Ford, Argyll
Ford (Scottish Gaelic: Àth na Crà) is a small Scottish village at the southern end of Loch Awe, Argyll. The village grew from just a stopping point on the drove route to Inveraray, until it eventually gained a church, school, blacksmiths and a village shop. The Ford Hotel dates back to 1864 and was probably erected on the site of the old change house. Today it is a guest house and is a listed building. Over time the school and the blacksmiths closed. The village shop closed in 2003. The village has a smokery; the building burnt down on Christmas Eve 2008 and has been rebuilt. At the start of Loch Awe, a great spot for a pike fishing or watching wildlife is An Lodan Bay (little pool or little loch) now more commonly referred to as Torran Bay, which has a hostel. Also to be built within the next year will be a new village shop, farm shop, bar restaurant and function room next to the hostel.
There are historic paddocks along the burn side of the ford to Dalavich road. The hill known as Dun Dubh overlooks the village.
Prehistoric remains
Many prehistoric structures survive within the village boundary and are all easily accessible or can be seen from the public road. Opposite the guest house, in the village centre, stands a prehistoric burial mound known in Gaelic as Cnoc an Ath (hillock of the ford). Several standing stones are scattered around the area, the three most notable ones being the one in the field next to the guest house, the one opposite Glennan Farm, and the largest at Torran Farm. A crannog is also present in Loch Ederline, clearly visible from the road.
Bibliography
- John B. Stephenson - Ford, a Village in the West Highlands of Scotland, [1984, Paul Harris Publishing, Edinburgh], ISBN 0-86228-081-8
External links
- Ford Community Project.
- The website of the Ford House guest house has photos of the area and a nice picture of the old Ford Hotel.
Coordinates: 56°10′39″N 5°25′49″W / 56.1773867°N 5.430356°W