Colintraive
| Colintraive Gaelic: Caol an t-Snàimh | |
| Argyllshire | |
|---|---|
 Colintraive sunset | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NS035743 |
| Location: | 55°55’19"N, 5°8’44"W |
| Data | |
| Post town: | Colintraive |
| Postcode: | PA22 |
| Dialling code: | 01700 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Argyll and Bute |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Argyll and Bute |
Colintraive is a village on the Cowal peninsula of Argyllshire. This was once the site where cattle were swum across the narrows to the Isle of Bute. Today a safer passage is offered to the island from here, namely the MV Loch Dunvegan, a ferry operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.
Geography and amenities
Colintraive stands on the west coast of the Cowal peninsula. Its area includes Ardtaraig and Loch Striven to the north-west, the head and the shores of Loch Riddon in the north-east, while the village itself faces the Kyles of Bute.[1] The Colintraive area extends further south to Couston and around this hill back into Loch Striven again.
The name Colintraive derives from Gaelic and means "swimming strait" or "swimming narrows". In the past, cattle were swum over from the Isle of Bute to Colintraive on their way to the markets of the lowland towns.[2]
The village possesses a few facilities, primarily the Colintraive Hotel,[3] and its small adjoining post office. A Heritage Centre opened in 2009.[4]
Sports and recreation
- Shinty: Col-Glen, a team for Colintraive and its nearest neighbour, Glendaruel
- Bowling
Colintraive and Glendaruel are located on the Cowal Way walking route.
Depopulation and regeneration
The name ‘Col-Glen’ is used by the local development trust, which was set up to combat the declining population and economy in the two villages.[5] Falling rapidly in recent years, the total adult population of the two villages combined was estimated at 250 in 2009.
For over 60 years, until the late 1990s, Caol Ruadh, one of Colintraive's Victorian mansions set in a 20-acre estate, was used as a residential school for children from Glasgow with special educational needs. Financial concerns caused the City of Glasgow council first to reduce subsidies and later to sell the property after it use reduced when user charges were introduced. In 2012, the grounds were opened as a sculpture park for contemporary sculpture and art works.[6]
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Pictures
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Colintraive) |
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Outside links
References
- ↑ "Colintraive". Gazetteer for Scotland. http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst3773.html. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "The island of Bute". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/glasgowandwestscotland/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8815000/8815124.stm. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "Colintraive Hotel". Colintraive Hotel. http://www.colintraivehotel.com. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "Colintraive Heritage Centre". Colintraive Heritage Centre. http://www.colintraiveheritagecentre.com/. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ↑ "ColGlen is getting warmer! - CGDT". http://cgdt.org/2012/04/colglen-is-getting-warmer/.
- ↑ Jan Patience, "Going back to nature", Herald Scotland, retrieved 23 April 2014.