Ardpatrick, Argyll facts for kids

Ardpatrick House, 2010

Ardpatrick (Scottish Gaelic: Àird Phàdraig) is a small village located at the very end of the Knapdale area in Argyll, Scotland. It sits right on the northwestern shore of a body of water called West Loch Tarbert.

Ardpatrick Point is a piece of land that sticks out into the water. It's at the northern part of West Loch Tarbert and offers views southwest towards the island of Gigha.

Ardpatrick's Ancient History

Ardpatrick has a long and interesting past! You can find clues about its history right in the landscape.

Discovering Ancient Stones

• Near Ardpatrick, there's a very old standing stone in a field. It's known as Achadh chaorann.
• Standing stones are large rocks that were placed upright by people a very long time ago, often for unknown reasons, perhaps for ceremonies or to mark special places.

The Legend of St. Patrick

• According to an old story, the famous St. Patrick once landed at Ardpatrick Point.
• This was supposedly during his journey from Ireland to the island of Iona, a very important place in early Scottish Christianity.

Ardpatrick and the MacAlister Clan

Ardpatrick also has strong connections to a powerful Scottish family.

The MacAlister Clan's Home

• In 1493, the Clan MacAlister became independent from the larger Clan MacDonald.
• Their chief, Iain Dubh (which means Black John), chose Ardpatrick as the main home, or "seat," for the clan.
• This meant Ardpatrick was a very important place for the MacAlister family for many years.

Ardpatrick House: A Historic Building

• A grand building called Ardpatrick House was built in 1769.
• It was made for Angus MacAlester, who was the 11th chief of the Loup branch of the clan.
• The house was built by John Menelaws and Thomas Menelaws, who were from Greenock.