The Jetty - 1

For most of us, the jetty near The Ferry Stores is a place to launch pleasure boats, a meeting point on a summer's evening where the children fish for crabs while the adults talk, and a centre for the annual Kilchoan Regatta (pictured). But it has a long and important economic history, and continues to be used by local fishermen.

While the Diary hasn't found anyone who knows exactly how old it is, Malcolm MacMillan of Grigadale believes it to date from the early 17th century. It's certainly far older than the Calmac pier which was built in the early 20th century.

In those days it wasn't called the 'jetty' but the 'slipway'. The earliest photos on the West Ardnamurchan Vintage Photographs site, above, show it as a stone structure protected on the western side from the worst of the weather by large blocks of rock.

Another, perhaps later picture shows the more organised structure of the slipway itself, built of unmortared but dressed rock (many thanks to Iain MacDonald who posted both pictures on the WAVP site).

We know that around the late 19th century the ferry man, Duncan Cameron, used the slipway for his busiess. He built the Ferry House which stands on the opposite side of the road. He was related in some way to Allan Campbell who had a house on what is now the site of The Ferry Stores because, when Duncan and Allan drowned in separate incidents, Duncan's sons, Lachlan and John Cameron, inherited the job of carrying people to Tobermory and out to the passing MacBrayne ferries.

This photograph shows what is probably a Cameron brothers' boat loading sheep to be taken by sea to market in Oban - many thanks to Mary Khan for posting this on the WAVP site.

The jetty played a pivotal role in supplying the Kilchoan area. All 'imported' goods, such as coal and food, came in to Kilchoan Bay, usually in one of the famous puffers which beached and was unloaded at low tide. The original shop, which Lachlan Cameron built on the site he inherited from Allan Campbell and which is now the dwelling house for The Ferry Stores, was conveniently placed for these goods - there was, for example, a coal storage area or 'coalree' where the present shop structure stands.

The West Ardnamurchan Vintage Photographs site is here.