Introduction

High up in the waters of the grandest estuary of Britain, the peninsular parish of Roseneath occupies a unique place. Curving from the Lennox country, nearly hemmed about by the open Loch Long and the sheltered Gareloch and facing towards Argyle, Renfrew and Bute, it affords an immense variety of outlook.

In the eighteenth and part of the nineteenth centuries, there was a considerable resident population who followed crofting, stock raising, fishing and weaving.

It is not likely that Scott ever visited this site although it is described by him with considerable topographical accuracy in one of his stories. His use of the term "island" in characterising Roseneath must have been an accommodation to the usual designation prevalent a hundred years ago, the road connection by Garelochhead being, as one of the local worthies put it, " a mere dee-tail" as it was then considered.