Lochgilphead

Lochgilphead's architecture is of the traditional highland variety. This is the street that runs along the lochside. Note that the bus stop is right there, beside the Information Scotland centre. Very handy, that.

The main attraction of Lochgilphead, (for me) was the Argyll and Bute Archives. Its collection is among the best of its kind, and the Council has even provided the public with a small reading room. The archivists are extremely helpful, too. And, right next door, there is the excellent local library! If this sounds like I am gushing, well, I am: anything to encourage the Council to build on this archive. It is most useful for those interested in family history, etc.

Argyll and Bute Archives

Mr. Ian MacDonald, a historian of Kintyre and Knapdale, and a great help to all family historians, has this to say in a letter:

"We have not done much since the Archives were shut down by the A-B Council. A very retrograde step taken by people not interested in Argyll's past history. Many have complained from abroad about its loss. It opens but consultation charges presently operating scare would-be ancestral researchers...."

It is a great pity that Argyll cannot see that a well supported Archive would attract people from around the world, and keep them in the area for longer than the 15 minutes it takes to buy petrol in Lochgilphead, while travelling to Oban. Not many areas possesses the history that is appealing to so many people from North America and Australia and New Zealand, etc. Genealogy is the most popular (legal) topic on the internet, and people are willing to travel around the world, to spend time in the lands in which their ancestors lived.

I worked in tourism for almost 2 decades, and cannot understand Argyll/Bute's lack of interest in the 'mother lode' that is sitting right there in their Archives. Oh well...