Inveraray, Loch Fyne

Inveraray, Loch Fyne

ID: PC_JMSTRACHAN_133 DESCRIPTION: Situated on Loch Fyne, Inveraray is a planned town that was built in the 18th century. The original town of Inveraray was located on the site of what is now Inveraray Castle. The part of the original town containing the fishing village was burnt by the Marquis of Montrose in 1644 during his attacks on the Campbells. Inveraray was created a royal burgh in 1648. In the early 18th century the third Duke of Argyll, Archibald Campbell, took the decision to demolish the original town of Inveraray and rebuild it on its current site. He commissioned the architects Roger Morris and William Adam to lay plans for the new town and for the new Inveraray Castle, which was built on the site of the old town. Excavations for the new town began in 1743, but Morris and Adam both died in 1748, leaving the architects Robert Mylne and William's son John Adam to oversee the completion of the works. Several of the town's buildings were completed by 1751. The parish church at Inveraray, built between 1798-1804, has a centrally dividing wall that allowed English and Gaelic services to be carried out at the same time. The Gaelic half of the church was later converted into the church hall. Inveraray is also the birth place of Neil Munro (1863-1930), the author of the Para Handy tales. Munro lived in Inveraray until 1881 when he moved to Glasgow. He worked as a journalist for several newspapers and was made chief reporter of the Glasgow Evening News when he was only 23. Munro's first novel, 'John Splendid', written in 1898, deals with the attacks on Inveraray by the Marquis of Montrose. His 1899 novel, 'Gilian the Dreamer' was also set in Inveraray, this time during the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars. In 1905, the first of Munro's 'Para Handy' stories was published in the Glasgow Evening News under the pseudonym Hugh Foulis, and he continued to write these for most of his working life. Munro wrote many novels, the most highly regarded of which is 'The New Road', which was published in 1914. An Comunn Gaidhealach erected a monument to Neil Munro at the head of Glen Aray in 1935. It's Gaelic inscription reads 'Sar Litreachas', in English 'Excellent Literature'. PLACENAME: Inveraray DISTRICT: Mid Argyll OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ARGYLL: Inveraray CREATOR (AV): JM Strachan PERIOD: 1970s SOURCE: J I R Martin Asset ID: 28982 KEYWORDS: