Inveraray

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small historic town on the western shore of Loch Fyne in Argyll, Scotland, known for its castle and courthouse
2. A picturesque burgh in Argyll on the banks of Loch Fyne in western Scotland, home to the seat of the Dukes of Argyll
3. A royal burgh located in the Argyll region of western Scotland, noted for its eighteenth-century architecture beside a sea loch

Etymology: Inveraray takes its name from two Gaelic elements. "Inver" means the mouth of a river, where it meets a larger body of water, and the river in question is the Aray, which flows into Loch Fyne at this point. The name therefore describes a place at a river mouth, which is exactly where the town sits, on the western shore of the loch. The town's fame rests less on its name than on what was built there. It became the seat of the Dukes of Argyll, the Campbell family's chief line, and the castle that stands at its heart is the family's principal residence. The castle and its white-walled town were laid out to be seen from the water, so the name describes a geographical feature while the town's appearance reflects the power of the family that held it.