Loch Long

Loch Long
Loch Long
	Looking down Loch Long from the torpedo testing facility. The houses to the left are at Ardmay.
	Loch Long
Location	Cowal, Argyll and Bute, Scotland.
Coordinates	56°02′04″N 4°53′08″W / 56.034395°N 4.8855839°WCoordinates: 56°02′04″N 4°53′08″W / 56.034395°N 4.8855839°W, grid reference NS2031486146
Type	Sea Loch
Basin countries	Scotland, United Kingdom
Frozen	No

Loch Long is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Sea Loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end. It measures approximately 20 miles (32 km) in length, with a width of between 1 and 2 miles (1.6 and 3.2 km). The loch also has an arm, Loch Goil, on its western side.

Loch Long forms part of the coast of the Cowal peninsula and forms the entire western coastline of the Rosneath Peninsula.

Loch Long was historically the boundary between Argyll and Dunbartonshire; however, in 1996 boundary redrawing meant that it moved wholly within the council area of Argyll and Bute.

The steamboat Chancellor used to traverse the loch, departing Dunoon at 11 A.M. and returning about five hours later.^[1]

Villages on Loch Long[]

Villages on the loch include Arrochar at its head and Cove on the east shore near its foot.

Fisheries[]

Several Scottish sea fishing records are attributed to the loch:^{[clarification needed]}

Species	Weight	Angler / Date
Argentine	00-05-03	I. Miller, 1978 (Boat)
Herring	01-02-00	R. C. Scott, 1974 (Boat)
Rockling, Shore	00-14-08	A. Glen, 1982 (Shore)

Sport[]

Looking across Loch Long to Ardentinny

The Ardentinny Outdoor Education Centre on the western shore uses the loch for watersports.

It is now a popular area for diving on the numerous wrecks that scatter the loch.

Finnart Oil Terminal[]

The Finnart Oil Terminal is located on the eastern shore of the loch, linked to the Grangemouth Refinery via a 58-mile-long (93 km) pipeline.^[2]

Navy use[]

1968 Admiralty chart showing the Loch Long torpedo range

The eastern shore is also the location of the Royal Navy's Coulport Armament depot, part of HMNB Clyde, and the Glen Mallan jetty, linked to Glen Douglas defence munitions depot.

A testing range for torpedoes was established on the loch in 1912, in connection with the Clyde Torpedo Factory in Greenock.^[3] It operated through both World Wars, closing in 1986.^[4]^[5] The loch contains numerous wrecks.

References[]

^ Colegate's Guide to Dunoon, Kirn, and Hunter's Quay (Second edition) - John Colegate (1868), page 53
^ Fullarton, Donald (29 July 2011). "Americans built oil terminal". Helensburgh Heritage. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
^ Brassey, Thomas, Viscount Hythe, ed. (1913). "British Navy". The Naval Annual. Portsmouth: J. Griffin and Co. p. 23.
^ Makeenko, Viktoriia. "Loch Long Torpedo Range". Abandoned Spaces. Timera Media. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
^ Nicol, James. "Home on the Range - The Passing of an Era". Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

External links[]

Map sources for Loch Long

Gaelic place names of Scotland
Map showing Loch Long, circa 1600, National Library of Scotland
Video footage of the old Arrochar steamer pier

[ColegateP53-1] Colegate's Guide to Dunoon, Kirn, and Hunter's Quay (Second edition) - John Colegate (1868), page 53

[www.helensburgh-heritage.co.uk-2] Fullarton, Donald (29 July 2011). "Americans built oil terminal". Helensburgh Heritage. Retrieved 23 May 2013.

[3] Brassey, Thomas, Viscount Hythe, ed. (1913). "British Navy". The Naval Annual. Portsmouth: J. Griffin and Co. p. 23.

[4] Makeenko, Viktoriia. "Loch Long Torpedo Range". Abandoned Spaces. Timera Media. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[5] Nicol, James. "Home on the Range - The Passing of an Era". Arrochar, Tarbet and Ardlui Heritage. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]