Inveraray facing north towards the glen mouth.

Glen Shira (Gaelic: Gleann Siara, "Glen of the eternal river") is a glen in Argyll, Scotland at the northern end of Loch Fyne, just to the north of Inveraray. It is a Special Area of Conservation within the UK, bordered by Beinn Bhuidhe on the Glen Fyne side.

Looking northwards (up-glen) at the mouth. Dubh Loch is in foreground.

Glen Shira is named after the River Shira, which runs through the centre of the glen.[1] The river starts in north-east at 350 meter altitude, near the start of the River Fyne. Shira runs into the 5 MW Sron Mor (Big Nose) power station dam,[2] and then for about 7 miles down to and through Loch Dubh (Black Lake) at the base. From there, the waters flow into Loch Shira, a small inlet on Loch Fyne that, in turn, lends its name to the MV Loch Shira ferry.

The glen is mostly taken up by a resident's sheep farm, but there are numerous houses within the glen, including Elrigbeg (Eileirig Beag), Elrig More (Eileirig Mór), Kilblaan and Drimlee (at the northern end). There is one single-track road which leads up the glen to the dam. This road splits into an access road (connected across the River Shira by a bridge) which leads to Drimlee.

Rob Roy MacGregor's house in upper Glen Shira.

Rob Roy MacGregor lived in Glen Shira for a short time under the protection of John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll,[3] also known as Red John of the Battles (Iain Ruaidh nan Cath). Argyll negotiated an amnesty and protection for Rob in 1716, and granted him permission to build a house in upper Glen Shira after disarmament.

Records suggest that Rob Roy also constructed a fank for sheep or cattle in the Glen. However, some time after the 1719 Jacobite Rebellion — likely around 1720 — Rob moved to Monachyle Tuarach by Loch Doine, abandoning the structures. Nevertheless, ruins remain extant.

Asda also once produced a whisky called Glen Shira, although this had no connection to the actual glen.

References

  1. ↑ "Glen Shira: Overview". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  2. ↑ "Power from the Glens" (PDF). Scottish and Southern Energy. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2007. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  3. ↑ "Robert (Rob Roy) MacGregor 1671 - 1734". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 9 August 2022.

Sources

  • W.H. Murray, Rob Roy MacGregor, His Life and Times, Conongate Books Ltd., 3rd ed. (1996).

56°17′06″N 5°01′01″W / 56.285°N 5.017°W / 56.285; -5.017

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