Inveraray in historic gazetteers

Gazetteer of the British Isles (Edinburgh: Bartholomew, 1887). John Bartholomew

Inveraray, parl. and royal burgh, par., and county town of Argyllshire, at the lower end of a small bay where the river Aray falls into Loch Fyne, 15 miles SW. of Dalmally and 67½ miles NW. of Glasgow - par., 46,892 ac., pop. 946; parl. burgh, pop. 864; royal burgh, pop. 940; town, pop. 870; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks. Inveraray, before the rise of Oban, was the principal town in the Western Highlands. It has daily communication by steamboat with Glasgow, and by coach (during the summer) with Dalmally, Tarbet, Loch Eck, and Lochgilphead, while a ferry crosses to St Catherine's, on the E. side of Loch Fyne. The chief industry is the herring fishing, and Inveraray is the head of the fishery district between Campbeltown and Rothesay. The burgh unites with Ayr, Irvine, Campbeltown, and Oban in returning 1 member to Parliament. In the northern vicinity is Inveraray Castle (built 1744-61, restored 1879-80), seat of the Duke of Argyll; it stands in an extensive and finely wooded park, which attracts great numbers of tourists. The town originally stood on the N. side of the bay, clustering around the old baronial castle (15th century), of which no vestige remains; it was made a burgh of barony in 1472, and a royal burgh in 1648.