Glen Shira

Glen Shira (Gaelic: Gleann Siara, "Glen of the eternal river") is a glen in Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland, at the northern end of Loch Fyne, just to the north of Inveraray. It is a Special Area of Conservation within the UK, bordered by Beinn Bhuidhe on the Glen Fyne side. Glen Shira is named after the River Shira, which runs through the centre of the glen. The river starts to the northeast at 350 metres elevation, near the start of the River Fyne. Shira runs into the 5 MW Sròn Mòr (Big Nose) power station dam, and then for about seven miles (eleven kilometres) down to and through Loch Dubh (Black Lake) at the base. From there, the waters flow into Loch Shira, a small inlet on Loch Fyne that, in turn, lends its name to the MV Loch Shira ferry. The glen is mostly taken up by a resident's sheep farm, but there are numerous houses within the glen, including Elrigbeg (Eileirig Beag), Elrig More (Eileirig Mór), Kilblaan and Drimlee (at the northern end). There is one single-track road which leads up the glen to the dam. This road splits into an access road (connected across the River Shira by a bridge) which leads to Drimlee. Asda also once produced a whisky called Glen Shira, although this had no connection to the actual glen.