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. The town had a population of 7,994 in 2022.
As well as forming part of the council area of Argyll and Bute, Dunoon also has its own community council. It was a burgh until 1976.
The early history of Dunoon often revolves around two feuding clans: the Lamonts and the Campbells. The town was a popular destination when travel by steamships was common around the Firth of Clyde; Glaswegians described this as going doon the watter. This diminished, and many holidaymakers started to go elsewhere as roads and railways improved and the popularity of overseas travel increased.
In 1961, during the height of the Cold War, Dunoon became a garrison town to the United States Navy. In 1992, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, they closed their Holy Loch base in Sandbank, and neighbouring Dunoon suffered an economic downturn. Since the base's closure, the town and surrounding area are again turning to tourism, marketing to outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife lovers, as well as promoting festivals and competitions. The largest annual event held in the town is the Cowal Highland Gathering, which has been held since 1894. The Royal National Mòd has also been held in the town.
History
Dunoon Castle was built on a small, partly artificial, conical hill beside the Firth of Clyde in the 12th century, of which low walls remain. It eventually became a royal castle with the Earls of Argyll (Campbells) as hereditary keepers, paying a nominal rent of a single red rose to the sovereign. Mary, Queen of Scots, visited Dunoon Castle on 26 July 1563 and granted several charters during her visit. In 1646 the Dunoon massacre of members of Clan Lamont by members of Clan Campbell took place.
In the early 19th century, the town's main street, Argyll Street, stopped at Moir Street. Instead of continuing to Dunoon Pier, it turned right at today's Sinbad's Bar. Before Dunoon Burgh Hall was built, beginning in 1873, the land was an open field, owned by James MacArthur Moir, leading to an area known as the Gallowhill. There were no streets and houses between Argyll Street and Edward Street. Argyll Street, roughly as it is seen today, was completed by 1870. Moir donated some of his land for the building of the Burgh Hall, but he did not get to see its completion; he died by suicide in 1872.
The two banks mentioned above were the Union Bank of Scotland and the City of Glasgow Bank. The hydropathic spa, meanwhile, was "an elegant new baths building, named Ardvullin, erected a little to the north of the village as a hydropathic establishment, where baths - hot, cold, artificial salt, and Turkish — may be had at moderate charges."
Many of the town's early villas had their own private bathing ground or boxes.
The population of the united parishes of Dunoon and Kilmun in 1861 was 5,444; in 1866 the estimated population of Dunoon, from Baugie Burn to Hunters Quay, was 3,000.Colegate's Guide to Dunoon, Kirn, and Hunter's Quay (Second edition) - John Colegate (1868), page 12
During the World Wars, as the main part of the Firth of Clyde defences, the Cloch Point-to-Dunoon anti-submarine boom was anchored to the shore in Dunoon below Castle Hill. A Palmerston Fort and camp at Ardhallow Battery in the south of the town provided one of the coastal defence gun emplacements that covered the anti-submarine boom and Firth of Clyde waters. There also was a gun emplacement atop Castle Hill.
In 1961, as the Cold War intensified, the Holy Loch's importance grew when the U.S. Navy submarine tender USS Proteus brought Polaris ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines to the Firth of Clyde at Sandbank. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament protesters drew this to the public's attention. Holy Loch was, for thirty years, the home port of U.S. Navy Submarine Squadron 14 and Dunoon, therefore, became a garrison town.
In 1991, the Holy Loch base was deemed unnecessary following the demise of the Soviet Union and was subsequently withdrawn. The last submarine tender to be based there, the USS Simon Lake, left Holy Loch in March 1992, leading to a major and continuing downturn in the local economy."If you rebuild it, they will come: Unlocking local creativity 'doon the watter' | Jay Merrick" - The Academy of Urbanism
In May 2012, Dunoon and Campbeltown were jointly named as the rural places in Scotland most vulnerable to a downturn in a report by the Scottish Agricultural College looking at ninety places.
Government and politics
Dunoon is represented in the Scottish Parliament by Jenni Minto, of the Scottish National Party (SNP), who holds the Argyll and Bute seat. Dunoon also lies within the Highlands and Islands electoral region, from which a further seven additional members are elected to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
In the House of Commons, Dunoon is represented by the SNP's Brendan O'Hara, who holds a seat also titled Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber, although this seat has different boundaries from the one used for the Scottish Parliament.
Argyll and Bute Council is the Local Authority for the council area covering Dunoon. It is one of 32 such council areas across Scotland. Dunoon forms a single ward for elections to Argyll and Bute Council, electing three councillors via the single transferable vote system. At the last election, held in May 2017, one independent and one member from each of the SNP and the Conservatives was elected to represent the town.
Dunoon has a community council, whose primary role is to represent the views of the community to the Local Authority and other public bodies.
Religion
There are a number of churches in Dunoon, including:
Church of Scotland: St John's Church
Roman Catholic: Our Lady and St Mun's Church
Other churches:
Historical
There is evidence of an episcopal seat at Dunoon from the latter part of the 15th century. No remains of the Bishop's Palace now exist, the site is now occupied by the playground of Dunoon Primary School, between Hillfoot Street and Kirk Street.DUNOON CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISAL and CONSERVATION STRATEGY, 2017 - Argyll & Bute Council
Defunct religious buildings
Culture Architecture Dunoon Pier
Dunoon's Victorian pier was extended to the current structure between 1896 and 1898.DUNOON PIER WITH WAITING ROOMS AND PIER MASTER'S OFFICE, SIGNAL TOWER AND ADJOINING TEAROOM, TICKET LODGE, PIER RAILINGS – Historic Environment Scotland It was shortened to allow the building of a breakwater in 2005, just to the south of the pier. As well as protecting the pier and its architecture from storm surges, a new link span was installed alongside the breakwater. This was to allow the berthing and loading of roll-on/roll-off ferries instead of the side-loading ferries that used to serve the pier. A tender to serve the new link-span between two interested parties, Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries, came to nothing. Prior to June 2011, the pier was in daily use by Caledonian MacBrayne, who ran a regular foot passenger and car-ferry service to Gourock. However, after June 2011, a renewed tendering process produced a passenger-only ferry service (Argyll Ferries, owned by Caledonian MacBrayne) using the breakwater for berthing. On 1 September 2004, during the construction of the breakwater, the cargo vessel Jackie Moon (82 metres in length) ran aground on the breakwater, with six people on board. Since the breakwater became operational in June 2011, Argyll Ferries operate from this docking facility. The Waverley struck the breakwater on 26 June 2009, with some 700 people on board. The pier was partially refurbished by Argyll and Bute Council during 2015. Now containing meeting rooms, it is purely a tourist attraction.
Burgh Hall
Dunoon Burgh Hall opened in 1874, the work of notable Glasgow architect Robert Alexander Bryden, who is buried in Dunoon Cemetery, a mile to the north. It is a Scottish baronial-style building that housed the municipal offices and had a hall accommodating 500 people. The Category B listed building re-opened in June 2017, and is a fully accessible venue for exhibitions, performances and gatherings. Alongside a gallery and theatre, the venue offers creative workshop space, a garden and a café.
Other buildings On 20 August 2021, several Argyll Street buildings were destroyed in an arson attack."Two charged after town centre fire" – ArgyllBute24.co.uk
Landmarks and attractions
Mary Campbell, also known as "Highland Mary" and "Bonny Mary O' Argyll", was born at Auchamore Farm in Dunoon. She had a relationship with the bard Robert Burns. The Highland Mary statue was erected in 1896; it is prominently sited on Castle Hill, overlooking the breakwater in Dunoon. The statue is a scheduled monument (LB26437).
The war memorial of Dunoon is located in the Castle Gardens, overlooking the pier.
The Queen's Hall is the town's major multi-function hall complex. It is situated opposite the head of the Victorian pier and built in 1958. It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 11 August 1958.
Riverside Swim and Health Centre, including an indoor pool (25m long) and associated facilities, located on Alexandra Parade.
Dunoon Library is situated in the rebuilt Queens Hall at the Castle Gardens.
A small group of rocks, known as the Gantocks, lie off the coast at Dunoon. The navigation beacon on the Gantocks in the Firth of Clyde is close to the coast at Dunoon. It was built in 1886.
The Clan Lamont Memorial, also known as the Dunoon Massacre Memorial, is on Tom-A-Mhoid Road close to Castle Hill. It was dedicated in 1906 and commemorates the Dunoon massacre of 1646, when the Campbell Clan attacked the Lamont Clan, killing over 200 people. Includes several photographs
Local wildlife includes seals, otters, dolphins, basking sharks, roe deer, red deer, red squirrels, and many species of birds.
The Castle House Museum opens during the summer season. It holds historical information and displays for Dunoon and the Cowal peninsula.
Festivals
The Cowal Highland Gathering, established in 1894, attracts contestants and spectators from all over the world. It is held annually over the final weekend in August at Dunoon Stadium.
Cowal Open Studios, held over a fortnight in September, gives the opportunity to visit the studios of artists around Dunoon and Cowal.
Cowalfest celebrates the outdoors activities like rambling around Dunoon for ten days in October.
Since the 1930s Dunoon has hosted the Royal National Mòd a number of times – 1930, 1950, 1968, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2012 and 2018.List of Mod's places for each year on Sabhal Mòr Ostaig website
In 2013, the first Dunoon Film Festival was held over three days and opened with first public screening of Your Cheatin' Heart, a series made by the BBC that had last been shown on television in 1990.
Transport
Dunoon is accessible by direct land and sea routes and indirectly by rail at Gourock.
Road
Dunoon lies towards the southern end of the A815 road. At its northernmost point, near Cairndow, this road joins the A83 and provides access to the town by road from Loch Lomond / Glasgow in the east, from Inveraray / Oban in the north and from Campbeltown in the west.
Ferry
Two ferry operators provide services to Dunoon from Gourock:
Caledonian MacBrayne
The public service route provided by the Scottish Government owned Caledonian MacBrayne, which is a foot-passenger-only service between Dunoon Breakwater and Gourock pier, giving easy access to the National Rail Network.
Western Ferries
Local company Western Ferries (Clyde) LTD, carries motor vehicles and foot passengers between Hunters Quay near Dunoon and McInroy's Point on the A770, (Cloch Road).
Travel connections