Ardrishaig King George V park group plans revamp

Activists in Ardrishaig have set their sights on returning a historic park in the village – and its largest green space – back into a thriving community space.

The King George V park, or Ardrishaig KGV, opened in 1930, towards the end of the eponymous monarch’s reign.

It features a 90 by 45-metre football pitch and a children’s play park, with walking paths leading off at both ends up into the hillside.

Blair Johnston and Donald McLarty, two of the main activists behind the project which is being pursued by Ardrishaig Community Trust with the backing of Ardrishaig Community Council, envisage a raft of changes to make it the pride of the village again.

They said: “There is huge potential for this historic park.

“We would like to make enhancements to what is already a safe space for children to play. Improvements to children’s play equipment, such as we have seen nearby in Tayvallich, would be a priority.

“We would like to introduce outdoor equipment to the park, as you see in many urban parks, such as bodyweight-based installations for light exercise, for people of all ages to use.

“Between the play park and school, the introduction of a small-sized synthetic court could allow for sports to be played, and an extra facility for school kids to use, too.

“Importantly, we believe changing rooms and toilets are an essential part of any future development of the sports field; an intrinsic part of it and not a barrier to it.

“It has hosted matches for almost a century and we would like to see it back in a playable condition.

“There are drainage issues which need to be sorted out, and fencing which was half-constructed then condemned as it was too close to the edge of the field.”

The play park is identified in an Argyll and Bute Council report from December 2022 “as high priority” for redevelopment, based on local authority inspections and feedback from the Argyll and Bute Youth Forum in 2021-22.

The six-acre space has been protected since 1938 by UKwide charity Fields in Trust.

KGV Park was highlighted by Ardrishaig Community Council as a Visible Change project in 2019, with the pandemic curtailing redevelopment efforts.

Mr Johnston continued: “There is a lot of history in the name ‘King George V park’.

“There are hundreds of these named spaces around the UK, and it was part of that monarch’s legacy for the people to have green spaces to use within their villages and towns.

“That is another part of what we will need to do; maintain the historic elements of the park and understand why it is there as a protected green community space.

“Looking further forward, we would be looking to attract funding for a container, both to store sports equipment and materials for maintenance.

“We want to reach out to everyone in the community, be it people living, working and raising family here their whole lives, or those from the village who have since moved away, to get their input.

“We are also looking for committee members, volunteers, and other members to join us in its development.

“You can see that we have several ideas for potential new facilities, but what is required is community engagement to formulate wider opinion.

“We are very grateful to Ardrishaig Community Council for its support, and are keen to create other partnerships in the village and Mid Argyll, such as with sports teams, clubs, community groups and businesses to support us on this journey.

“We can be contacted by emailing: ardrishaig.kgv.community.park@gmail.com.”

For more information, check out Ardrishaig’s Community KGV park on Facebook.