•  Knapdale, Argyll

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In 1882-4, Frances Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland described Knapdale like this:

Knapdale, a district of Argyllshire. It is bounded on the N by Loch Crinan, the Crinan Canal, and Loch Gilp, which separate it from Lorn and Argyll proper; on the E by Loch Fyne, which separates it from Cowal; on the S by Tarbert isthmus and the Lochs Tarbert, which separate it from Kintyre; on the W by the Islay Sea and the Sound of Jura, which separate it from Islay and Jura. ...

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Its greatest length, from N to S, is 27 miles; and its greatest breadth is 9 miles. It is prevented only by the narrow Tarbert isthmus from being a continuation northward of the peninsula of Kintyre; and it is so deeply indented on the W by Lochs Caolisport and Swin as to be itself, in a great measure, cut into three peninsulas-the largest between West Loch Tarbert and Loch Caolisport; the smallest between Loch Swin and the Sound of Jura. It now is not a political division of the county, but is placed partly in the political division of Argyll proper, and partly in that of Islay. It formerly was all one parish, but now is divided into the two parishes of North Knapdale and South Knapdale, and part of the parish of Kilcalmonell and Kilberry. It anciently was called Kihick-Charmaig, signifying 'the church or burying-ground of the son of Carmaig;' and the Carmaig to whom that name alludes is said to have been an Irish missionary, who first preached Christianity to the natives. Its present name is compounded of two Celtic words signifying 'a rounded hill 'and' a plain;' indicates a country mainly composed of rounded hills and intersecting dales; and is perfectly descriptive of the district's surface. The two clans Macmillan and Macneil seem to have anciently possessed all Knapdale, but they now are very sparsely found within its limits. See Capt. T. P. White's Arehological Sketches in Knapdale (Edinb. 1875).

Knapdale through time

Knapdale is now part of Argyll and Bute district. Click here for graphs and data of how Argyll and Bute has changed over two centuries. For statistics about Knapdale itself, go to Units and Statistics.

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