Argyll
Argyll,
archaically Argyle (
Earra-Ghàidheal in
modern Gaelic), is a region of western Scotland corresponding with ancient
Dál Riata, and can be used to mean the entire western seaboard between the
Mull of Kintyre and
Cape Wrath. The early
thirteenth century author of
De Situ Albanie explains that "the name
Arregathel means margin of the Scots or Irish, because all Scots and Irish are generally called
Gattheli [=Gaels], from their ancient warleader known as
Gaithelglas." Argyll was a medieval Bishopric too, with its cathedral at
Lismore, as well as an early modern
Earldom and
Duchy, the
Duchy of Argyll.
It was also a
county of
Scotland until 1975, when Scottish counties were abolished for virtually all administrative purposes. At the time of abolition the county had boundaries as shown in the map herewith. In this form it is known also as
Argyllshire. Argyll's neighbouring counties were
Inverness-shire,
Perthshire,
Dunbartonshire,
Renfrewshire,
Ayrshire and
Bute. Renfrewshire and Ayrshire were the other side of the
Firth of Clyde. Bute was a county of islands in the
firth.
In 1975 Argyll became a
local government district of the
Strathclyde region, but boundaries were altered to include part of the former county of Bute and to exclude an area which became part of the
Highland region. In 1996 the district became the
Argyll and Bute unitary council area, with a change to boundaries to include part of the former Strathclyde district of
Dumbarton.
The county town was
Inveraray, which is still the seat of the
Duke of Argyll. Other places in the former county were
Oban,
Campbeltown,
Lochgilphead and
Inveraray.
Ardnamurchan,
Sunart,
Ardgour and
Morvern, north of
Loch Linnhe and the
Isle of Mull were part of the old county. The
Small Isles were traditionally part of the county, but for administrative purposes they were transferred to
Inverness-shire in 1891, and they are now within the Highland council area.
There was an
Argyllshire constituency of the
Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the
Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1983 (renamed
Argyll in 1950). The
Argyll and Bute constituency was created when the Argyll constituency was abolished.
