Rosneath

The Rosneath area has been settled from at least 600 AD onwards, when St. Modan, a travelling missionary, founded a church there. Later, the area was heavily fortified, with Rosneath's own castling joining those of nearby Faslane and Shandon, all of which are long since gone. Rosneath village did not yet fully exist by this time; instead, Rosneath parish was home to many free-standing dwellings, the occupants of which were for the vast bulk of the area's history employed in agriculture and fishing. Many of the persecuted Covenanters, in the days of the Stuarts, found shelter in the parish under the protection of the friendly Argyll. The picturesque island of Rosneath' is the scene of the closing chapters of the Heart of Midlothian.

Rosneath Castle was ruined and rebuilt many times; the final rebuilding came in 1803, three years after the previous building burnt down. Located further uphill from previous versions, it belonged to the Duke of Argyll. In contrast to the earlier castles, it was in the Romanesque style. Rosneath's prestigious royal connection of some sixty-eight years ended in 1939 with the death of H.R.H. Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, and Duchess of Argyll. In early 1940 the estate was sold, thus ending also some five hundred years of Clan Campbell superiority at Rosneath.

The near feudal village lifestyle that had prevailed for so long was now in doubt and the estate tenants faced an uncertain future. Britain was again at war with Germany however; defence matters were paramount and soon brought unprecedented change to the district. From 1941 to 1945, Rosneath was home to an important war base thanks to its location in the well-sheltered natural harbour of the Gare Loch. The Americans used Rosneath Castle as a base of operations. The castle was demolished in 1963.

John Anderson FRS, 18th century scientist, educational pioneer and radical who founded Strathclyde University, was born in Rosneath where his father was minister of the parish church. The founder of the first Rangers FC team, Moses McNeil, lived at Clynder, just outside Rosneath. He was buried at the Old Churchyard of Rosneath in 1938.

Photograph

The Mill at Roseneath:

© Reid Robertson http://www.saddleview.co.uk