West Loch Tarbert, Argyll facts for kids
West Loch Tarbert, Argyll is a long and narrow sea loch (a type of sea inlet) located on the western side of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. It's a beautiful and important waterway, especially for travel to the Scottish islands.
Where is West Loch Tarbert?
This sea loch starts near the village of Tarbert. It stretches about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) (around 9 miles) until it meets the open sea at a place called Ardpatrick Point.
There's a small island named Eilean Ceann na Creige near the southern shore. This island is connected to the mainland by a special road called a causeway. It's a very important spot because it's where ferries leave for the island of Islay.
A Viking King's Clever Trick
Around the year 1093, a powerful Viking ruler named Magnus Barefoot, who was the King of Norway, came to Scotland. He wanted to add more lands to his kingdom, especially in the Hebrides islands.
King Magnus had a very clever idea. He made a deal with King Malcolm III of Scotland. The agreement was that Magnus could claim any land on the west coast that his ship could sail around.
So, Magnus had his longship (a type of Viking boat) pulled across a narrow strip of land at Tarbert. This strip of land is between West Loch Tarbert and East Loch Tarbert. By taking control of the ship's steering oar and "sailing" it across the land, he was able to claim the entire Kintyre peninsula! He even said that Kintyre had "better land than the best of the Hebrides." Because of this trick, Kintyre stayed under Norse (Viking) rule for more than ten years.
Ferries and Island Travel
West Loch Tarbert has been a key place for ferry services for many years.
In the 1960s, a company called Western Ferries started running a car ferry from Kennacraig, which is on the south shore of the loch. This ferry went to Port Askaig on the island of Islay. This was a new service that competed with the older mail steamer, which was run by MacBraynes from West Tarbert, closer to the head of the loch.
The new ferry service quickly became popular. This encouraged MacBraynes to update their own ferries for the Islay route. In 1970, they brought in a ship called MV Arran. This ship was changed to make it easier for cars to drive on and off. It offered daily trips to Port Ellen and Port Askaig on Islay, and also to other islands like Jura, Gigha, and Colonsay.
Over the years, new and bigger ferries were introduced to the route. In 1974, MV Pioneer started serving Islay. Later, in 1978, Caledonian MacBrayne took over the Western Ferries terminal at Kennacraig. They used a larger ship called MV Iona to serve both Port Ellen and Port Askaig, and also Gigha.
More modern ships continued to join the fleet. In 1989, MV Claymore became the main Islay ship, followed by MV Isle of Arran in 1993. Since 2001, MV Hebridean Isles has been a main vessel for Islay. In 2011, MV Finlaggan joined the route, becoming the primary ship, with Hebridean Isles often serving as the second ferry to Islay. These ferries are vital for people living on and visiting the islands.
