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{{Short description|Civil parish on Isle of Mull, Scotland}}
{{Infobox UK place
| country                          = Scotland
| official_name                    = Torosay
| static_image_name                = Church of Scotland Church, Craignure, Isle of Mull. - geograph.org.uk - 1528644.jpg
| static_image_caption             = Torosay parish church
| os_grid_reference                = NM717371
| coordinates                      = {{coord|56|28|2|N|5|42|2|W|display=inline,title}}
| map_type                         = Scotland
| population                       = 645
| population_ref                   = (2011)
| area_total_sq_mi = 140
| civil_parish                     = Torosay
| unitary_scotland                 = [[Argyll and Bute]]
| lieutenancy_scotland             = [[Argyll and Bute]]
| constituency_westminster         = [[Argyll and Bute (UK Parliament constituency)|Argyll and Bute]]
| constituency_scottish_parliament = [[Argyll and Bute (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Argyll and Bute]]
| post_town                        = ISLE OF MULL
| postcode_district                = PA65
| postcode_area                    = PA
| dial_code                        = 01680
}}
[[File:Map of the parishes of the Isle of Mull (1891).jpg|thumb|right|350px|'''Parishes of the Isle of Mull (1891)'''   <small>Torosay shown in red (labelled 10)</small>]]
'''Torosay''' is a [[Civil parishes in Scotland|civil parish]] on the [[Isle of Mull]] in the county of [[Argyll]], [[Scotland]], part of the [[Argyll and Bute]] council area. It is one of three parishes on the island and extends over the central and south-eastern part. It is bordered by the parish of [[Kilninian and Kilmore]] in the north and [[Kilfinichen and Kilvickeon]] in the south-west. It extends about {{convert|12|mi|km|abbr=off}} east-west and {{convert|10|mi|km|abbr=off}} north-south. On the north-east coast it is separated from the mainland by the [[Sound of Mull]]. On its south-east coast, part of it is almost severed from the rest of the parish by the sea lochs [[Loch Spelve|Spelve]] and [[Loch Buie|Buie]], together with the freshwater loch Uisg, in between. This peninsula, which includes the hamlet of [[Croggan]], is joined to the main island by a small isthmus at Kinlochspelvie and another at the settlement of [[Lochbuie, Mull|Lochbuie]]. There is a smaller sea loch [[Loch Don]], which gives its name to the hamlet of [[Lochdon]] (or Lochdonhead).<ref name=Groome>Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland, by Francis H. Groome; publ. Thomas C. Jack,  Edinburgh,1901. (Article on Torosay)</ref> Further north, there is a bay at [[Craignure]] which is the location of a ferry port.
The parish touches the west coast of Mull at [[Loch na Keal]] and includes the island of [[Eorsa]]. The River Ba,  which  flows into this loch, takes the overflow of the freshwater loch [[Loch Bà (Mull)|Loch Ba]]  {{convert|2|mi|km|abbr=off}} inland. Also in the west of the parish, by its south-west border, is [[Ben More (Mull)|Ben More]] ({{convert|3169|ft|m|abbr=on}}), the highest point in the island (the name means great mountain in Gaelic). <ref name=Groome/>
At the [[2011 United Kingdom census|2011 census]], the population of the civil parish was 645. 17.5% had some knowledge of Gaelic.<ref name=cen2011>Census of Scotland 2011, Table KS101SC   Usually Resident Population, publ. by National Records of Scotland. Web site
http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/ retrieved April 2021. See "Standard Outputs", Table KS101SC, Area type: Civil Parish</ref> In 1891 80% were Gaelic speaking. <ref name=Census1891>Tenth Decennial Census of the Population of Scotland, Taken 5th April 1891, publ. H.M.S.O. Edinburgh 1893; Table 1, p.12</ref> The area of the parish is {{convert|89584|acre|mi2 km2|abbr=on|1}}.<ref>Census of Scotland 1931. Preliminary Report. Table 17 - Population and Acreage of Civil Parishes alphabetically arranged. Publ. H.M.S.O. 1931</ref>
The parish church of Torosay, which is in Craignure, dates from 1783. Its style is plain Georgian oblong. It underwent repairs in 1828  and again in 1832, when it was struck by lightning.<ref name=church>[[Historic Environment Scotland]] website portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB17970   retrieved March 2024</ref><ref name=NSA>[[Statistical Accounts of Scotland|New Statistical Acccount]] Vol 7 (Article on Torosay), publ. William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh, 1845; pp.277-292 </ref> In the 19th century, churches were built by the government at Kinlochspelvie and [[Salen, Mull|Salen]], resulting in separate [[quoad sacra]] (church only) parishes; but the former is now reunited with Torosay, while the latter still exists . <ref>Website of North Mull Parishes (Church of Scotland) www.northmullparish.org   retrieved March 2024.   Note: The parishes have a common minister.</ref><ref name=Groome/>
The name Torosay appears to be derived from the Gaelic word for a conical hill and influenced by the common Old Norse ending  ''ay'' , meaning island.
<ref name=NSA/><ref name=placenames>Place-names of Scotland, by James Johnston, publ. David Douglas, Edinburgh, 1892; p.237</ref>
The parish council was formed in 1895 with 7 elected members. <ref> ''The Parish Council Nominations''  in  the Glasgow Herald, 21 March 1895; p.8</ref> This was replaced by Mull District Council in 1930, which had 6 members, 3 of whom were the County Councillors for Mull and 3 elected to the District Council from wards based on the three parishes.<ref>Local Government (Scotland) Act, 1929</ref><ref>[[The Edinburgh Gazette]] 7 March 1930; p.265</ref> Since 1976 there has been an Isle of Mull [[community council]].
<ref>Community Councils website, managed on behalf of the Scottish Government www.communitycouncils.scot/community-council-finder  Retrieved April 2021</ref><ref>[[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]]</ref><ref>Website of Isle of Mull community council  -  mull-community-council.co.uk/ - retrieved March 2024</ref>
== Landmarks ==
* [[Duart Castle]]
* Duart Point lighthouse ([[William Black (novelist)|William Black]] Memorial Lighthouse)
* [[Moy Castle]]
* [[Torosay Castle]]
* [[Torosay railway station]]
* [[Torosay transmitting station]]
==Settlements==
* [[Craignure]]
* [[Croggan]]
* [[Gruline]]
* [[Lochbuie, Mull|Lochbuie]]
* [[Lochdon]]
* [[Salen, Mull|Salen]]
{{clear}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Parishes in Argyll]]
[[Category:Isle of Mull]]