Ardentinny

Ardentinny is a small village on the west shore of Loch Long, fourteen miles from Dunoon in Argyll on the Cowal peninsula. Nearby is 'Cruach a Chaise' (Cheese Hill) while on the opposite side of Loch Long is the village of Coulport, home of HMNB Clyde, the base for Britain's Trident Nuclear Defence Force.

The name Ardentinny means 'the hill of fire' deriving either from the ancient rite of lighting fires to the God of Bel on May 1st or more likely for warning fires to aid mariners. The ferry between Ardentinny and Coulport was used by the Dukes of Argyll travelling between Dunoon, Inveraray and Rosneath Castle and in later years by drovers from Argyll travelling to the markets in Central Scotland.

The village has one hotel catering for the general public, the other hotel caters mainly for bus parties. The Ardetinny Outdoor Centre is run by Actual Reality, which has has two centers in Cowal.

The local economy is reliant on tourism and agriculture with major employers being the hotel, outdoor centre and the caravan park. There is one working fishing boat based in Ardentinny trawling for prawns. Residents also work in Dunoon and across the Clyde. The village is served by the bus service to and from Dunoon.

More and more holiday houses are offered to tourists as Ardentinny is now in the new National Park.