Argyll Street, Dunoon

Last updated

Argyll Street
East Bay, Dunoon, Scotland LOC 3449528191.jpg
Dunoon's Argyll Hotel and East Bay around 1895, with Argyll Street on the left
Length0.48 mi (0.77 km)
Location Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
South endPier Esplanade
North endBencorum Brae

Argyll Street is the main street of the Scottish town of Dunoon, on the Cowal peninsula, Argyll and Bute. [1] It runs for about 0.9 miles (1.4 km), from Pier Esplanade (the A815) in the south to Bencorum Brae in the north.

Contents

The road, which is one-way northbound from Pier Esplanade to John Street, forms part of the A885 from John Street to Bencorum Brae, at which point the A885 becomes the Sandbank Road. The road crosses Milton Burn between McArthur Street and Queen Street.

History

In the early 19th century, Argyll Street stopped at Moir Street. Instead of continuing to Dunoon Pier, it turned right at today's Sinbad's Bar. Before Dunoon Burgh Hall was built, beginning in 1873, the land was an open field, owned by James McArthur Moir, leading to an area known as the Gallowhill. There were no streets and houses between Argyll Street and Edward Street. Argyll Street, roughly as it is seen today, was completed by 1870. Moir donated some of his land for the building of the Burgh Hall, but he did not get to see its completion; he died by suicide in 1872. [2]

Notable locations

Two buildings on Argyll Street are listed buildings: Argyll Hotel and Burgh Hall. Other notable locations along the street include:

From south to north

St Cuthbert's Church stood at today's 191 Argyll Street between 1874 and 1994, when it was demolished to make way for a block of flats. [3]

Junctions

From south to north

Dunoon was the inspiration behind Damon Albarn's song "The Selfish Giant" on his 2014 solo album Everyday Robots . It includes the line "Walking down Argyll Street when the evening colours call". [4] Albarn revealed that the inspiration for the song came from Blur's visit to Dunoon in 1995 and a view he had of the Holy Loch. "It was a beautiful misty evening. There was a single submarine in the loch – why it was there I don't know. I had a very strong image of the loch and submarines and walking down the main drag in Dunoon after the gig, going to someone's house for a party, and a song came out of it." [5] Albarn also stated: "Now every time I sing 'The Selfish Giant' I go back to that night in Dunoon, which was a really great night, a fantastic night." When asked if he would consider playing solo in Scotland, he replied: "I’d love to. Maybe Dunoon? Then I can walk down Argyll Street again." [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyll and Bute</span> Council area of Scotland

Argyll and Bute is one of 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod. The administrative centre for the council area is in Lochgilphead at Kilmory Castle, a 19th-century Gothic Revival building and estate. The current council leader is Councillor Jim Lynch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunoon</span> Town in Scotland

Dunoon 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 as forming part of the council area of Argyll and Bute, Dunoon also has its own community council. Dunoon was a burgh until 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cowal</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Cowal is a rugged peninsula in Argyll and Bute, on the west coast of Scotland. It is bounded on the west by Loch Fyne and on the east by Loch Long and the Firth of Clyde. The Kyles of Bute separate it from Bute to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy Loch</span> Sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

The Holy Loch is a sea loch, a part of the Cowal peninsula coast of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Long</span> Sea-loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, UK

Loch Long is a body of water in the council area of Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Sea Loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end. It measures approximately 20 miles in length, with a width of between one and two miles. The loch also has an arm, Loch Goil, on its western side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandbank, Argyll</span> Village in Scotland

Sandbank is a village on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located 2.5 miles north of Dunoon on the coastal A815 or the inland A885 and sits on the southern shore of the Holy Loch, branching off the Firth of Clyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tail of the Bank</span>

The Tail of the Bank is the name given to the anchorage in the upper Firth of Clyde immediately North of Greenock, between Inverclyde and Argyll and Bute. This area of the Firth gets its name from the deep water immediately to the west of the sandbank which marks the entrance to the navigable channel up the Estuary of the River Clyde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strone, Cowal</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Strone is a village on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands at the point where the north shore of the Holy Loch becomes the west shore of the Firth of Clyde. The village lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirn, Dunoon</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Kirn is a village in Argyll and Bute in the Scottish Highlands on the west shore of the Firth of Clyde on the Cowal peninsula. It now forms part of the continuous habitation between Dunoon and Hunters Quay, where the Holy Loch joins the Firth of Clyde. It originally had its own pier, with buildings designed by Harry Edward Clifford in 1895, and was a regular stop for the Clyde steamer services, bringing holidaymakers to the town, mostly from the Glasgow area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strachur</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Strachur and Strathlachlan are united parishes located on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Strachur is a small village on the eastern coast of Loch Fyne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loch Eck</span> Lake in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Loch Eck is a freshwater loch located on the Cowal peninsula, north of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is seven miles long. It is oriented in a north-south direction. Its main inflow, at the northern end, is the River Cur, and its main outflow, at the southern end, is the River Eachaig, which meanders somewhat within the confines of the broad strath before flowing into the head of Holy Loch, about 5 km further south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A815 road (Scotland)</span> Road in Scotland

The A815 is a major road located on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It runs for about 35.7 miles (57.5 km) from the A83, near Cairndow, in the north to Toward in the south. It passes beside three lochs, while its final stretch is along the Firth of Clyde.

"The Selfish Giant" is a song recorded by English recording artist and songwriter and Blur frontman & Gorillaz creator, Damon Albarn, from his debut solo studio album Everyday Robots. The track features Natasha Khan, known professionally as Bat for Lashes. The track is produced by both Albarn and Richard Russell, whom Albarn has previously worked with on Bobby Womack's comeback album The Bravest Man in the Universe and on the DRC Music album Kinshasa One Two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunoon Burgh Hall</span> Municipal Building in Dunoon, Scotland

Dunoon Burgh Hall is a municipal building in Argyll Street, Dunoon, Scotland. The structure, which is used as an events venue, is Category B listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Alexander Bryden</span> Scottish architect

Robert Alexander Bryden was a Scottish architect, prominent in the second half of the 19th century. He was mainly active in the west of Scotland, where he designed schools, churches and municipal buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarke & Bell & R. A. Bryden</span> Scottish architectural firm

Clarke & Bell & R. A. Bryden was a major Scottish architectural firm based in Glasgow, created by William Clarke (1809–1889), George Bell (1814–1887) and Robert Alexander Bryden (1841–1906) around 1875. The practice dissolved in 1902, but several of their designs are now listed buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton Burn</span> River

Milton Burn is a watercourse in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is sourced from Loch Loskin in Kirn and largely runs parallel to the A885 road as it leads south to Dunoon. It is around 1.02 miles (1.64 km) long.

James MacArthur Moir was a Scottish miller and laird. He owned a large tract of land in Dunoon, Argyll and Bute, which was partly built on his Milton estate. McArthur (sic) and Moir Streets in the town are named for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">478 Dunoon–Portavadie</span> Bus route in Argyll and Bute, Scotland

The 478 is a bus route on the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, which runs between Dunoon and Portavadie via Tighnabruiach and Kames. It is operated by West Coast Motors, which was established in 1921. Strathclyde Partnership for Transport inaugurated the route, along with that of the 477 and 479, in October 1993. The route is noted for its long stretches of single-track roads with scattered passing places, especially along the B836 between Sandbank and Auchenbreck, at the junction with the A886 Colintraive–to–Strachur road. The drivers of the 477, 478 and 479 have dubbed their routes the "Bermuda Triangle" due to their complexity and remoteness.

References

  1. "Scotland's Insider Guide: Dunoon". HeraldScotland. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. "Dunoon Burgh Hall Chronicles, issue 1" (PDF).
  3. "Affordable Housing, St Cuthberts, Dunoon"Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
  4. "Damon Albarn on how Dunoon inspired debut album". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Damon Albarn on how Dunoon inspired debut album" The Scotsman , 26 April 2014