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Argyll is an area on the west coast of Scotland, and the
birthplace of the Scottish nation. Traditionally, Argyll
was comprised of prominent areas that included
Ardnamurchan, Morvern, Sunart, Appin, Benderloch, Lorne,
Cowal, Knapdale, Kintyre, and the inner Hebridean
Islands of Islay, Jura, Mull, Iona and others. While
originally considered a county, the Local Government
etc. (Scotland) Act in 1994 reorganized Scotland into 32
Council Areas. Thus, much of northern Argyll is now
included in the Highland Council Area, and the southern
part joined with the island of Bute to constitute the
Argyll & Bute Council. Historically Argyll was the
second largest area in Scotland, stretching from
Arnamurchan Point, the westernmost piece of land on the
island of Great Britain, to the mull of Kintyre, the
peninsula that lies within twenty miles of northern
Ireland.
Historic sites permeate the land. The Island of Iona,
just west of Mull, was where where the Book of Kells was
created, and is the burial place of early Kings of
Scots. The hill fort of Dunadd, between Mid Argyll and
Knapdale, was the first capital of the Dalriadic Scots.
A plethora of pre-historic standing stone circles are
situated in Argyll, and include: Ballymeanoch and
Achnabreck in Kilmartin; Balliscate and Dervaig on Mull;
Ballochroy and Beacharr on Kintyre; Strontoiller, near
Oban, and many other sites.
Many places in Argyll are part of Clan Campbell
history. On Loch Awe, in Mid Argyll, are both Innis
Chonnel, the first prominent castle of the Campbells,
and Kilchurn Castle, the first castle of the Breadalbane
Campbells. Southeast of Loch Awe is Loch Fyne, a salt
water loch. Toward the northern end of Loch Fyne is the
town of Inveraray, where the Campbell Chief lives in
Inveraray Castle. Towering over all of Argyll is
Cruachan Ben. Ben means "mountain" in the Gaelic, and
Cruachan means, "the big stack.". Cruachan is the war
cry, or slogan, of Clan Campbell, taken not from the
imposing mountain, but from the name of the gathering
ground of the clan on Loch Awe. Craignish, Strachur,
Barbreck, Glenfeochan, Saddell, Glendaruel, and
Auchinbreck are just a few of the places names at which
lived armigerous Campbells, which give rise to the
titles of Campbell of . . .
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