Buteshire and
Argyll were two of the
historic counties of Scotland, having originated as shires (the area controlled by a
sheriff) in the
Middle Ages. From 1890 until 1975 both counties had an elected county council.[3]
In 1975, under the
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, Scotland's counties,
burghs and
landward districts were abolished and replaced with upper-tier
regions and lower-tier
districts. The
Strathclyde region was created covering a large part of western Scotland. Strathclyde was divided into nineteen districts, one of which the 1973 Act called "Argyll", covering most of the former county of Argyll, but also including the
Isle of Bute from Buteshire. The shadow authority elected in 1974 requested a change of name to "Argyll and Bute", which was agreed by the government before the new district came into being on 16 May 1975.[4]
As created in 1975 the Argyll and Bute district covered the whole area of fourteen of Argyll's sixteen districts and part of a fifteenth, plus two of Buteshire's five districts, which were all abolished at the same time:[5][6]
Local government was reformed again in 1996 under the
Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts which had been created in 1975, replacing them with unitary
council areas. Argyll and Bute became one of the new council areas, but had its territory enlarged to include the town of
Helensburgh and surrounding rural areas which had been in the
Dumbarton district prior to 1996, and had formed part of the county of
Dunbartonshire prior to 1975. The Helensburgh area had voted in a referendum in 1994 to join Argyll and Bute rather than stay with Dumbarton.[8][9]
The main railway line in Argyll and Bute is the West Highland Line, which links Oban to Glasgow, passing through much of the eastern and northern parts of the area. From the south the line enters Argyll and Bute just to the west of Dumbarton, continuing north via
Helensburgh Upper to the eastern shores of the
Gare Loch and
Loch Long. The line comes inland at
Arrochar and Tarbet to meet the western shore of
Loch Lomond. At the northern end of the loch the lines leaves Argyll and Bute to enter
Stirling council area. The Oban branch of the West Highland Line re-enters the area just west of
Tyndrum, and heads west to Oban: stations on this section of the line include
Dalmally and
Taynuilt railway station. The majority of services on the line are operated by
ScotRail: as of 2019 the summer service has six trains a day to Oban, with four on Sundays. In addition to the ScotRail service is the nightly
Caledonian Sleeper, although this does not run on the Oban branch.[10][11]
Helensburgh also has a much more frequent service into Glasgow and beyond via the
North Clyde Line, which has its western terminus at the town's
central railway station.[12]
The
A815, which leaves the A83 in
Glen Kinglas near
Cairndow, heading south through
Strachur and
Dunoon and ends at
Toward 40 miles later, on the southern tip of the
Cowal peninsula.[15] The A815 is the main road through Cowal.
Due to its heavily indented coastline and many islands, ferries form an important part of the council area's transport system. The main ferry operator in Argyll and Bute is Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac), which operates services from the mainland to most of the inhabited islands. Several other routes are operated by commercial operators, usually on contract to the council, although the Western Ferries service across the Firth of Clyde is run on a commercial basis.
Islay is served by a CalMac route from
Kennacraig in
Kintyre. The service is timetabled to utilise either one of two ports on the island, with both
Port Askaig and
Port Ellen having a service to the mainland.[21]
Feolin on
Jura is linked to Port Askaig on Islay via a vehicle ferry run by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.[22][23] There is also a passenger-only service between the island's main centre,
Craighouse, and
Tayvallich on the mainland that is operated by Islay Sea Safaris.[24]
Kerrera is linked to Gallanach (about 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Oban) by a passenger-only service operated by CalMac.[25]
Lismore is served by two ferries, a vehicle and passenger service operated by CalMac that runs from Oban,[26] and a passenger-only service from
Port Appin that is operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.[22][27]
Mull is served by a route between Oban and
Craignure on the island's east coast,[28] as well as routes across the Sound of Mull (between
Lochaline and
Fishnish, and
Tobermory and
Kilchoan). All three routes are operated by CalMac.[29][30]
Iona is linked to Mull via a CalMac service from
Fionnphort at Mull's southwest tip.[31]
The island of
Seil, which itself is linked to the mainland via the
Clachan Bridge, has links to two further islands:
Easdale and
Luing. Both services are operated by ASP Ship Management on behalf of Argyll and Bute Council.[22][32][33]
There are also routes connecting some mainland locations in Argyll and Bute to other parts of the mainland:
There is a CalMac service across Loch Fyne which provides a link between
Portavadie in Cowal and
Tarbert in Kintyre.[34]
CalMac provide a limited (3 ferry each way per week) service between Cambeltown in Kintyre and Ardrosssan in North Aryshire during the summer months.[38]
Western Ferries, a commercial operator, runs a vehicle and passenger service between
Hunters Quay to
McInroy's Point that also provides a link between Cowal and Inverclyde in (partial) competition with the subsidised CalMac service.
Lochranza on
Arran, in
North Ayrshire, has a year-round service to Kintyre: during the summer the mainland port used is
Claonaig, however in winter the service is reduced to a single daily return crossing from Tarbert.[41][42]
There is also a passenger-only ferry service linking Campbeltown and Port Ellen on Islay with
Ballycastle in
County Antrim,
Northern Ireland, running seasonally from April to September, operated by West Coast Tours as the Kintyre Express.[43]
The area has also been indirectly immortalised in popular culture by the 1977 hit song "
Mull of Kintyre" by Kintyre resident
Paul McCartney's band of the time,
Wings.