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The town
of Lochgilphead, sits the head of Loch Gilp, a small inlet of
Loch Fyne. The town has good facilities such as a supermarket
garages and shops, a few hotels pubs and restaurants as well as
cafes or coffee houses. The main hospital for the area is also
based in Lochgilphead as well as the main high school. The town
also has the headquarters for Argyll and Bute council.
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The
Crinan
canal runs past the west end of the town and provides a pleasant
place to walk or cycle. Although the beach is really too much
mud and not enough sand it is a pleasant enough outlook
particularly at high tide. There is a nice wide strip of grass
from the river in the west to the head of Loch Gilp in the town
centre that is used for strolling or sunbathing. Unusually for
this area there is a camping and caravan park right at the
western edge of the town giving great access to the shops and
facilities to all who stay there. |
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Although
the town, unlike many in coastal Argyll, may not be particularly
geared to the annual influx of tourists every summer, it does
offer excellent access to great walks and many historical sites
all within about 20 minutes drive or less (see
Kilmartin,
Ardrishaig
and
Crinan) while providing a
little more to do than the smaller towns nearby.
The mid
Argyll Agricultural show is held just outside of the town
usually around the second Saturday of August each year.
Lochgilphead is a crossroads of sorts, the road to the north
west goes up the west coast of Argyll allowing visitors to see
the wonderful scenery all the way to
Oban and north. The road to the
south leads to Kintyre via fantastic
Tarbert Loch Fyne and the road to the North East goes to
vibrant
Inveraray
and beyond.
Information for Yachts and other Boats
Lochgilphead is completely inaccessible for craft as the loch
dries out at low tide almost all the way to
Ardrishaig. However, boats making
passage through the Crinan Canal
can tie up to a pontoon near a swing bridge giving an easy walk
to the local supermarket and other facilities.
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