| Loch Striven | |
|---|---|
| Loch Sroigheann (Scottish Gaelic) | |
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_680143.jpg) Loch Striven at Inverchaolain | |
  Loch Striven | |
| Location | Cowal, Argyll and Bute, Scotland |
| Coordinates | 55°55′44″N5°04′15″W / 55.928753°N 5.0707625°W /55.928753; -5.0707625,grid referenceNS0825874892 |
| Type | Sea loch |
| Basin countries | Scotland, United Kingdom. |
| Max. length | 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| Surface elevation | Sea Level |
| Frozen | No |
Loch Striven (Scottish Gaelic:Loch Sroigheann) is asea loch inArgyll and Bute,Scotland. The loch meets theFirth of Clyde and theKyles of Bute just north of theIsle of Bute, and forms a narrow inlet about 8 miles (13 km) long extending north into theCowal Peninsula.[1][2]
The hamlet ofArdtaraig lies at the head of the loch, on theB836 road that provides an east-west route across Cowal between the heads of theHoly Loch andLoch Riddon. Minor roads follow the coast of the loch from its southern end, with the one on the east coast terminating near the hamlet ofInverchaolain about the mid-point of the loch, and the one on the west coast petering out after just 1.5 miles (2.4 km). There is no road access to the north of the loch between these points and Ardtaraig.[2]
The deep water and secluded nature of Loch Striven has made it suitable for a number of different forms of maritime usage, both naval and civilian, over the years.
The upper reaches of the sea loch, because of their secluded location, and their topographical similarity to Norwegian fjords, were used extensively for midget submarine (X-craft) training duringWorld War II. The training programme was directed fromHMS Varbel inPort Bannatyne to the south in the luxury Kyles Hydro Hotel, overlooking the port, which was requisitioned by the Admiralty to serve as the HQ for midget submarine operations, including the attack on theTirpitz. Ardtaraig House, located at the head of Loch Striven, and similarly requisitioned by the Admiralty, became a secondary naval base for the 12th Submarine Flotilla midget submarines and became known as HMS Varbel II.[3]
The loch was also used as the main trials area for "Highball"[1] (see picture), the smaller anti-ship version of "Upkeep", the "bouncing bomb" used byThe Dambusters. Over 100 dummy bombs were dropped in the loch between Spring 1943 and Autumn 1944, using (at first) aWellington but mainlyMosquitoes based atRAF Turnberry. Two of these bombs were recovered in 2017;[4] one is now atBrooklands Museum and the other at thede Havilland Aircraft Museum. Between 15 and 17 May 1944,HMS Malaya was used in Loch Striven as atarget ship for inert Highball bouncing bomb prototypes, one of which punched a hole in the ship's side.
Since the 1960s, the Loch Striven Oil Fuel Depot has operated atKnockdow on the east side of the loch, with a fuel jetty and partially underground storage tanks. Operated by theOil and Pipelines Agency, it receivesdiesel andaviation fuel by coastal tanker, and provides supplies toRoyal Navy and otherNATO vessels. The jetty at the depot is also designated as aZ-Berth, meaning it is suitable for occasional visits by nuclear-powered warships.[5][6][7]
Anoil rig construction yard operated atArdyne Point on the east shore of the loch from 1974 to 1978. Run bySir Robert McAlpine, it constructed three concrete gravity platforms for use in theNorth Sea. The largest of these was theCormorant Alpha platform for theCormorant oilfield situated some 100 miles (160 km) north-east ofShetland, where it is still in use.[8]
During times of recession in shipping, the sea loch has been used as a sheltered anchorage for laid-up vessels. The (then) newly builtLNG carriersGastor andNestor were laid up here from delivery from the shipyardChantiers de l'Atlantique in 1976 until being sold 15 years later toBonny Gas Transport in 1992.[9] The Danish shipping companyMaersk used the sea loch for cold layup of some of its vessels (namely four of the B- class vessels in its fleet andSealand Performance) from 2009 to 2010.[10]
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Thehydro-electric generating station for theStriven Hydro-Electric Scheme is located at the head of Loch Striven atArdtaraig. The building was designed to blend-in with the local architecture and appears to resemble a large house or small church when viewed from a distance[11] Opened in 1951, its single turbine has a generating capacity of 8 megawatts (11,000 hp).[12]
