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Inverary at the head of Loch Fyne is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Argyll, the heads of the storied Campbell clan. Argyll Castle is not a castle but a Georgian manor built by the Adam family of architects for the third duke beginning in 1744. For the sake of the appearance of his new home, the Duke evicted the entire population of the village of Inveraray. The fifth Duke rebuilt the town with neat houses, a pier for the herring boats and a woollen mill. Inverarary has a number of museums, from the Argyll Folk Museum in nearby Auchindrain to the Inveraray Maritime Heritage Museum at the pier. The stone cross that stands where Inveraray Main Street reaches the pier is older than the present town. It was moved from its position at the site of the old town when the new one was built.
Activities and attractions
All Saints' Scottish Episcopal Church was built in the Gothic Revival style in 1885. The Duke's Tower was added between 1923 and 1931 as a war memorial. The tower holds a peal of ten bells dating from 1926 said to be the second heaviest in the world. An exhibition in the entrance to the bell-ringing chamber gives insight into the bells, and the view from the top of the tower is unforgettable. The church also maintains a prayer tree where visitors may leave requests.
Glenray and Inveraray Parish Church was originally built as a double church with two sanctuaries back to back. One congregation worshipped in Scots and the other in Gaelic. In 1957 the Gaelic End was turned into a church hall. The Church once had a spire in its centre, but it was removed in 1941. Inside the sanctuary is the Communion Table with its twenty legs. Many visitors enjoy trying to spot the single leg that is different from the other nineteen.
The living museum at Inverary Jail is a favourite with younger visitors as well as adults. Trials and prison life are re-enacted by costumed performers. In addition to the normal programs the museum features nights of ghost hunting during the summer. A similar facility is located ten minutes from Inveraray in Auchindrain, which replicates a farming community of the times before the clearances. Auchindrain was the last such township in operation, and farming there persisted well into the twentieth century. By the time it ceased, the significance of the town was obvious and steps were taken to preserve it. The buildings themselves are recognized as museum artefacts.
The mountains around Inverary are awe-inspiring, but beneath one of them lies an engineering feat to boggle the mind. Cruachan, known as the Hollow Mountain, is a power station built between 1959 and 1965. It lies in a cavern beneath Ben Cruachan half an hour from Inveraray. It was the first reversible pump storage power plant in the world and for many years remained the one with the highest head. Its visitor centre contains interactive exhibits, and a bracing climb takes guests to the top of the mountain with its expansive views.
Ardkinglas Woodland Gardens lies ten minutes drive from Inverarary. Ardkinglas House, still a family residence, is open on the second and final Fridays of each month. The Woodland Garden with its Champion Trees of various species is open all year round. It includes everything from a scriptorium to a historic mill, as well as a very vocal population of native red squirrels.
Local operators also offer paintball, pony rides and mountain bike trails. The nine-hole Inveraray golf club is said to be quite testing in spite of its level profile. It offers wonderful views of Loch Fyne and the hills. Divers may be interested in the islands in the harbour or in the variety of wrecks accessible from Inveraray, including submarines. The waters abound with tiny black starfish and a wide variety of anemones and sponges.
Access and Places to Stay
Inverary sits on the A83 at the head of Loch Fyne. Frequent motor coaches from Glasgow serve the town, but there is no rail service. Since many of the sites are a few miles outside the town, it is quite helpful to bring or hire a car. Camping and B&B operations are the most frequent lodging options, but hotels also exist. Local night life is limited to the pubs, and most of the dining establishments in Inverary have the character of pubs or tearooms, but they serve nourishing meals well prepared.
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