Fortunately, enough additional money was raised during the construction to finish the project to full specifications, and in 2005, Craignish Village Hall was opened.

[9] After 1778, when most of the peninsula was in the ownership of the Campbells of Craignish, who had been the dominant local clan since the earliest recorded times around 1100, parcels of land were gradually sold off, and by 1850 most of the land was part of two estates; Lunga, purchased by the MacDougalls (of Lunga island), to the north and the Craignish estate to the south end of the peninsula.

[1][10] Until modern times farming was the main occupation and cattle from the off lying islands, Jura, Scarba, etc., were landed near Craignish point and driven along the peninsula then headed on to mainland markets like Crieff and Falkirkt.

To re-vitalise the area, he created a yacht centre at Ardfern to attract the ever-increasing numbers of cruising yachtsmen on the west coast, re-opened and developed the old Inn (the Galley of Lorne), sold housing plots to attract people to the area, encouraged artists of all sorts and the trades-people necessary for a thriving community, to stay on his estate.

Ardfern is an isolated community, 16 miles (26 km) from the nearest small town, Lochgilphead (pop circa 3,000), which is the administrative centre of Argyll & Bute but it is thriving.