• Castles, Crannogs and Islands
• Churches and Chapels
• Former Settlements and Houses
• Steamboats and Ferries
• Schools
• Transport/Communications
• Wildlife, Flora and Fauna
• Halls, Shops and Refreshments

• Pubs, Hotels, Guest Houses and Bed and Breakfast
• Self-catering Holiday Homes
• Activities & Things to Do
• Organisations and Groups
• Avich and Kilchrenan Community Council
• Loch Awe Improvement Association
• Services,trades and useful contacts
• Notice Board – What’s On - Articles - Items for Sale/Wanted

There is now only one primary school serving the community as sadly Dalavich School closed in1998 because of lack of numbers. It had its heyday perhaps in the 1950s and although there is a record of electric light fittings in the school in 1933 mains supply was not available until 1952/53! The earliest records available of the school date back to 1874. The school for a time was also run as a community centre, until the village hall was opened in 1957. At that time there were 50 or so pupils. Although Dalavich existed as a village well before these times and as a parish, records show it was disjoined from Kilchrenan in 1649. As a forestry village it dates from around 1952 when from this time the substantial number of houses which can be seen today were built. For two or three decades it was a thriving forestry based community but unfortunately with automation the amount of workers with young school-age families involved in forestry diminished as machines took over from man-power.

From 1998 the children of Dalavich have been transported to Kilchrenan School, the earliest date for which records exist being 1665. The original school seems to have been at Annat, in a house now called Woodcroft from certainly the middle of the 19th Century and at that time in a poor state of repair. A new school was built and opened in 1878 which is where the school is today (conveniently just behind the pub for a highly-stressed staff). Then, it consisted of the School and School House.

It seems that according to early records the first head teacher to stay any length of time was a gentleman called Peter Campbell – what a surprise! Over the years there has been a number of head teachers, some who stayed for only a few months and others who managed to survive a bit longer. Credit is due to the present head Caroline Boyle who has, fortunately for the community, survived since 2000 relatively un-scathed!

A number of years ago a door was knocked through into the school house to allow the children access to the kitchen for their lunches. Previously they had to go out one door and in by another! More recently the two rooms and passageway in the house have been converted into one to provide a lovely second classroom. There is also a library and a resource room in this part of the building, while the “school” houses a classroom, the office, and the girls’ and boys’ toilets. The nearby village hall provides an excellent venue for P.E., school plays and concerts.
There is ample playground, albeit on a bit of a slope, and a school garden, which, it is hoped, will be developed to allow it to be used by the children. The children also use the community pitch, when it is not too soggy!

At the time of writing, the roll of the school is 21. There are two permanent full time teachers (including the head) and two visiting teachers. There is a probationer teacher, two classroom assistants (one who doubles up as a dinner lady) and a clerical assistant. Reverend Millar visits once a week for assembly and classroom support.
The school enjoys a very happy ethos as well as excellent support from the the parents and members of the community. A School Council allows the the children to make decisions about their school. The senior pupils have other responsibilities also, such as ensuring the smooth running of the lunches and supervising the playground games on certain days.
The curriculum outlined in the 5 – 14 guidelines as set by the Scottish Office forms the basis for teaching. However, there is also a strong belief in using the environment for learning and giving the children a wide range of other experiences away from their desks!

Annual events include Sports Day, a visit to the pantomime in Glasgow and Creative days. One of the highlights of their time at the school is the primary 6 and 7 outdoor education trip to Newtonmore. Here they experience many exciting activities including rafting, abseiling, ice skating and gorge walking. This is done in conjunction with Taynuilt and Dalmally primary schools.
Events are also hosted for the community such as coffee mornings and the Retired Residents’ Lunch. One of the highlights of the year is the Christmas Concert which attracts a full house!
As well as raising money for the Newtonmore trip by taking part in different activities throughout the year, the school also tries to raise some money for charity.
A school web-site is in the process of development and the children have started to “blog”………. When finished, there will be a link from the web-site to the schools but in the meantime contact can be made on 01866 833312, or to enquiries@kilchrenan.argyll-bute.sch.uk

Primary school children from Loch Avich and Maolachy areas go to Kilmelford School and all secondary-school age pupils from the area are bussed to Oban High school on a daily basis. However, prior to 1961 when Mr. Len Stewart from Dalavich took on the bus duties children had to stay in lodgings in Oban during term time.