Portavadie

Portavadie

Portavadie

Human settlement in Scotland

Portavadie (Scottish Gaelic: Port a' Mhadaidh) is a village on the shores of Loch Fyne on the coast of the Cowal peninsula, in Argyll and Bute, West of Scotland.[1]

Quick Facts OS grid reference, • Edinburgh ...

The Portavadie complex was built in 1975[2] by the then Scottish Office for the purpose of constructing concrete platforms for extraction of oil from the North Sea. However, the intention was soon overtaken by acceptance that steel platforms were the future for the oil industry in Scotland. Despite suggestions to turn the complex into a holiday village, it lay redundant until in the mid-1980s the enclosed port was used by a local fish farm company.

In 2013 a further report in the Dunoon Observer and Argyllshire Standard says that the derelict "village", known as Polphail, was sold to a forestry company who plan to demolish the buildings and build new houses. It remains in situ currently.[3]

Currently there are plans to build a whisky distillery, on the now demolished village site, construction to commence in early 2023.[4]

Sport and recreation

Portavadie Marina

In late 2009 the marina was used for the first time to tie up yachts for the Scottish series by the Clyde Cruising Club, won by Nigel Biggs; England; J109-IRC.[5]

The new Portavadie Marina[6] complex opened to the public in 2010. The first phase of the complex consisted of five-star luxury apartments, with private sauna facilities and four-star cottages, alongside a restaurant, conference suites and a retail space.

The second phase, The Lodge, arrived shortly after, consisting of hotel style accommodation, fully accessible studio apartments, staff accommodation and a second "family style" restaurant.

The third phase was officially launched in August 2016, with a luxury spa and leisure complex being added to the amenities.

Loch Lomond and Cowal Way

Main article: Loch Lomond and Cowal Way

The Loch Lomond and Cowal Way starts and finishes at Portavadie; this long-distance waymarked footpath takes one to Inveruglas on the shore of Loch Lomond, in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, 57 miles (92 kilometres) of walking later.

National Cycle Route 75

Main article: National Cycle Route 75

Portavadie is on the NCR75 a route from Edinburgh to Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula.[7] The National Cycle Network is maintained by sustrans.[8] If you cross Loch Fyne, continuing on the NCR75 onto the Kintyre peninsula at Tarbert, you can join the National Cycle Route 78 (The Caledonia Way).[9]

Transport

Portavadie Ferry Terminal

National grid reference NR9259869816

Portavadie to Tarbert ferry

There is a 25-minute-long Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service across Loch Fyne to Tarbert on the Kintyre Peninsula. It runs eleven times on weekdays (ten on Sundays), between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm. There is no 8:30 am ferry on Sundays.[10]

More information Preceding station, Ferry ...

Bus

Portavadie is the destination of the 478 bus from Dunoon, 28 miles (45 km) away. It runs six days a week.

References

  1. [1]
    "Visitor Information". Portavadie. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  2. [2]
    "Portavadie (Public Inquiry)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 998. House of Commons. 3 February 1981. col. 147–154. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. [3]
    "Cowal Ghost Village Sold". Dunoon Observer. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. [4]
    Collins, Georgie (28 October 2022). "New plans submitted for Portavadie Distillery". The Spirits Business. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  5. [5]
    "Scottish Series Yacht Racing Event - Scottish Series". Clyde Cruising Club.[dead link]
  6. [6]
    "Portavadie, Loch Fyne, Scotland". Portavadie Marina. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  7. [7]
    "National Cycle Network routes in Glasgow and the West". Sustrans.
  8. [8]
    "About us". Sustrans.
  9. [9]
    "National Cycle Network routes in Argyll & Bute and Highland". Sustrans.
  10. [10]
    "Cowal & Kintyre: Tarbert Loch Fyne - Portavadie". CalMac Ferries. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portavadie.


Stub icon

This Argyll and Bute location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Portavadie, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.