Historical Overview

Garelochhead

Church history and St. Modan

The first name to emerge from the mists of history is that of St. Modan. Travelling eastwards from the west coast as a missionary around the 6th Century A.D., he founded a church at Rosneath, and later died there. In 1880, a finely carved stone was dug up from the grounds of the present church. From its style, it has been dated to c.800 A.D. and is thought by some to represent the tombstone of St. Modan. It is preserved inside the church.

The present church building celebrated its centenary in 1953 when it was re-dedicated as St. Modan's parish Church. It has many interesting features. In the grounds are the ruins of the previous church (1780), and the only known grave in Scotland of an African slave, Robert Story. Story came to Scotland as a freed slave, and became the servant of the then minister, taking his name as a mark of respect.

Castles

In medieval times, castles were established at Rosneath, Faslane and Shandon, but none of these remain. Later, in the nineteenth century, castles featured in the flourish of fine building carried out for wealthy captains of industry seeking to establish summer family residences away from the fetid smog of Glasgow. They chose the Rosneath Peninsula because the air was clean, it was a pleasant water-side location, and the area was accessible from the city by steamer.

Rosneath Castle and William Wallace

According to the 15th century poet, Blind Harry, Rosneath Castle was stormed and taken by William Wallace. Another legend has it that on a different occasion, Wallace was being closely pursued by his enemies, when he jumped on horseback from the small cliff (beside the current Rosneath Bistro) known as Wallace's Leap. The horse was killed, but uninjured, Wallace made it on foot to the Gareloch, where he jumped in and swam to the other side to elude his pursuers.

A later castle on the site was burned down in 1800: it was replaced by a grand structure by the architect Bonomi in 1803, and was built close to where the Bistro now stands.

At that time, the estate belonged to the Dukes of Argyll: the last Duke to own it was married to Princess Louise, a daughter of Queen Victoria. After the Princess died in 1939, the castle was used as an HQ for American troops based there during the latter part of World War II. It was finally demolished in 1961: the grounds are now occupied by Rosneath Holiday Park.

Faslane Castle and St. Michael's Chapel

The castle at Faslane is said to have finally disappeared when the West Highland Railway was built over the site in 1891-1894, but the nearby St. Michael's Chapel, which probably served as a place of worship for the owners, is still extant, though ruinous. It could be as old as the 13th Century. The grounds of the chapel serve as the local cemetery, and are noteworthy as the burial place of the K13 submarine disaster, which took place in the Gareloch in 1917. Thirty-one men perished in the accident.

The coming of the steamer

At one time the Peninsula and Lochside communities depended mainly on farming and fishing as a livelihood, mostly living in small clustered townships. Gaelic was the usual language, but probably some English was also used. As the area had good communication with the south and east through ferry traffic, there were the services to and from Gourock, Rhu and Ardentinny as well as several others.

Following the introduction of Henry Bell's paddle steamer, The Comet, to the Clyde in 1812, the world's first commercially viable sea-going steamship, it soon became possible for wealthy people in Glasgow, Paisley and other places to travel easily and quickly to various destinations on the Clyde Coast.

Houses and development

The coming of steamers to the Clyde made the Gareloch and Rosneath Peninsula areas more accessible. Landowners began to feu ground for house building, and it was from this period that all the communities in the area began to take shape in the form that we know them today. Thus feuing began at Clynder in 1825, Garelochhead in 1830, and Kilcreggan in 1840. All the communities were well served by good wooden piers. At first the houses were used only as summer houses, but as time went on, permanent occupation took place.

At Kilcreggan, and in particular at Cove, very wealthy people built according to their taste, and today there is a remarkable architectural heritage of Victorian mansions and castles probably the best known being Knockderry, Cove and Craigrownie Castles. Knockderry Castle is said to be built on the site of a Danish fort.

Famous architects such as Alexander "Greek" Thomson, William Leiper and John Honeyman were among those engaged. Such was the wealth and power at Cove and Kilcreggan, that a Burgh was formed in 1865, one of the smallest in Scotland, which lasted till 1975. The Burgh even had its own gas works at Barbour.

Changing patterns

As roads and vehicles developed, steamer traffic declined, and one by one the piers closed. Today, Kilcreggan Pier remains as the only traditional wooden pier on the Clyde still in daily use. The Second World War in particular opened up the area, and today many residents work at one of the local naval bases, which had their origins in the war, or commute to Glasgow and other places.

Photographs