Inveraray is one of the real gems of Argyll – a rare planned town so picturesque everyone seeing it for the first time experiences a kind of shock. It is utterly unexpected.
It’s got pretty well everything:
- a charming but not obsessive symmetry;
- a sense of order – but with curious little nooks and crannies;
- a teasing variety in its buildings;
- memorable historic street names like Arkland and Relief Land, some factual but mysterious like Cross Houses;
- a white and black theme reinforcing its character;
- punctuation marks like the sentry Argyll Hotel, formerly the Great Inn (a much more resonant name), the Church, at the head of the gently rising broad main street, the famous George Hotel beside the church and the imposing sandstone elegance of Inveraray Jail, with its compelling historical records and, with the castle, at the top of Argyll’s visitor attractions;
- the arches on either side of this hotel, a single one almost ritually marking the entrance to the road to Oban;
- the fairytale turreted Inveraray Castle – the seat of Clan Campbell, the genuine home of the Duke of Argyll and his family and open to the public – at the beautiful little hump-backed stone bridge that carries the A83 into the village;
- two oldtime boats tied up at the pier (good photo opportunities but otherwise promising more than they deliver);
- an unmatchable location with wrap around hills above the water, curving around two lochs – the almost mythical Loch Fyne and the little satellite Loch Shira – separated by the attractive and spacious stone and timber pier.
And this is now a serious issue.
Taking photographs there last night – including this hilariously gothic image – what commanded unexpected attention was the pier itself.
The pier is a magnet – for all the right reasons. It pulls you to it, to explore it – offering changes of direction, landing steps, a superb stone slipway and a timbered end section jutting off into Loch Fyne.
There are always folk fishing off it, in their own self–contained worlds, whoever else is around. The gulls strut it. Visitors stroll it. Couples wander along it and just sit on it in some corner to talk and be alone. People simply pass time on it, calm in the proximity to the water that has drawn them there. It is always host to a variety of narratives.
But it is showing signs of long and serious neglect, to the point of being unsafe.
At its entrance, a long stretch of railing – opposite the ‘Maritime Museum’ ship, rocks through quite an arc if you just touch it. Anyone leaning on it – as such rails are there to enable, would be at risk – and Inveraray has daily collections of elderly visitors on coach trips. The first seven sections of this railing, from the office down the pier are unsafe, worst nearest the entrance end.
Beyond the ships, another – short – section of railing at the head of the landing steps, is broken off, lying on the pier, leaving a dangerous uprght and a trip hazard at the stump where the end stanchion used to be.
Beside it, a section of stone cobbles is being picked away, offering an immediate tripping point. This is at the head of the well used landing steps, as evidenced last night. below. This decobbled section offers an immediate hazard to those coming up the steps with a mooring line to attend to; and to those who, of course, walk to the edge to see what’s down there.
Around the corner from here – at the townside of the stone pier section in the two photographs above, is another section of unsafe railing.
The foot boards are visibly dangerous in places. This horror is also loose and rocks badly.
Below is a detail of the near end of it.
The entire long townside metal rail of the timber pier section at the end of the pier is unstable – just visible above the timber rail that is the focus of attention below.
On the inside angle of the pier at this point there is a timber rail – above and also pictured top – whose condition and level of risk offered could not be more evident.
This links with another metal rail at a point which is a cluster of opportunities for accidents across the spectrum of risk.
A broken notice almost comically fails to warn pier users that they do so at their own – considerable – risk.
Another notice explains the situation of the pier.
Inveraray has recently and rightly had a major award from Historic Scotland under the Conservations Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS).
It seems perverse that, as the town looks forward to a spanking refreshment programme, a potentially wonderful pier facility for people actually to use – to fish, to take the sea air at leisure and to visit the town from boats moored off – has been allowed to get into its current condition.
Last night, the Ocean Youth Trust Scotland’s Challenge 72 racing yacht, Alba Endeavour, was moored off, with most of its young trainees ashore – via this pier.
What is shown above is not a collection of cosmetic offences or minor signs of wear and tear. These are serious risks and are the result of long neglect and lack of care for the safety of those who, rightly, love such places.
Given the state of what is in plain view, one has to wonder about the security of the underpinnings of the timber sections.
If this pier were a child, it would be taken into compulsory care, because of its malnutrition, ill health and the vicious threats it offers to others.
Perhaps this is what needs to happen to Inveraray pier? Someone has to care.
There have to be civic responsibilities in ownership of particular types of property.
Why not report this dangerous pier to the HSE. I am sure they can enforce the owners to make it safe.
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I’m sure quasijock’s suggestion will provoke action, unfortunately, I expect that will be to close the pier to the public and then conveniently forget about it and it will then be left to rot.
The pier is as much a part of the fabric of Inveraray as most of it’s other historical features and should be made good and preserved for the future.
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And it must be made good and preserved for the future.
Argyll and Bute Council came to realise – late but in time not to carry through the planned demolition – just how vital to Dunoon was its glorious old pier.
Each of these piers suits its town and Inveraray’s is a wonderfully spacious structure – immediately welcoming. It doesn’t want to be gentrified, just given a decent job, making it sound, whole and usable – and kept that way.
It probably has to be closed, the way it is just now – but it is unthinkable that Inveraray, on the brink of the CARS regeneration project, will be prepared to have all that spoiled by a set of rotten teeth mouldering on its lovely waterfront.
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How many other piers are like this in Scotland? I wouldn’t know where to start. Is Jura’s Craighouse in more urgent need, of greater public use? You need to go away from Scotland for a few years and then come back to appreciate how little infrastructure expenditure has happened in the intravening years. That’s the problem of living in an awfully big country with few people in it.
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Doesn’t Craighouse have some decent pontoons used by the Jura Passenger Ferry on its fabulous route out of Tayvallich?
Can other boats use these pontoons?
There’s still nothing like a well kept old pier – you feel its life story in the soles of your feet.
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It’s the problem of living in a country that has no real control over its own infrastructure spending
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A constructive first move might be to bring this article to the attention of those responsible for the pier, which is stated on the warning board as Inveraray Pier Trustand Inverarary Maritime Museum.
For Argyll might also find the Buildings at Risk register a source of a similarly-themed and interesting article. There are a large number of historic buildings around Inveraray (and throughout Argyll) in a serious state of decay, many of which are within the Duke of Argyll’s Estate. The on-line register page for Argyll is at:
http://www.buildingsatrisk.org.uk/search/planning_authority/176
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If the Inveraray Pier Trust and Inverarary Maritime Museum…are as stated the owner operator ?
They should be aware that by not closeing the pier in its current state they will in the event of an accident/incident find themselves up against the HSE Exec and as HSE law has changed could find a themselves facing a charge of negligence…this is now inclined to pick a manager of responsible party rather than the organisation in full.
Great shame, council could adopt ?
Historic Scotland should be informed.
In it’s present state (based on the photographs) access to the structure should be prevented, Following a Risk Assessment some form of tempory mitigation (barriers etc) may be put in place…ultimately and given the signage the Museum needs help.
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Its a gem and needs to made safe as a priority surely.
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Inveraray Pier is owned by the McArthur Property Group, as is the now ruined St. Catherine’s Hotel, and the equally dangerous pier at St. Catherine’s.
This company is the owner of Inveraray Maritime Museum. It once, I think, planned to run a ferry between the two piers.
They also own The Braes restaurant and The Caledonian dole hostel in Dunoon and much of Sandbank.
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Some months have past since the notification of your outrageous description of my business all of which are erroneous and totally inaccurate . As stated in this blog various people use this privately owned pier and refuse to pay ,the MOD have nothing what so ever to do with it nor do the McArthur Property Group , the dole house you refer to is a bench mark establishment a statement which is on record by council and police officials also not operated by me , the Braes an award wining establishment also not in my control is award winning. As you seem to know more about me than i do and happy to air your misguided information with others maybe you would like to contact me to discuss this before we take legal advice against you and other gossip mongers that seem have little other to do but hide behind this type of communication . Excessive vandalism theft and abuse of this property is the root of the problem as is the St Catherine’s pier a property that until recently was leased out by Argyll &Bute Council who gave permission to a ferry operator to dreadge at the end of the pier which caused the current damage and in fact still have a sign on it saying they are to be contacted in order to use it. Please get in touch and maybe you can bring me up to speed with other things i may be involved with,although I think the likely hood of that will be certain.
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During a recent visit to Inveraray I was horrified to see the state of the pier. The neglect has clearly been going on for many years. The timber rails are so weak that anyone casually leaning against them could end up falling into the sea and the danger to those who are in any way disabled by sight or mobility limitations, or to children, or the elderly, is extreme.
It is amazing that this hasn’t been noticed by the local community, or, if it has, that they haven’t raised their voice about it. Disgraceful! It brings to mind a few lines written by the poet Robert Burns when he visited Inveraray.
- There’s naething here but Highland pride
And Highland scab and hunger -
It seems that some things haven’t changed much in the last couple of hundred years.
Inquiring among the local traders, I was told that the timber section of the pier is owned by the Ministry of Defense. I have brought this to the attention of our MP, Alan Reid and I await his response. But whoever owns the pier, I find it quite astonishing that it has escaped the attention of the Health and Safety people. Maybe they’ve just been too busy checking up on schoolkids playing conkers.
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If ownership’s shared between the MOD and a private trust, neither of which seem to be making much effort to care for what’s an important part of Inveraray’s heritage, perhaps our Westminster representative Alan Reid could take time off from politicking to chase the MOD, and maybe even investigate just what the Pier Trust is about.
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At one time the Waverley called at Inveraray. If memory serves me correctly they stopped because of the state of the pier – and that was a while ago.
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Inverary Pier Trust History as below:
GAZ2 07/05/1999 STRUCK OFF AND DISSOLVED
GAZ1 15/01/1999 FIRST GAZETTE
288b 12/03/1998 DIRECTOR RESIGNED
NEWINC 15/08/1997 INCORPORATION DOCUMENTS
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION
STATEMENT OF DIRECTORS & REGISTERED OFFICE
DECLARATION OF COMPLIANCE
MEMORANDUM OF ASSOCIATION
ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION
The plot thickens !!!
“”But interesting to note these words from one of the current owner directors…from April 2006 (Dunoon Observer)
FULL STEAM AHEAD AT INVERARAY OPEN WEEKEND INVERARAY
Maritime Museum, located on the pier at Inveraray, is holding an Open Weekend tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday which promises to be an event to remember. The museum changed hands last year, and the new directors have commissioned and undertaken a vast amount of work to raise the standard of the attraction. (never noticed that during a visit earlier in the year)
Archie McArthur – one of the directors -said: “It’s funny. I’ve been described in the past as a millionaire property developer, but anyone who knows me understands that at the end of the day, I’d rather be known as the slightly eccentric owner of an original Clyde puffer.” His passion and commitment is evident in the work that is still being undertaken to make the museum even better for visitors, the local community and indeed the historic vessels owned by the museum. (never noticed that during a visit earlier in the year both vessels seem to be rotting away, as is the pier)
The highlight of the weekend is the sailing of the museum’s very own Clyde puffer. With only a handful of operational puffers left, Mr McArthur describes this as: “a rare opportunity to hitch a ride aboard a moving piece of Scotland’s history” (Like the pier … moving)
The event at Inveraray is part of Show Scotland 06 (28 April – 1 May), a new creative cultural events weekend celebrating Scotland’s museums and galleries. This new initiative, led by the Scottish Museums Council, offers visitors from Scotland, the UK and overseas a fun and exciting programme of events to entertain, amuse and enjoy.
The launch of Showscotland06 will take place at 10am on Saturday and the directors and staff of Inveraray Maritime Museum are delighted that the Directors of the Scottish Museums Council have chosen to come to Inveraray to launch the event.”"
Aye..I am sure you were…anyhow, we have enough problems with the old pier (s) on Tiree, we know who owns them and we also know that they need repair.
Karl
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According to Archie McArthur (2/8/12)the ‘site’ is now closed and the Vital Spark will soon have an exclusive new site………..
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The sea bed ???
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Like many others from this part of Argyll , I used to make Inverary my stopping off point on long journeys until Argyll & Bute Council began charging for car parking having nibbed away many of the parking places and started charging for the use of the publicly owned toilets on the sea front .
Multiply my visits x several thousand similar ones and you have quite an impact on the town’s traders which goes in some way to explain the rather tired appearance of the once beautiful Royal Burgh of Inverary .
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It’s not nearly as simple as that IFE – in fact there’s been a massive net increase in parking by ‘developing’ the Avenue with a new access through the historic boundary wall between the centre and Newtown, and it would appear that the pier is outside responsible control unless government and/or council have the power (and motivation) to wave a big stick at the MOD and the ‘Trust’.
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Has anybody contacted A & B council ? one would assume that if they are informed and an incident occurs they may infact be liable for damages…not that this helps an injured individual…
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Karl Hughes – I phoned Doug Philand about my concerns in case AB Council had a share in the ownership of the pier. I haven’t heard back from him, possibly because of the bank holiday.
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Good idea…I am out in Iraq so a call from me is not really possible…lets hope you hear back.
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