- Rhu, Argyll and Bute
Rhu (pronounced "roo") is a village and historic
parish on the east shore of theGare Loch inArgyll and Bute ,Scotland .The traditional spelling of its name was "Row", but it was changed in the
1920s so that outsiders would pronounce it correctly. The name derives from theScots Gaelic "rudha" meaning 'point'.It lies north-west of the town of
Helensburgh on theFirth of Clyde , in the historic county ofDunbartonshire . Like many settlements in the area, it became fashionable in thenineteenth century as a residence for wealthyGlasgow shipowners and merchants.Rhu and Shandon Parish Church dates from
1851 and stands on the site of aneighteenth century predecessor. Amongst those buried in the kirkyard is Henry Bell, whose "Comet" was the world's first commercially successfulsteamship . In 1851 the marine engineer Robert Napier built the statue which today marks Bell's grave.Rhu is a base for
yachting . It includes a point, just opposite another point nearRosneath , which forms what is known as either the "Rhu Narrows" or the "Rosneath Narrows" at the mouth of theGare Loch . Locals call it the "spit" (they say that before dredging it was possible to do this across the water). The loch would have been cut off and a lagoon formed if the "longshore drift" was allowed to occur naturally.Groyne s prevent this from happening.Famous Residents
Dr David "The Probe" McBrierty
Sir Ian Anderson
External links
* [http://www.take2theweb.com/pub/sso/rhu/ Rhu Primary School website]
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