The Rosneath area has been settled from at least 600 onwards, when
St. Modan, a travelling missionary, founded a church there. The name
Rosneath may have its roots in this era, being derived from the
Gaelic , meaning "promontory of consecrated ground". The name has historically been spelled as
Roseneath (notably in both the
First and
New (or Second) Statistical Accounts of Scotland). A more visible example is Roseneath Street in Greenock, which looks over the
River Clyde to Rosneath Point, and dates from around 1870. Later, the area was heavily fortified, with Rosneath's own castling joining those of nearby
Faslane and Shandon (located at
Faslane and
Shandon), all of which are long since gone. Rosneath village did not yet fully exist by this time; instead, Rosneath parish was home to many free-standing dwellings, the occupants of which were, for the vast bulk of the area's history, employed in agriculture and fishing. Frequent shipping services to
Glasgow, Greenock and beyond were vital for the local economy. Rosneath Castle was ruined and rebuilt many times; the final rebuilding, as
Rosneath House, came in 1803–06, three years after the previous building burned down. Located further uphill from previous versions, it belonged to the
Duke of Argyll, whose family retained it until
Princess Louise died in 1939. In stark contrast to the earlier castles, it was in the
Romanesque Revival style. From 1941 to 1945, Rosneath was home to an important
naval base known as
Rosneath naval base, thanks to its location in the well-sheltered natural harbour of the Gare Loch. The Americans used Rosneath Castle as a base of operations. The castle was then abandoned and the remains demolished in 1961. The Rosneath Peninsula was formerly in the traditional County of
Dunbarton until local government reorganisation moved it into the Argyll and Bute council area in 1996. ==Population==