Benmore & Kilmun
The summary profile below is taken from the Benmore & Kilmun Community Action Plan published in 2008.
The Action Plan was informed by the Benmore & Kilmun Community Profile published in 2007.Population
The population for the Benmore and Kilmun area stood at 1030 at the time of the 2001 census. There has been a decline of 99 people (8.76%) between 1991 and 2001. We have fewer children under the age of 10 compared to National Park and Scotland wide figures and a higher number of residents of retirement age when compared to National Park and national figures.Housing
There are 465 residential households in the Benmore and Kilmun area. The percentage of owner-occupiers (71%) in this area is higher than the Scottish average (63%), although slightly lowe rthan the National Park average (74%). Conversely, the number of properties that are rented from the ACHA (14%) is lower than the Scottish (22%), but higher than the NP average (10%).Employment
The percentage of economically active people (55%) is substantially lower than the Scottish average (65%) and also the National Park average (68%). This highlights that the area has a very high rate of retired people. 13% of people are self-employed.Education
Strone Primary School is the only school in the area. Children living along the A815 and Glen Lean travel to Sandbank Primaryand several attend the Catholic School, St. Mun's, in Dunoon. Children travel the 6-10 miles to Dunoon for secondary education.Village Halls
There are four village halls in the area - Uig Hall (Benmore/Rashfield), Younger Hall (Kilmun), Highgate Hall (Strone) and Blairmore Village Hall.Shops
There is a Post Office/general store in Strone, an art gallery and coffee shop, a church-run bric-a-brac and a general store in Blairmore and a petrol station with a licensed general store at the Cot House.Piers
There are three piers - Blairmore, Strone and Kilmun. Blairmore is operational as a passenger pier with excursions leaving from the pier. The Waverley now stops at Blairmore. Kilmum Pier is used as a working base by Western Ferries.Community Development Organisations
Within the area the following community organisations operate:Kilmun Community Council, Benmore & Kilmun Community Development Trust, BlairmoreVillage Trust, Blairmore Heritage Trust, Benmore and Rashfield CommunityAssociation, Deer Park Woodland Trust.Children and Youth Groups
There is a Youth Club after school on a Tuesday afternoon in
Highgate Hall. There are also various groups (Rainbow, Brownies and
Guides) run through the churches. There is one play park, Graham's Point at Kilmun. The regeneration
of Graham's Point was high priority on the list of projects from the
last Community Action Plan.
Transport
Buses: There is an hourly bus service from Ardentinny to
Dunoon and back. This service generally connects to the CalMac services
to Gourock Railway Station and to
Glasgow. The bus service along the A815 and to Glen Massan and Clachaig
is perceived as inadequate. Ferries: There are two ferry operators in the Dunoon area.
Environment
The Benmore and Kilmun community is surrounded by stunning natural
beauty with the lochs, hills, forests and outstanding scenery. The SSSI
(Site of Special Scientific Interest) protects Loch Eck and the oak
woodland to the west of Loch Eck. Loch Eck is home to a rare species of
fish - the Powan. The nationally important Pucks Glen, Kilmun Arboretum
and
Benmore Botanic garden are found within the area.
Heritage
The area has a long and fascinating history going back to the earliest periods of Scottish history. Areas of particular historic interest include Argyll Mausoleum, Bernice graveyard, Inverchapel graveyard, drove roads, piers on Loch Eck, old settlement in the woods behind Whistlefield, gun-powder mills at Clachaig, Paper Caves to the west of Loch Eck, tin/lead mine above Gairletter, iron smelting at Benmore, St. Munns church and churchyard, the heritage associated with David Napier and grand Victorian country houses such as Invereck, Benmore, Dunselma.
