KNAPDALE-SOUTH, a parish, in the district of Argyll and
county of Argyll; containing, with a portion of the
quoad sacra district of Lochgilphead, 2223 inhabitants.
The Gaelic terra that gives name to this place consists
of the two words knap, a hill, and daill, a plain, field, or
dale, and is descriptive of the general appearance of the
surface, which is marked by numerous hills and dales.
The parish was formed at the same time as that of North
Knapdale, in 1734. It is bounded on the east by Loch
Fine, and on the west by the Sound of Jura, a large arm
of the Atlantic Ocean; and is computed to be about
twenty miles in length, and in one part half that distance
in breadth, chiefly comprising large tracts appropriated
as sheep-walks and to the pasturage of black-cattle, the
soil and climate being alike unfriendly to extensive agricultural
operations. On the south-east is a small loch,
a branch of Loch Fine, called East Loch Tarbert, and
having only the narrow isthmus of Tarbert between it
and West Loch Tarbert, which latter borders the parish
also on the south-east. The parish is washed on the
west, as already stated, by the Sound of Jura; and Loch
Chaolis-port or Killisport, an arm of the sound, runs
into the land in a north-eastern direction for five or six miles.
The north-western coast of Loch Killisport is much
indented, and abrupt and rocky; but the south-eastern
shore is gradual in its ascent. Both sides are richly
ornamented with copse wood; and excellent anchorage
is found in several of its bays, for vessels seeking refuge
from the swell of the south-west and other gales. The
shelter is especially good within Ellanfada, at the head of
the loch, where the north winds are broken by the hills
rising in that direction in the form of an amphitheatre.
The islands of Ellanfada, EUan-na-Muick, and Lea-
EUan, with others, are situated in the loch; and off the
point of Knap, at the extremity of its north-western
shore, is a dangerous rock called Bow- Knap, the summit
of which is seen only at low water during spring tides.
Near the north-west coast, also, is ElIan-na-Leek; besides
which there are the islands of Elian-More, Ellanna-
Gamhna, and Core-EUan, all celebrated for the excellent
beef and mutton produced on their pastures.
The waters of the loch afford abundance of fish, comprising
salmon, trout, whiting, ling, seethe, haddock,
skate, halibut, turbot, flounders, and occasionally the
John-Dory. Herrings formerly visited it, and large
numbers of them were caught; but they are now seldom
seen here in any quantity. Loch Fine is their chief resort
in this part of the country; and between forty and
fifty boats belonging to the parish are engaged in the
fishery there during the season, each, in a prosperous
time, making about £70.
The INTERIOR of the parish is hilly and mountainous.
The highest range is that of Sliabh-Ghaoil, stretching
from Inverneill to Barnellan, a distance of twelve miles,
and the summit of which commands beautifully-diversified
and extensive prospects, comprehending Cantyre,
the Ayrshire coast, Bute, and the serrated peaks of the
isle of Arran, with Ireland, the isles of Mull and Jura, and
many other interesting objects. The heights also embrace
a view of Loch Fine, the Kyles of Bute, the mouth
of the Clyde, the sound of Kilbrannan, the channel towards
Ireland, the Sound of Jura, and other waters.
Parallel with Sliabh-Ghaoil run subordinate ranges, with
intermediate valleys traversed by numerous streams, of
which the Ormsary and the Loch-head are celebrated for
their fine trout. Salmon-trout, also, of good quality,
are found in the inland lakes, which are four or five in
number. Some portions of the parish are subject to
tillage; the farms are of small size, and the usual crops
are oats, bear, barley, peas, beans, turnips, clover, and
rye-grass, with potatoes, the last being raised in considerable
quantities, and exported. The average rent of
land, however, does not exceed one shilling per acre, in
consequence of the very large proportion of moor pasture.
On some of the best farms, the tenements and offices
have been much improved; and on one estate a threshing-
mill, worked by water, has been erected. The sheep
are all of the black-faced kind; and the black-cattle,
many of which are of superior quality, are the West
Highland. The wood, which is partly natural and partly
planted, and of considerable extent, comprises oak, ash,
birch, hazel, and holly, larch, spruce-fir, ash, beech,
plane, and willow trees: some of the plantations are very
flourishing. The annual value of real property in the
parish is £5777. Ormsary, one of the principal seats,
is a beautiful residence, with a fine garden and shrubbery,
from which plantations are intended to be continued in
clumps to the north, and in belts to the shore on the
south, for the shelter of this agreeable locality. In the
parish are also the mansions of Inverneill, Erines, Drimdrissaig,
and Achindarroch, the last situated on the bank
of the Crinan canal, and surrounded with ornamental
grounds; and a spacious mansion has been built at Barmore.
An excellent road runs from Daill, the north-eastern
extremity of the parish, to Barnellan, in the south, and
for about twelve miles is called the Sliabh-Ghaoil road,
its route being along the eastern base of the hilly range
of that name. It was constructed with much labour
and difficulty, under the superintendence, and by the
persevering exertions, of Sheriff Campbell, and has
proved of eminent service to this and several other parishes,
offering the only inland means of communication
between the peninsula of Cantyre and the other parts of
Argyllshire. The Crinan canal, begun in 1793, by a company,
under an act of parliament obtained for that purpose,
commences at the loch and village from which it
takes its name, in the parish of Kilmartin, and, after a
south-eastern course of about nine miles, joins the Loch
Gilp branch of Loch Fine, in the north of this parish.
It is a convenient and safe channel for vessels plying
between the West Highlands and the Clyde: by it the
dangerous course round the Mull of Cantyre is avoided;
and it has been found highly beneficial to the coasting
and fishing trade, for whose use it was chiefly designed.
The revenue, however, being scarcely sufficient to defray
the expense of maintaining the canal, an act was passed
in 1S4S, vesting the line in the new commissioners that
were then appointed for the Caledonian canal. At its
opening into Loch Gilp, a village has been formed since
the commencement of the canal; it is called Ardrissaig,
and contains about 400 people, who are chiefly supported
by the herring-fishery: a hundred boats are frequently in
the harbour during the season of the fishery; and there
is also much traffic by means of the Glasgow steamers,
three of which in summer time, and one in winter, arrive
at the port daily, for the conveyance of passengers, and
goods and cattle. The northern parts of the parish
chiefly use Lochgilphead, a large village in the parish of
Kilmichael-Glassary,as their post-town; and the southern
district the village of Tarbert, in the parishes of Kilcalmonell
and South Knapdale. To the latter village the
mail-bag was formerly sent from Lochgilphead daily,
upon its arrival from Inverary; but it is now despatched
by steam from Ardrissaig, a change productive of some
inconvenience. The village of Tarbert affords means to
the farmers in the south for the disposal of their produce;
those in the north generally resort to Lochgilphead.
Ecclesiastically the parish is in the presbytery of Inverary,
synod of Argyll, and in the patronage of the
Crown: the minister's stipend is £150, with a manse,
and a glebe of fourteen acres, valued at £10 per annum.
There are tvto churches, one situated at Achoish, and
the other at Inverneill, both built about the year 1/75,
and repaired a few years since; they are seated respectively
for 212 and 300 persons. The incumbent formerly
officiated at these churches alternately; but since the
erection of a church at Lochgilphead in 1828, and the
annexation of Ardrissaig, and some parts adjacent, to the
district of that church, he has performed public worship
at Inverneill every third Sabbath only. There are four
parochial schools, affording instruction in English and
Gaelic reading, and the other branches of a plain education;
and at two of the schools instruction is given in
Latin, geography, and navigation. The masters each
receive a salary of £12. 12., but no allowance is made
to any of them for dwelling-house or ground; their fees
amount respectively to £20, £12, £8, and £7. There
is also an Assembly's school, the master of which is indebted
for a house and some ground, and for the schoolhouse,
to the liberality of Mrs. Campbell of Ornisary.
The remains of three ancient chapels are still visible,
one of which, in EUan-More, was built by Mac-0-Charniaig:
it is arched over, and in good preservation; and
in the recess of the wall is a stone coflin, with the figure
of a man cut on the lid. The same saint founded the
church of Kilvic-0-Charmaig, the mother church of the
two Knapdales, and, after many acts of devotion, was
buried in his own island, where his tomb is yet to be
seen. At Cove are the ruins of a chapel built, according
to tradition, by St. Columba, before he took his departure
for lona to found his seminary there; the altar and
font still remain, and the former exhibits a well-sculptured
cross. The third chapel, at Kilmore Knap, seems
to have been the most considerable in South Knapdale;
its walls are almost entire, and a beautiful cross stands
on the west side of the burying-grouud. At one time
there were the remains of seven ancient chapels to be
seen in the parish.