Kilmun


Kilmun is a linear settlement on the north shore of the Holy Loch, on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scottish Highlands. It runs between the head of the sea loch and connects with the village of Strone at Strone Point, where the sea loch joins the Firth of Clyde. It takes its name from the 7th century monastic community founded by an Irish monk, St Munn. The ruin of a 12th-century church still stands beside the Kilmun Parish Church and Argyll Mausoleum.
As a settlement, Kilmun is substantially older than most of its neighbours. Like them, it developed as a watering-place for Glasgow merchants after 1827, when a quay was built by the marine engineer David Napier to connect to his "new route" to Inveraray which included a steam ship on Loch Eck. The pier was a regular stop for the Clyde steamer services until its closure in 1971.
Kilmun is also home to an extensive arboretum managed by the Forestry and Land Scotland. Established in the 1930s to monitor the success of a variety of exotic tree species in the humid west coast environment, it includes specimens of Sequoia, Japanese Larch, Araucaria araucana and Japanese Chestnut amongst many others from around the world. A series of woodland walks have been established of varying gradients and degrees of difficulty, which link by a forestry track to Benmore wood at the top of Puck's Glen.
The village lies within the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

Decline

The population for the Benmore and Kilmun area was recorded as 1,030 in the 2001 census. That showed a decline of 99 people in the ten years since the 1991 census.

Notable residents

Scottish-born Australian politician Gregor McGregor was born in Kilmun.

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