Lochgoil
This summary profile is taken from the Lochgoil Community Action Plan published in 2007.
Location
Lochgoil community is situated in the Cowal peninsula, Argyll, accessed by two 6-mile single-track roads, one from the top of the Rest and be Thankful on the A83, the Glen Mhor road, and one from the Dunoon to Inveraray A815, the Hell's Glen road. Lochgoilhead itself lies just over 50 miles north and west of Glasgow, and Carrick Castle is 5 miles further on. The community comprises mainly the two villages, Lochgoilhead at the head of the loch and Carrick Castle at the south-west mouth of the loch.Population
The two villages have a population of just under 480: 80 in or around Carrick Castle and the balance up to Lochgoilhead. Additionally, in the last thirty-five years the holiday village developed by Drimsynie Estates has grown to include over 340 holiday chalets and residential caravans, swelling the population inthe summer months.
The population spread has changed, with younger people replacing the ageing
population. A number of older people have chosen to move out of the area, inpart because of a lack of access to emergency services.
Housing
225 residential houses were recorded for the Lochgoil area in the 2001 census. In addition, there are 81 second homes and holiday lets in Lochgoilhead, and 28 second or holiday homes in Carrick Castle.In the last five years further houses have also been built at Carrick Castle.
The proportion of tied accommodation is more than double the national and
local council average. The number of owner-occupied and social-rented housing compares evenly with other communities in the National Park area.
Dunbritton Housing Association is in the early stages of looking into the possibility of building a mixed development of new homes in Lochgoilhead.
The water and drainage infrastructure at present is a limitation on the amount of new housing that is possible.
Employment and The Local Economy
The level of economically active people in Lochgoil is roughly in line with the average for Scotland. The community has double the percentage of selfemployed when compared with the Scotland figures.
Local employment opportunities are related mainly to tourism, since visitors
are attracted to the area by the facilities offered by the hotels and leisure
centre. Much of the staff for this is recruited from outside, with tied
accommodation provided. These are full-time jobs, but by no means all are long-term positions resulting in the permanent residency of the workers.
It is rare for a small rural community to have so much of its population
employed by organisations within the community, i.e. outdoor centres, Drimsynie Estate, Qinetiq.
Social and Community
Health
There is a new modern village health centre, completed in 1998, with one
doctor and an associate. The comprehensive range of medical services includes a dispensary, a dental clinic, a practice nurse and a chiropodist.
|
Hospitals |
Minimum drive time |
|---|---|
|
Vale of Leven |
45 minutes |
|
Royal Alexandria |
90 minutes |
|
Southern General |
90 minutes |
The Village Hall
The hall was built in 1898 and was refurbished and extended in February 2002
through the efforts of villagers and visitors alike, with support from the
Community Fund, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise, Argyll and Bute Council,
and the Scottish Executive. It is very much the focus for village life, with many and varied functions.
Sports and Leisure Facilities
Attached to the hall is an outdoor multicourt for tennis, basketball and five-aside
football. The Bowling Club rinks form part of the Hall grounds and the
Club has its own clubhouse and a lively programme of social events. Boat hire and fishing equipment is available in Lochgoilhead.
Drimsynie Leisure
The complex provides a large swimming pool, an indoor bowling rink, a ninehole
golf course and, in the winter, a four-sheet curling rink. In the summer season the curling rink is transformed into a play area for visiting guests.
Environment
The area is recognised as one of the most scenic in Argyll, and perhaps in Scotland. Bounded to the east by the Argyll Forest Park, with Ben Donich, the Brack and Argyll’s Bowling Green, it offers fine walks - indeed the walk from Coilessan to Lochgoilhead has been described as ‘a walk of true splendour and loneliness’. To the west there is Beinn Bheula and two small lochs. At the south end of the loch there is a route that takes you from Carrick Castle to Ardentinny on Loch Long.
There are three family-run farms in the area, all sheep farming, covering a total
of approximately 6,000 hectares and having over 5,000 head of sheep. One of the farms now also has a herd of about 40 Highland cattle.
The rest of the area is given over mainly to a mix of private and public forestry
operations. There is an ongoing programme of felling and ultimately replanting.
To enable the extraction of the timber, new roads have been built and others upgraded.
Heritage
Lochgoil has been settled since Bronze Age times. There is evidence in Hell's Glen of early settlers, with a group of small boulders bearing indented cup marks. Nearby there is a very well-preserved corn kiln beside the remains of a crofting site with two blackhouses. The whole area is tied up with the history of the clan Campbell, who ousted the Lamonts from Carrick Castle in the fourteenth century.
Local heritage is well celebrated with a history of Lochgoil entitled ‘A Slice out
of Paradise’ (a quotation from W. H. Murray), published by the Community
Council in 2001, with an enlarged second edition in 2004.
In 2006 two books
were published by local residents, showing life in bygone years in our
community through text, old postcards and photographs - Old Loch Goil, by
Mark Morpurgo and Caroline Wilson, and Loch Goil (Looking Back), by Iain
Smart and Rod and Patricia Philips. These are proving very popular with locals and visitors.