A82 road runs through Tarbet two miles (three kilometres) east.

Arrochar Mountain Rescue Team

The rescue team was setup in the mid 1950's. The team has around thirty voluntary members on call 365 days a year.^[6]^[7]

History

Arrochar was Historically in the Dunbartonshire area, until boundary changes in 1996.^[8]

For over five centuries this area, the feudal barony of Arrochar, was held by the chiefs of Clan MacFarlane and before them by their ancestors the barons of Arrochar.^[9] The family is Celtic in the male line.

The settlement was a key target for Viking raiders who took their boats a further two miles (three kilometres) overland to Tarbet to attack the unprotected inland settlements around the shores of Loch Lomond. ^[10] In 1263 the Vikings where defeated at the battle of Largs.^[11]

Royal Naval Torpedo Testing Station and Range

Arrochar Torpedo Testing Facility in 2007

The photograph shows the former torpedo testing facility at the head of Loch Long.^[12]^[13] Established in 1912 and decommissioned in 1980. The site is currently^[when?] part demolished. Demolition has been stalled since a fire on the site in June 2007.

Torpedoes were fired up Loch Long from tubes at the front of the facility. A boat stood by to recover the (unarmed) torpedoes where they were returned for analysis. The now roofless shed to the left and the main part of the building have tracks where torpedoes were stored and worked on. Hoists on the first floor lowered the torpedoes into the tubes.

The control room at the top looking straight down the loch housed a camera. Behind the control room, above the loading shed, is office accommodation. The rest of the facility included housing and workshops but these have been sold off.

References

^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ https://peakvisor.com/range/grampian-mountains.html
^ https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/the-cobbler.shtml
^ https://www.transport.gov.scot/road-order/the-a83-trunk-road-arrochar-temporary-prohibition-on-use-of-road-order-2024/
^ https://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/stations-and-facilities/art
^ https://arrocharmrt.org.uk/about.html
^ https://www.scottishmountainrescue.org/teams/
^ https://boundaries.scot/sites/default/files/Local_government_Scotland_1995_onwards.pdf
^ https://www.arrocharheritage.com/HistoryOfTheMacFarlanes.htm
^ "Loch Lomond Archaeology". Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.
^ https://www.scotclans.com/pages/1263-battle-of-largs
^ https://canmore.org.uk/site/135114/arrochar-royal-naval-torpedo-testing-station-and-range
^ Steve Partridge (2007). "Arrochar Torpedo Testing Facility:: OS grid NN2803". Geograph British Isles. Retrieved 26 November 2007.

External links

Map sources for Arrochar, Argyll

[1] "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] ttps://peakvisor.com/range/grampian-mountains.html

[3] ttps://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/lochlomond/the-cobbler.shtml

[4] ttps://www.transport.gov.scot/road-order/the-a83-trunk-road-arrochar-temporary-prohibition-on-use-of-road-order-2024/

[5] ttps://www.scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/stations-and-facilities/art

[6] ttps://arrocharmrt.org.uk/about.html

[7] ttps://www.scottishmountainrescue.org/teams/

[8] ttps://boundaries.scot/sites/default/files/Local_government_Scotland_1995_onwards.pdf

[9] ttps://www.arrocharheritage.com/HistoryOfTheMacFarlanes.htm

[10] "Loch Lomond Archaeology". Archived from the original on 15 August 2007.

[11] ttps://www.scotclans.com/pages/1263-battle-of-largs

[12] ttps://canmore.org.uk/site/135114/arrochar-royal-naval-torpedo-testing-station-and-range

[geograph-13] Steve Partridge (2007). "Arrochar Torpedo Testing Facility:: OS grid NN2803". Geograph British Isles. Retrieved 26 November 2007.

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Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	United States Israel