At its peak, the village is swelled by visiting yachtsmen and their yachts. Tarbert also hosts an annual amusement fair at the end of July. Begun in the early 1800s, Tarbert Fair was originally a place where farmers and crofters would barter cattle, wool, and other goods. Today, however, the Fair is all about entertainment, with a suite of fairground rides, arcades, and fast food outlets that stretch along the harbour walls. The village is one of the start/finish points of the Kintyre Way, one of Scotland's Great Trails. Governance Tarbert is represented by several tiers of elected government. Tarbert has a representative, which it shares with North & West Kintyre, on the Argyll and Bute Council, and a community council and community trust shared with the hamlet of Skipness. Tarbert and Skipness Community Council forms the lowest tier of government whose statutory role is to communicate local opinion to local and central government. It is one of 60 community councils of the Argyll and Bute council area. Argyll and Bute Council, the unitary local authority for Tarbert, is based at Lochgilphead, and is the executive, deliberative and legislative body responsible for local government. The Scottish Parliament is responsible for devolved matters such as education, health and justice, while reserved matters are dealt with by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Tarbert anciently formed part of the Dál Riata. It has lain within the county boundaries of Argyllshire from a very early time. In 1890, Tarbert fell under the authority of Argyll County Council, where it remained until 1975 when the county was superseded by the regional council area of Strathclyde. From 1975 to 1996, Tarbert was in the Argyll district of Strathclyde until the two-tier regions and districts of Scotland were abolished. Since 1996 it has formed part of the unitary Argyll and Bute council area; Argyll and Bute Council is the local authority. Tarbert remains part of Argyllshire for purposes of registration. Demography According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the census locality (village and sub-area) of Tarbert had a population of 1,338. Transport The A83 road runs southwest from Tarbert to Campbeltown. The village is served by a Caledonian MacBrayne ferry service, which connects Tarbert with Portavadie in the Cowal peninsula during the summer, and Lochranza on Arran in winter. Notable people People from Tarbert are known locally as "jakes". Sir Donald MacAlister, 1st Baronet of Tarbert