Cairndow () is a coastal

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

Argyll and Bute Argyll and Bute (; , ) is one of 32 unitary authority, unitary council areas of Scotland, council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. The current lord-lieutenant for Argyll and Bute is Jane Margaret MacLeod ...

, Scotland. The town lies between the

A83 road The A83 is a major road in the south of Argyll and Bute, Scotland, running from Tarbet, on the western shore of Loch Lomond, where it splits from the A82, to Campbeltown at the southern end of the Kintyre peninsula. The road is best known fo ...

and the head of

Loch Fyne Loch Fyne (, ; meaning "Loch of the Vine/Wine"), is a sea loch off the Firth of Clyde and forms part of the coast of the Cowal, Cowal Peninsula. Located on the west coast of Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It extends inland from the Sound o ...

. Cairndow's school closed in 1988 after the roll fell to just 3 pupils. Now children in the area are sent to the primary school in

Strachur Strachur () and Strathlachlan () are united parishes in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Strachur is a small village on the eastern coast of Loch Fyne. Geography Cowal is the large peninsula situated between Loch Long to the east and Loch Fyne ...

and the secondary school in

Dunoon Dunoon (; ) is the main town on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well as forming part of the cou ...

. Medical facilities for the hamlet are provided by the GP in Strachur. Kilmorich Church at Cairndow was built in 1818 and is a category A listed building. After originating as an oyster farm in the loch, Loch Fyne Oysters opened its Loch Fyne Oyster Bar in 1988 at Clachan, across the head of the loch from Cairndow. The company has expanded into a restaurant chain, and the Oyster Bar continues to be a tourist attraction at Clachan, Cairndow.

Ardkinglas House

Ardkinglas House is located to the south of the village. Dating back to the 1300s, the Ardkinglas estate extends over more than of rolling hills and landscaped parkland. The present Ardkinglas House was built by architect Sir

Robert Lorimer Sir Robert Stodart Lorimer, Order of the British Empire, KBE (4 November 1864 – 13 September 1929) was a prolific Scotland, Scottish architect and furniture designer noted for his sensitive restorations of historic houses and castles, f ...

, completed in eighteen months in the Fall of 1907, and is considered to be his masterpiece. It replaces an earlier house where, in the 1820s, feminist Caroline Sheridan Norton was raised. The house remains unaltered and is a popular location for television period dramas and film productions, as well as weddings. Today, it is open to the public, however, not on a regular basis, private tours of the house can be booked at any time of the year and public tours are available on Fridays from April to October. The house's original "Butlers Quarters" can be rented all the year round. The Woodland Gardens, dating from the 18th century, are open all the year round with views of the exterior of the Ardkinglas estate, with its scenic backdrop on

Geography

Climate

Gallery

Image:Loch Fyne from Cairndow road.jpg, A view across Loch Fyne near Cairndow Image:Cairndow Kirk.jpg, The kirk at Cairndow Image:Scotland Argyll Bute Cairndow Argyll and Bute.JPG, Scotland Argyll Bute Cairndow Argyll and Bute Image:Loch Fyne, Cairndow, (May 2001) - panoramio.jpg, Loch Fyne, Cairndow, (May 2001) - panoramio

References

External links

Cairndow page in the Gazetteer for Scotland - website

Ardkinglas House - website

Gaelic place names of Scotland - website
Villages in Cowal Highlands and Islands of Scotland {{Argyll-geo-stub