Where the Moss road meets the North Connel road is the area of Achnacree.
There is significant prehistoric activity in the area, showing that this has been important for Man for over 5,000 years.
Achnacree Beag - a substantial farm of several hundred acres
Achnacree More - an area of crofts and settlements, now a single larger farm
Achnacree Bay - modern name for one of the Black Crofts
Moss of Achnacree - In the 1st Ordnance Survey map of 1856, it mentions the Moss of Achnacree as superceding the earlier name of the Plains of Lora
Achnacridhe
Ach’ na craoibh mór & beag;
Achadh na Crithe; Achadh na Crıthe mor; Achadh na Crıthe beag:
Achnacree
In Scotlandsplaces the OS place names reference from the first Ordnance survey
tree field (from achadh na craoibhe-field of the tree)
or field of the trembling = presumably from the spongy moss = (crith-trembling or shaking).
Queen of Benderloch - Sarah (Sally) McKillop lived here at Shore Crofts from the Mid 1850's to her passing in 1906. She was a renowned figure of the community and had her portrait taken spinning, which is the Archives mascot.
The short hill from the junction of Moss Road, the Bridge and the Burn were all called Queens or Sallys Brae, Bridge and Burn.
In one of her sons Rev Neil McKillop obituary in the Oban Times in 1935 there is a reference to him coming from Clach-an-Iseghar, Benderloch … which translates as Fishermans Stone -
[http://journals.socantscot.org/index.php/psas/article/view/8766/8734 | Excavation
of the Chambered Cairn at Achnacreebeag]
1500's Livingstones of Achnacree
There were also the McLeas of Achnacree (13) of whom the family of Lindsaig is descended, who were possest of the Lands of Achnacree for a long time, and who made the longest appearance in that corner of any of the McLeas there, until that McLea of Achnacree made a second marriage with one, Campbell of Dannah's daughter to whom he gave the lands of Achnacree in jointure, and he having six or sever sons by a former marriage, and he having not got his tocher with Dannah's Daughter and dying and leaving nothing to his sons and having given his Lands in jointure to his wife, They would not allow her to possess the Lands of Achnacree until they got payment of her Tocher, and she having complained to the then Ardkinglass who was her friend and relation and was at the time Sheriff of Argyle, and he doing diligence against them for possessing her of her jointurelands, McLea of Achnacree his sons went to Rosneath, which at that time belonged to Campbell of Ardkinglass and burnt his Lands there.
Upon which, there being Letters of Fire and Sword raised against them, they were dispossessed of the Lands of Achnacree, and they were given to Campbell of Rahaen in Roseneath in Compensation of the lands that had been burnt to him, and Campbell of Rahaen gave the Lands of Achnacree to Lochnell in wadsett, which by virtue thereof, the present Lochnell possesses these Lands, and since that time that family is extinct. But before this happened, they tell a story that happened above more than one hundred years ago, as there were at and before that time in Cowal feuds betwixt several families in the Highlands, so the then McDugald and the family of Inveraw were at variance, and both the familys brought all their sons and strenth to the field to fight it fairly and to decide their quarrell by the sword. And both McDougalds and Inveraw with their families friends and followers having taken the field, the McLeas being the followers of McDugald, McLea of Achnacree brought with him four score of the McLeas to McDugald's assistance against Inveraw. But Campbell of Inveraw his eldest son, being Yellfostered in McLea of Achnacree his house (according to the common and antient custom that prevailed in Argyleshire) says to his Father Inveraw, that tho' he was out or at variance with McDugald, yet that he had no quarrell with his Foster-father Achnacree, and that if his Father would be satisfied, he would go to the McDougald's camp and would bring off Achnacree with his McLea's from McDugald. To which Inveraw agreed and said that his doing so would lessen McDugald's force against him and that he had no grudge or quarrell with Achnacree. Upon which Campbell younger of Inveraw went over to McDugald's Camp and brought off Achnacree his Foster father from McDugald and brought him to his Father's camp. And when he was bringing in Achnacree to his father's tent, a Brother of Invernaw drew his dirk and killed Achnacree betwixt his nephew's arms when he was putting him into his father's tent before him: upon which the Fray began, and both the McDugalds and Campbells fell upon one another, and Achnacree and his fourscore McLeas were killed that day upon that spot, and from that day to this time, the McLeas never made any head or appearance, and this was a very great loss to them, so many of them to be killed in one day.
13. According to tradition the McLeas certainly at one time possessed Achnacree in the Benderloch, and tradition is confirmed by the appearance on record of John M'Dunslaif of Achnacre in 1557 (O.P.S. , vol. ii. P.155). They probably held originally under the Lords of Lorne and thereafter under Campbell of Lochnell. Two other versions of how they were disponed are given by Lord Archibald Campbell in Records of Argyll, pp. 114-1712
1885 : story of Livingston of Achnacree sold the farm to Lochnell over the theft of a cow3
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