Ardlui ( gd, Àird Laoigh) is a hamlet in

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute ( sco, Argyll an Buit; gd, Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòd, ) is one of 32 unitary authority council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod (14 July 202 ...

Scottish Highlands The Highlands ( sco, the Hielands; gd, a’ Ghàidhealtachd , 'the place of the Gaels') is a historical region of Scotland. Culturally, the Highlands and the Lowlands diverged from the Late Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland ...

. It is located at the head of

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of C ...

. It is on the

A82 road The A82 is a major road in Scotland that runs from Glasgow to Inverness via Fort William. It is one of the principal north-south routes in Scotland and is mostly a trunk road managed by Transport Scotland, who view it as an important link fr ...

between Crianlarich and

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated pop ...

and Ardlui railway station is on the

West Highland Line The West Highland Line ( gd, Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean - "Iron Road to the Isles") is a railway line linking the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland. The line was voted the top rail journey in the ...

between Glasgow Queen Street and

Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, t ...

or Fort William.

History

Ardlui lies at the boundary of the ancient kingdoms of the Brythonic

Strathclyde Strathclyde ( in Gaelic, meaning "strath (valley) of the River Clyde") was one of nine former local government regions of Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and abolished in 1996 by the Local Government ...

, the Gaels of Dalriada and the

Picts The Picts were a group of peoples who lived in what is now northern and eastern Scotland (north of the Firth of Forth) during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and what their culture was like can be inferred from ea ...

as indicated by the Clach na Bhreatuinn meaning the "Stone of the Britons" and other local names that indicate a boundary. A battle is said to have taken place in this area between the Briton and the Western Scots in the year 717.

Ardlui Hotel

The hotel at Ardlui was originally built by the local Colquhoun family estate in the early 1800s as a hunting lodge, becoming a hotel in 1886 with extensions added before 1905. A holiday park is located next to the hotel. Ardlui Hotel, Ardlui, Loch Lomond, Scotland

Ardlui to Ardleish ferry

The Ardlui Hotel runs a twelve-person ferry from the pontoon at the Ardlui Marina which carries walkers to the West Highland Way at Ardleish Farm. This service runs throughout the tourist season for all travellers and for hotel guests for the remainder of the year. Potential passengers use a signal hoist at Ardleish to beckon the ferry.

Inverarnan Canal

From 1844 until the mid 1860s steamers called at Ardlui Pier and some continued up the River Falloch to reach Inverarnan at the New Garabal Landing and what is today known as the Drovers Inn via the Inverarnan Canal. Steamers also called at the Old Garabal Landing on the river itself.

References

External links

Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui History website

Video footage of Ardlui

Video footage of the Ardlui to Ardleish Ferry
Hamlets in Argyll and Bute Loch Lomond {{Argyll-geo-stub