River Shira

The River Shira winds for about eleven kilometres through Glen Shira in Argyll and Bute. It begins near the River Fyne at an altitude of 350 metres and soon feeds the Lochan Shira reservoir. The river powers the Sron Mor hydro-electric scheme, which drops forty-nine metres through the scheme’s turbines. Along its course the Shira passes waterfalls and small islands, one named Eilean an Eagail. After leaving the reservoir it enters Loch Dubh, a dark upland lake once bordered by crannogs and the castle of Clan MacNaghten. The Shira’s final stretch runs past Stuart Liddell’s house before it is joined by the short River Garron. The Garron carries the water under the Garron Bridge into Loch Fyne, a long sea inlet on Scotland’s west coast. The river gives its name to the small passenger ferry MV Loch Shira, which crosses the loch. In winter the glen’s quiet hills and the reservoir’s calm surface reflect the pale northern light. Visitors walk the Glen Shira path beside the river and reservoir. The hydro-electric dam and its spillway form a landmark partway up the glen. Loch Dubh offers views of the old crannog sites and the remains of Clan MacNaghten’s castle. The Garron Bridge carries a single-track road over the lower river, linking farmland to the shore of Loch Fyne.