History of our Village

Like so many villages scattered over Argyll and beyond our village has a present very much shaped by it’s rich and powerful past. You could almost say that Furnace, originally called Inverleacan, was the 18th century version of a new town built up around the new industries during the industrial revolution and the new demands for labour, efficient transport links and local materials.

Local historian and Furnace resident both man and boy, Duncan Beaton, takes us through it’s past from early day Inverleacan to mid-century Furnace.

The Earliest History and the Appearance of the Name Inverleacan

The beginning of the 18th century – in the Hands of the Campbells

The MacLachlan-MacNicol feud, and a Murder at Brenchoille

The 19th century, and the start of our Crofting Community

The Coming of the Industrial Age – The Furnace

The Powder Mills

The Quarries

The Highways

The Church