Dunoon, looking North from the Castle hill with the old Victorian pier to the right and The Queens Hall on the left

The Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left

The PS Waverley leaves Dunoon Pier, to sail up the Firth of Clyde.

Dunoon (Dunomhainn in Gaelic) is situated on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. It sits on the Firth of Clyde beside the Holy Loch, across from Gourock. Image File history File linksMetadata Dunoon_Pier. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dunoon_Pier. ... Download high resolution version (1025x576, 79 KB)Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left. ... Download high resolution version (1025x576, 79 KB)Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left. ... The Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left The Holy Loch is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... PS Waverley leaving Dunoon on the Firth of Clyde in 1989, photograph taken by User:Dave souza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... PS Waverley leaving Dunoon on the Firth of Clyde in 1989, photograph taken by User:Dave souza File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... PS Waverley steaming down the Firth of Clyde - additional views at Image:PS Waverley off Brodick castle 1989. ... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig) is a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. ... Cowal is a peninsula of Argyll in the Scottish Highlands. ... Argyll and Bute (Earra-Ghaidheal agus Bòd in Gaelic) is both one of 32 unitary council areas; and a Lieutenancy Area in Scotland. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen of the UK Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... The Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left The Holy Loch is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... Gourock (Guireag in Scottish Gaelic which means pimple shaped or rounded hill in reference to the many hills surrounding the area,) is a burgh in Inverclyde, Scotland. ...

According to the last Census of Great Britain, taken in 2001, the town of Dunoon itself (ignoring outlying districts) has a population of 8,251 of which 46.4% are male and 53.6% female. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ...

Dunoon pier is over one hundred years old and still receives a connecting ferry with Gourock, run by Caledonian MacBrayne. Until the late 1960s fleets of paddle steamers brought holidaymakers doon the watter from Glasgow to it and numerous other piers on the Clyde, and it is still visited by the sole surviving sea-going paddle steamer Waverley. Overlooking it is a large statue to Robert Burns' love Highland Mary, also known as Bonny Mary O' Argyll, which is located on Castle Hill, just below the remains of Dunoon Castle. Very little remains of the castle, dating from the 12th century, it would originally have belonged to the Lamont family but became a royal castle with the Earls of Argyll (Campbells) as hereditary keepers, paying a nominal rent of a single red rose to the sovereign, presently Queen Elizabeth. In earlier times, Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at the castle circa 1563 and granted several charters during her visit. The castle was destroyed during the rebellion in 1685. Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal-Mac) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and all major islands on Scotlands West coast. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... Paddle steamer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... PS Waverley steaming down the Firth of Clyde - additional views at Image:PS Waverley off Brodick castle 1989. ... Robert Burns, preeminent Scottish poet Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796) was a poet and songwriter. ... Queen Elizabeth may refer to: Living people Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (born 1926), queen regnant of the United Kingdom and numerous other Commonwealth Realms: daughter of George VI of the United Kingdom. ... Mary, Queen of Scots is the name of: Mary I of Scotland, the former queen of France and Scotland executed by her cousin Elizabeth I of England Mary, Queen of Scots (movie), a 1971 film about that queen starring Vanessa Redgrave Mary, Queen of Scots (1969 book), a 1969 book...

In the spring of 2005, Dunoon seafront changed forever with the completion of a new breakwater, located just to the South of the main pier. As well as protecting the Victorian pier, a new linkspan was installed alongside the breakwater to allow the berthing and loading of ro-ro ferries instead of the side loading ferries presently serving the main pier. As of Autumn 2006 however, these facilities remain unused. A tendering competition to serve the new linkspan is presently underway between two interested parties, namely Caledonian MacBrayne and local operator Western Ferries. The successful operator is expected to be announced by the Scottish Executive in early 2007 and services should commence in the Spring of that year. Breakwater has several meanings, including: a structure for protecting a beach or harbour a 1988 album named Breakwater by Lennie Gallant. ... RORO and ro-ro are acronyms for Roll On/Roll Off; a type of ferry or cargo ship that carries wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trailers or railway carriages. ... Caledonian MacBrayne (usually shortened to Cal-Mac) is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries between the mainland of Scotland and all major islands on Scotlands West coast. ... Western Ferries (Clyde) Ltd Sound of Sanda Western Ferries is a private ferry company currently serving only the River Clyde in western Scotland. ... The Executives logo, shown with English and Scottish Gaelic caption The term Scottish Executive is used in two different, but closely-related senses: to denote the executive arm of Scotlands national legislature (i. ...

Dunoon Grammar School is over three hundred and fifty years old and has many well known former pupils, including the Labour Party politicians, John Smith, George Robertson (later head of NATO), Brian Wilson and actor Sylvester McCoy. John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 – May 12, 1994) was a British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden and unexpected death from a heart attack on 12 May 1994. ... George Robertson pictured at The Pentagon in June 2001 The Right Honourable George Islay MacNeill Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen, KT, GCMG, FRSA, PC (born 12 April 1946, in Port Ellen, Isle of Islay, Scotland) was the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, between October 1999 and... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation[1] (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... The Rt. ... Sylvester McCoy as the Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy (born August 20, 1943) is a Scottish actor. ...

Eric Campbell, the silent film comedian famous as Charlie Chaplin's hulking nemesis in several short films, was born in the town, and a plaque to his memory can be seen in the gardens at Castle Hill. Possibly Dunoon's most famous resident was Sir Harry Lauder (1870 - 1950) whose mansion, "Laudervale" stood just south of Dunoon on the Bullwood road. Eric Campbell (born Alfred Eric Campbell; 1878-1917) was a silent film star, who was featured in eleven films by Charlie Chaplin. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr. ... Sir Harry Lauder, KBE (4 August 1870 - 26 February 1950) was a very famous Scottish entertainer, described by Sir Winston Churchill as Scotlands greatest ever ambassador! // Early Years Born Henry Lauder at 4 Bridge Street Portobello, the residence of his mother’s father, he was the eldest son of...

As the Cold War intensified the Holy Loch became internationally famous when in 1961 the U.S. Navy depot ship Proteus brought Polaris ballistic missiles, nuclear submarines and CND protesters to the Firth of Clyde at nearby Sandbank, and Dunoon provided shore facilities. Holy Loch was, for 30 years, the home port of US Navy SUBRON-14 (Submarine Squadron-14). In 1992 the Holy Loch base was deemed unnecessary following the demise of the Soviet Union and subsequently withdrawn. The last submarine tender to be based there, ( USS Simon Lake ) left Holy Loch in June 1992 leading to a major downturn in the local economy and prompting howls of protest from local taxi drivers and publicans. For other uses, please see Cold War (disambiguation). ... The Holy Loch seen across the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon on the left The Holy Loch is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... The Polaris Missile was a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) carrying a nuclear warhead developed during the Cold War for the United States Navy. ... CND logo In British politics, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been at the forefront of the peace movement in the United Kingdom and claims to be Europes largest single-issue peace campaign. ... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Sandbank is a village in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, north of Dunoon. ... SUBRON is the USN abbreviation for Submarine Squadron. ... USS Simon Lake (AS-33) was the lead ship of her class of submarine tenders in the United States Navy, named for Simon Lake, a pioneering designer of early submarines. ...

The annual Cowal Highland Gathering is a highlight of Dunoon's year and attracts hundreds of contestants and many thousands of spectators from all over the world. Opening ceremonies of 2004 Canmore Highland games Highland games are festivals held throughout the year in Scotland and many other countries of the world as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. ...

Toward Castle, formerly owned by the Lamont family is not far from the town.

The Arboretum at Benmore Botanic Garden, part of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, is situated 7 miles north of the town just before the scenic Loch Eck. The garden, formerly a private garden for the Younger family, is now open to the public and has a gift shop and tearoom. An arboretum is a botanical garden primarily devoted to trees and other woody plants, forming a living collection of trees intended at least partly for scientific study. ... Benmore Botanic Garden is a large botanic garden situated between Dunoon and Loch Eck, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. ... The Palm House in the Royal Botanic Gardens The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is both a scientific institution and a tourist attraction. ...

Trivia

• Julianne Moore, the four-time Oscar-nominated actress, has connections to Dunoon as her mother is originally from the town.^[1] Moore still has family in the area.^[2]
• In the late 1960's, Dunoon was the subject of a song entitled 'Why don't they come back to Dunoon?' by The Humblebums, a popular Scottish folk band at the time, featuring Billy Connolly and Gerry Rafferty. This was a less than flattering ditty, mourning the declining tourist trade in the town.
• The Holy Loch Navy base was the subject of the 1988 film 'Down where the buffalo go'. It starred the famous Hollywood actor, Harvey Keitel and many of the scenes were shot around Dunoon and the Navy base.
• The semi-popular children's game shows Raven and Raven: The Island are filmed at Castle Toward 8 miles (13 km) southwest of Dunoon.

Julie Anne Smith (born December 3, 1960), better known as Julianne Moore, is an American actress. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ... The humblebums were a glasgow folk band whos members included internationally famous comic Billy Connoly and glasgow entertainer Gerry Rafferty. ... Folk music, in the original sense of the term, is music by and for the common people. ... Billy Connolly, alias The Big Yin William Billy Connolly, CBE, D.Litt (born 24 November 1942) is a comedian, musician, presenter, and actor. ... Gerard Rafferty (born April 16, 1947, in Paisley) is a Scottish singer and songwriter. ... ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Raven is a childrens adventure game show, currently showing on CBBC in the UK and on BBC Kids in Canada. ... Castle Toward, a former country house now outdoor education centre, is one of the best-known landmarks of the Cowal peninsula in Argyll, Scotland. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2242236,00.html
2. ^ http://www.dunoon-observer.co.uk/archive/arcfeb223.html

External links

• Map sources for Dunoon

• Local website & webcam
• Dunoon & Cowal tourism website