Strontian

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Strontian

The village of Strontian lies on the northern shores of Loch Sunart. Its Gaelic name, Sron an T’Sithein, refers to Point of the Fairy Knoll.  The village is centred around a lovely village green with picnic tables and interpretation boards.  Facilities in the village include petrol station, grocery shop, cash machine, post office, cafe, village hall, public conveniences and craft shop.  The local secondary school also supports a public library and an entertainment hub (The Sunart Centre).  There is also a restaurant and tearoom and small craft shop at the nearby Ariundle Centre.  Local hotels include the Strontian Hotel and the Kilcamb Lodge Hotel, both offering loch views. There is also a small slipway by the jetty for the launch of small boats. 

Strontian was established in the 1720s to provide accommodation for local lead mine workers; an industry which led to the discovery of the mineral strontianite in the late 1700s and the element Strontium to which the village gave its name.  Strontium is unique amongst elements being the only one named after a place in the UK.  Strontium and its salts have a variety of uses, but the most dramatic is its use in fireworks where it imparts an intense red colour to light up the night sky.  Strontian can also claim to be one of the first places in Scotland to host a floating church which was moored offshore on Loch Sunart in the mid 1800s. 

Nearby is the wonderful Atlantic oakwoods at Ariundle; there is a lovely circular walk through this Celtic rainforest, a national nature reserve.   There are plenty of other local walks in and around Strontian.  You can also hire a bike to explore further afield.