helensburgh-and-lomond-map
The Charity operates within the designated area of Helensburgh and Lomond, which is one of the four administrative areas formed within the boundaries of Argyll and Bute Council when local government in Scotland was restructured in 1996. It covers a relatively large geographic expanse extending to over 366 sq. kilometres, of which more than half is rural hinterland and stretches from the top of Loch Lomond just beyond the village of Ardlui in the north, to Cardross in the south, and from the ‘Rest and be thankful’ in the west across to Luss in the east. It has three multi-member electoral wards, namely Helensburgh Central, Helensburgh and Lomond South and Lomond North (See side panel – click to enlarge).
Helensburgh Central is the smallest ward but, with a population of 9,461, it has the highest concentration of residents and is the main centre for commerce and services for the area. The town of Helensburgh has well utilised rail and road links with Glasgow, Oban, Fort William and beyond.
Lomond North has the largest land mass of the three electoral wards. The resident population of 8,740 people live in small towns, villages and settlements situated close to the shore lines of Loch Lomond, the Gare Loch and Loch Long. The ward contains large mountainous and forested tracts of land, particularly between Loch Long and Loch Lomond and to the north and west of Arrochar. A significant feature is that the area houses HM Naval Base Clyde, which encompasses several sites, the primary two being at Faslane on the shores of the Gare Loch and Coulport beside Loch Long.
The resident population of 7,279 people in the Helensburgh and Lomond South ward live in the south side of Helensburgh, the village of Cardross and a number of smaller communities running alongside the River Clyde and Loch Lomond. The topography of the area is less mountainous than Lomond North, but it has large tracts of moorland and forestry, with a few scattered and remote farms and houses.
Population/Demographics
Argyll & Bute is the second largest local authority area in Scotland and has been described as the most geographically diverse area within the UK. While it forms almost 10% of the total land mass of Scotland, it is sparsely populated with its 89,200 population accounting for 1.7% of the Scottish total. These factors contribute to make Argyll & Bute the third most sparsely populated council area in Scotland.