Arrochar, Argyll

Arrochar
Scottish Gaelic: An t-Àrchar
Arrochar  Arrochar shown within Argyll and Bute
OS grid reference	NN296038
Council area	Argyll and Bute
Lieutenancy area	Dunbartonshire
Country	Scotland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Arrochar
Postcode district	G83
Police	Scottish
Fire	Scottish
Ambulance	Scottish
EU Parliament	Scotland
UK Parliament	Argyll and Bute
Scottish Parliament	Dumbarton
List of places UK Scotland

Arrochar (/ˈærəxər/ ARR-ə-khər; Scottish Gaelic: An t-Àrchar or An Tairbeart Iar) is a village located near the head of Loch Long in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

Arrochar with Ben Lomond behind, taken from the path to The Cobbler

Historically in Dunbartonshire, it is overlooked by a group of mountains called the Arrochar Alps, and in particular by the distinctive rocky summit of the Cobbler. It enjoys good communications as it is at the junction of the A83 and A814 roads and is served by Arrochar and Tarbet railway station. In addition the A82 road runs through Tarbet two miles to the east.

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. The family is Celtic in the male line and native to their Highland homeland of tall peaks and deep lochs just above the waist of Scotland. The settlement was a key target for Viking raiders who took their boats 2 miles overland to Tarbet to attack the unprotected inland settlements at Loch Lomond before their defeat in 1263 at the battle of Largs.

The western end of Arrochar marks the traditional boundary of Argyllshire and Dunbartonshire, and this remained the case under local government reorganisation in 1975. However in 1996 the boundaries of Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire were substantially redrawn, bringing the whole area into Argyll and Bute.

Arrochar Torpedo Testing Facility

Arrochar Torpedo Testing Facility

The photograph shows the former torpedo testing facility at the head of Loch Long. It was decommissioned in 1980 and is currently 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.

See also

• List of places in Argyll and Bute

External links

• The Official Homepage of the International Clan MacFarlane Society, Inc.
• Arrochar local community website
• Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui History website
• Arrochar and Tarbet website - shows places to stay, things to do, local shops, restaurants and companies
• Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust
• Arrochar & Tarbet information
• grid reference NN296038