Bowmore
Bowmore
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 Bowmore main street |
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 Bowmore
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| Bowmore shown within Argyll and Bute | |
| Population |
862 (2001 census) |
| OS grid reference | NR310598 |
| Civil parish |
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| Council area | |
| Lieutenancy area | |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ISLE OF ISLAY |
| Postcode district | PA43 |
| Dialling code | 01496 |
| Police | Scottish |
| Fire | Scottish |
| Ambulance | Scottish |
| EU Parliament | Scotland |
| UK Parliament | |
| Scottish Parliament | |
862 (2001 census)
Bowmore (Scottish Gaelic: Bogh Mòr, 'great sea reef') is a village on the Scottish island of Islay and serves as administrative capital of the island. It gives its name to the noted Bowmore distillery producing Bowmore Single Malt, a single malt scotch whisky.
Bowmore is a planned village with wide streets on a grid-iron pattern. It has its origins in an earlier settlement, Kilarrow, which until c. 1770 occupied the site of the present grounds of Islay House near Bridgend.
In May 1685 Kilarrow had been the scene of the first stages of Argyll's Rising, when rebels under the Earl of Argyll arrived following a voyage from the Netherlands.
As part of his plans for improvements at Islay House, Daniel Campbell the Younger initiated the construction of the new village in 1770, just after the completion of the new Kilarrow Parish Church, which was built in a unique circular shape. The old village of Kilarrow and its church, dedicated to St Maelrhuba was then demolished, and its residents were relocated to Bowmore. Kilarrow Old Churchyard still exists close to the site of the former village.
The Bowmore distillery came in operation at some time before 1816 and is situated on the shores of Loch Indaal and next to an old warehouse which is converted to a swimming pool, known locally as the MacTaggart Centre. The waste heat from the distillery is partially used to heat the water of the swimming pool.
There was a RAF seaplane base at Bowmore during WWII. Short Sunderland and PBY Catalina flying boats operated from Loch Indaal. Some of the wartime film Coastal Command was filmed in Bowmore and it features a shot of a Sunderland flying low over the main street of Bowmore and over Kilarrow Parish Church.
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Wikipedia