Lorne, Scotland

Lorne (or Lorn; Latharna) is an ancient province (medieval Latin: provincia) in the west of Scotland, which is now a district in the Argyll and Bute council area. The district gives its name to the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area, one of forty such areas in Scotland, which have been defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development. The national scenic areas cover 15,726 ha, of which 10,088 ha are marine seascape, and includes the whole of the island of Lismore, along with neighbouring areas on the mainland such as Benderloch and Port Appin, and the Shuna Island. The region may have given its name to the traditional Scottish breakfast dish Lorne sausage.

Lorn is bordered on the west by the Firth of Lorne, which separates it from Mull. The northern border is Glen Coe, and Rannoch Moor, which detach it from Lochaber, while on the east, the Bridge of Orchy hills, and Glen Orchy, separate it from Breadalbane. Running along the south eastern border, Loch Awe separates Lorn from Knapdale, and the rest of Argyll to the south. The north of Lorn is almost entirely dominated by Glen Etive, and its surrounding mountains. The south, by contrast, is mainly undulating boggy moorland, punctured by occasional lochs, and meandering burns. The two parts of Lorn are separated by the Pass of Brander, which forms the main transport corridor, aside from routes around Lorn's perimeter. Though it has only existed since the 19th century, Oban is the only large settlement in Lorn, and forms the modern district's capital. Once labelled the "Charing Cross of the Highlands" because of the range of steamer connections with the islands and Argyll coast, Oban is still a busy port for ferries, cruise liners, fishing boats and pleasure craft.

In the Iron Age, the inhabitants of Lorn established a number of hillforts, of which the most substantial was Dun Ormidale, located at Gallanach, south of Oban. Whether or not they were Picts is unclear. In the 6th century, Irish migrants crossed the straits of Moyle, invading Lorn and the coast to its south, as well as the islands between there and Moyle in Ulster, establishing the Gaelic kingdom of Dál Riata. In around AD 500, Loarn mac Eirc (a brother of Fergus Mór) became king of Dál Riata, founding the Cenél Loairn. However, in 1794, the Oban Distillery was founded, which quickly improved the economic situation in western Lorn, and soon the town of Oban was established still the only substantial settlement in Lorn. In the late 19th century, the construction of the Callander and Oban Railway brought a further burst of economic improvement, and helped to alleviate conditions in other parts of Lorn. In 1889, counties were formally created in Scotland, on shrieval boundaries, by a dedicated Local Government Act; Lorn naturally, therefore, became part of the newly created County of Argyll. On two occasions in the mid 20th century, Lorn twice experienced a brief restoration of geopolitical importance. During World War II, Oban was used by Royal Navy ships, and became an important base in the Battle of the Atlantic. During the Cold War, the first Transatlantic Telephone Cable (TAT 1) came ashore here; it carried the Hot Line between the presidents of the US and the USSR. Following late 20th century reforms, Lorne is now part of the wider council area of Argyll and Bute.