Holy Loch, Naval inlet in Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Holy Loch is an inlet in Argyll and Bute that extends into the Firth of Clyde with a sheltered shoreline. The waterway reaches inland, creating a protected coastal setting with rising banks on either side.
The inlet served as a Cold War military site when the US Navy maintained nuclear submarines here between 1961 and 1992. This period shaped the local economy and left marks on the harbor's development.
The name Holy Loch comes from Saint Munn, who arrived in the 6th century and established a religious site here. Kilmun Parish Church at the shore still marks this early Christian connection to the area.
The area is easy to reach from nearby Dunoon and offers several entry points for water activities and visitors. The shores are accessible in many spots, but conditions on the water can change quickly.
A boatbuilding center at Sandbank once produced roughly 500 wooden boats, including fast racing yachts, before closing in the early 1980s. The yard's craftsmanship is a chapter of local work now quietly fading from the shores.
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