Campbeltown

History

Originally known as Kinlochkilkerran (an anglicisation of the Gaelic, which means 'head of the loch by the kirk of Ciarán'), Campbeltown was renamed in the 17th century as Campbell's Town after Archibald Campbell (Earl of Argyll) was granted the site in 1667. Campbeltown Town Hall was completed in 1760. The Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened Campbeltown Lifeboat Station in 1861. The present building dates from 1996. The Annual Reports of the Fishery Board for Scotland provide an insight into the state of fishing from Campbeltown and Machrianish in the years before the First World War. The results below were accumulated for both places. In the report for 1898 we learn that "most of the herrings caught are sold at sea to buying steamers. All the herrings caught in Kilbrennan Sound are included in the Campbeltown returns". In the report for 1913 we learn that there was a "large increase in [the] quantity and value of herrings". The Kilbrennan Sound was still the location of the principal fishing grounds, but no mention is made of steamers.